Wheel Alignments
- Thread starter Al
- Start date
A couple of Discount Tire stores in my town do alignments. They will give you a pretty color printout of current status and let you chose if you want to pay the $89.99. No charge if you decline, not a bad model IMO.
My guess is that they will always find something that they can adjust...
Alignment will change over time due to bushing and component wear (bushings are constantly settling/wearing/moving) but these dealers today want to hit you with a 100 dollar alignment once a year which isn’t really necessary. I only recommend one with new tires or (obviously) when components are changed.
I will say some vehicles hold alignment better than others. In addition you can do an alignment, take the car off the rack then put it back on and the angles are usually never exactly where you left them.
Also I know that 99.9% of shops never load the driver seat like they should.
I will say some vehicles hold alignment better than others. In addition you can do an alignment, take the car off the rack then put it back on and the angles are usually never exactly where you left them.
Also I know that 99.9% of shops never load the driver seat like they should.
When I worked at a Hyundai dealer we had to replace (at first, when no replacement parts were avaiulable) complete steering racks on Tucson for disintegrating end stops: the 19" tyres would rub on the wishbones at full lock.
Anyway, I did a wheel alignment on every car that had a replacement rack and ALL of them had the left rear wheel with too much toe-in from the factory. Boss wanted us to just a 2 wheel alignment but might as well eyeball it in that case.
You sound like my father in law. He thinks tire rotations are a scam. I wonder if it's hard to hear over the tire noise in your vehicles, just like it is in his? Lol.
We always sold "alignment checks" for 29.95 and the alignment only happened if it was out of spec. Sure some shops won't be honest like this, but this absolutely is the right way to do it...you have to set up on the machine first anyway....unless it is out you're not loosening anything off.
Not to mention when parts wear out and need replaced.
All I can say I’d if you’re presented with a “red-green” alignment check sheet, make sure you read the actual angles vs specs. Some places will turn the wheel slightly to show red on the toe but if you look at the total toe it is within specs.
Another dealership scam. I’m not bashing all dealers but I worked exclusively at dealers for 34 years and I know their typical business model.
Another dealership scam. I’m not bashing all dealers but I worked exclusively at dealers for 34 years and I know their typical business model.
In my experience a dedicated front end and alignment shop is the place to go for a decent alignment.
I'll never use a chain type shop (Midas, Mavis etc...) for one because often the workers don't know how to do a proper alignment. There is a place in the Bronx (West Farms area) that has been family owned and in business since the 50s or 60s doing front end work....another one in Newburgh NY that's the same (neither try to upsell)....those are where I go when my tires start to wear funny. If my tires were wearing well I don't mess with the alignment.
I'll never use a chain type shop (Midas, Mavis etc...) for one because often the workers don't know how to do a proper alignment. There is a place in the Bronx (West Farms area) that has been family owned and in business since the 50s or 60s doing front end work....another one in Newburgh NY that's the same (neither try to upsell)....those are where I go when my tires start to wear funny. If my tires were wearing well I don't mess with the alignment.
They charge an extra $40 for alignment at my independent tire shop when buying tires. I add it in , typically fine occasionally out and thankfully they are really good at them.
96 In my area ( Novi ) is still being worked on, but they have actually been making some progress. Thankfully I commute 96 to 23 in the opposite direction for rush hour traffic. It really hasn't been too bad. The closing of on/off ramps is more annoying.
oh ya I forgot about that, they're finally ripping all that up and replacing it. I'd actually take grand river back towards the west side.. when going home to my place. just to avoid 96 in wixom/milford! And you're lucky, 23 was redone too! That's what we get when MDOT finally has $$$ to fix the roads! thanks for the update!
EDIT: the 96 section I was talking about was the one in Livonia.. they ripped it up like 10 years ago down to the sand and they're still having to repair it all the time! oh my rant about detroit roads.. I'll stop.. maybe.. lol
When they closed the entire freeway for the entire length of the project? Yeah... that was a great time lol
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Depending on what suspension work I do I will get an alignment. I won't do it for just swapping out struts or springs, but I will for just about everything else.
I own trucks/suv's, tire are too expensive to be allowed to wear prematurely.
Bring back the 67 Beetle, life was simple once, its was a 1900 dollar car tax and all,,,,kept it 5 years, I dont remember front end alinements..but I do remember the tires were 16 dollars each and an oil change was less then 10 bucks in the drive way...maybe 5 bucks...
A high-school friend's family owned a 1960 Beetle. Three (Imperial) quarts of oil, and no oil filter, changed every 1000 miles. This was c. 1975. Oil changes were cheap (< $3) but frequent.
I remember Mr Cooper saying that a Beetle would go 200,000 miles, but would go through three engines to get there.
I have heard that thru the years, our old Beetle got to near 90,000 miles and we sold it,,,now its worth maybe 20k ,,,,idk
They did better when run on a thick oil - one friend had good results with 20W-50, getting an air-cooled Westphalia past 100,000 miles with no engine problems.
Yes, old Beetles are worth a pretty penny now.
