Wheel alignment cost?

T-Maxx

Paid €60 today to get wheel alignment done. Took about 30min of which only about half was actually spent working on the car.

Is this the going rate or was I smoked?

dar83

Sounds about right. Was it 4 wheel? Laser alignment?

vectra

dar83 wrote: »

Was it 4 wheel? Laser alignment?

Was about to ask this myself.

T-Maxx

4 wheel, not familiar with the various methods so wouldn't know

anfield liv

Ya ,that seems to be the going rate,I spent 60 euro for same a few months ago.The car was put up off the ground and lasers were used to align wheels.

Nissan doctor

€60 is perfectly reasonable if it was full 4 wheel alignment you had done.

MuppetCheck

Seems in the right ballpark. Personally I have never spent more than €40-45.

TheBody

Wow, I paid €35 about two weeks ago. Clearly prices vary greatly!!

JOSman

My wife's car really needs to be done. Anybody got recommendations in the Navan Road area for 4 wheel alignment?

Thanks

Nissan doctor

TheBody wrote: »

Wow, I paid €35 about two weeks ago. Clearly prices vary greatly!!

What car have you got?

rebel.ranter

JOSman wrote: »

My wife's car really needs to be done. Anybody got recommendations in the Navan Road area for 4 wheel alignment?

Thanks

Dave McCann Tyres seems to get good recommendations.

http://www.davemccanntyres.com/

JOSman

Thanks Rebel.Ranter

TheBody

Nissan doctor wrote: »

What car have you got?

2007 Ford Focus.

pred racer

Nissan doctor wrote: »

€60 is perfectly reasonable if it was full 4 wheel alignment you had done.

40 is reasonable, i would think 60 expensive.

carbon nanotube

if camber/toe etc is done 60eu is cheap.

Nissan doctor

TheBody wrote: »

2007 Ford Focus.

They have front and rear adjustment so if you had it done properly then €35 is extremely cheap.

pred racer wrote: »

40 is reasonable, i would think 60 expensive.

The problem is that people think that wheel alignment, just like servicing, is a generic term when it isn't.

Simple front wheel alignment using basic laser sight gauges is VERY different to full 4 wheel alignment, which includes camber, castor swings, thrust angle measurements etc etc on modern alignment machines.

The latter is what's required to properly align most modern cars and these machines can cost up to 50k, as opposed to a few hundred Euro for laser sight gauges.

Ireland is actually very cheap for wheel alignment, in the UK you'd pay over £100 to have wheel alignment done properly on quality equipment.

jayok

I'm an expert on this in the last few months... 40 is the lower end of the scale and 60 is the upper end of the scale in terms of alignments.

To be fair, it all depends on how much adjustments have to be done. I wouldn't consider €60 "smoked" if there was alignment required on all 4 wheels.

carbon nanotube

Nissan doctor wrote: »

They have front and rear adjustment so if you had it done properly then €35 is extremely cheap.



The problem is that people think that wheel alignment, just like servicing, is a generic term when it isn't.

Simple front wheel alignment using basic laser sight gauges is VERY different to full 4 wheel alignment, which includes camber, castor swings, thrust angle measurements etc etc on modern alignment machines.

The latter is what's required to properly align most modern cars and these machines can cost up to 50k, as opposed to a few hundred Euro for laser sight gauges.

Ireland is actually very cheap for wheel alignment, in the UK you'd pay over £100 to have wheel alignment done properly on quality equipment.

true, i know this as my honda had to be aligned in a few places until i got it right, i needed camber and toe adjustment.

basic 4 wheel lazer alignment should be relatively cheap.

this is camber and toe print out for the accord.

jayok

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Ireland is actually very cheap for wheel alignment, in the UK you'd pay over £100 to have wheel alignment done properly on quality equipment.

Aye, but in the UK you can get it done right first time! :cool:

TheBody

Nissan doctor wrote: »

They have front and rear adjustment so if you had it done properly then €35 is extremely cheap.



The problem is that people think that wheel alignment, just like servicing, is a generic term when it isn't.

Simple front wheel alignment using basic laser sight gauges is VERY different to full 4 wheel alignment, which includes camber, castor swings, thrust angle measurements etc etc on modern alignment machines.

The latter is what's required to properly align most modern cars and these machines can cost up to 50k, as opposed to a few hundred Euro for laser sight gauges.

Ireland is actually very cheap for wheel alignment, in the UK you'd pay over £100 to have wheel alignment done properly on quality equipment.

The problem for the average punter (which I am) is that we have to put a lot of our faith in the mechanic. We simply drop it off and can't really argue against anything the mechanic says as we don't know any better.

I havn't had any trouble with my guy (so far!!) and have been going to him for a long time.

T-Maxx

carbon nanotube wrote: »

if camber/toe etc is done 60eu is cheap.

Surely that's what alignment is all about - camber and toe?

carbon nanotube

jayok wrote: »

Aye, but in the UK you can get it done right first time! :cool:

not really, but i was in kwik fit for my first..:rolleyes:

Markcheese

Every time I go to mechanic I end up getting front ball joints,drop links,tie rods ect ... So every time I get van back,after paying mechanic, he says you'll have to go get tracking done... Another 40 euro....

Nissan doctor

jayok wrote: »

Aye, but in the UK you can get it done right first time! :cool:

The thing is, weirdly, that many of the tyre center chains and service chains in Ireland have the expensive equipment but they don't specifically advertise the fact and there is also the problem of staff not knowing how to fully use the equipment or fully understanding the concept of proper wheel alignment. In the UK, anywhere that invests in this equipment also invests in proper training and advertising of the service as being superior to other alignment available.

TheBody wrote: »

The problem for the average punter (which I am) is that we have to put a lot of our faith in the mechanic. We simply drop it off and can't really argue against anything the mechanic says as we don't know any better.

I havn't had any trouble with my guy (so far!!) and have been going to him for a long time.

I agree, there is generally no way that the average motorist will have a clue what adjustment is required on their car and this can lead to people having trouble with tyre wear/pulling to one side etc etc and assuming, that because they've had 'alignment' done, that it can't be the problem.

jayok

carbon nanotube wrote: »

not really, but i was in kwik fit for my first..:rolleyes:

Yeah, well with your Honda you should have found your nearest Hunter machine, everything else pales away.

http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/

Looking at your output it was a Hunter alignment that finally sorted it.

Nissan doctor

T-Maxx wrote: »

Surely that's what alignment is all about - camber and toe?

Full wheel alignment is about a lot more then that. Basic laser aligners can only do front and rear toe.

The infa red camera based aligners, like the hunter mentioned above, are the best and most accurate by far.

carbon nanotube

jayok wrote: »

Yeah, well with your Honda you should have found your nearest Hunter machine, everything else pales away.

http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/

Looking at your output it was a Hunter alignment that finally sorted it.

ya, hunter is the one.

Nissan doctor

That's a screen shot from our machine. I've never used the hunter machines but the John Bean camera/image aligners work the exact same way.

T-Maxx

Does this look ok? Which is which?

Nissan doctor

T-Maxx wrote: »

Does this look ok? Which is which?

That's 4 wheel alignment, what type of car is it?

T-Maxx

w203 merc c200

Nissan doctor

T-Maxx wrote: »

w203 merc c200

Your front right camber is still off but its not service adjustable on your car.

T-Maxx

Nothing my sledge can't fix...:D

What am I looking at on that print out? How do I relate that to your screen prints?

Nissan doctor

T-Maxx wrote: »

Nothing my sledge can't fix...:D

What am I looking at on that print out? How do I relate that to your screen prints?

T-Maxx wrote: »

Left column = before adjustment.

next column = after adjustment.

Right columns(blue) = allowable tolerances.

Upper section is front axle, lower is the rear axle.

First row is Total Toe.

Second is left and right Toe.

Third is left and right camber.

Fourth is total/cross camber.

Fifth is left and right castor.

Sixth is thrust angle.

The rear is the same but without the castor angles. Hope that all makes sense.

JerCotter7

Cost me €50 for a full alignment. Camber, caster, toe on front and camber, toe on the rear.

Nissan doctor

JerCotter7 wrote: »

Cost me €50 for a full alignment. Camber, caster, toe on front and camber, toe on the rear.

That's a good price, what car is it?

T-Maxx

Is the 1st blue column the target values, the 2nd and 3rd blue the tolerances on the target value?

I see what you mean with the RF camber (total front camber is out too so).

LF and RF caster is out too.

Thrust angle barely makes it.

Rear toe ok.

Rear camber barely adjusted, was ok before.

I assume a patient and well trained guy would be able to get it pretty darn close to perfect?

JerCotter7

Nissan doctor wrote: »

That's a good price, what car is it?

E36 318is.

Nissan doctor

T-Maxx wrote: »

Is the 1st blue column the target values, the 2nd and 3rd blue the tolerances on the target value?

I see what you mean with the RF camber (total front camber is out too so).

LF and RF caster is out too.

Thrust angle barely makes it.

Rear toe ok.

Rear camber barely adjusted, was ok before.

I assume a patient and well trained guy would be able to get it pretty darn close to perfect?

Well the camber and castor readings aren't adjustable on your car as standard but they aren't off by an amount that will cause any noticeable issues for normal driving.

A decent operator with an accurate machine will be able to get the readings bang on the factory settings. A really good guy can make adjustments which will suit certain driving styles.

Nissan doctor

JerCotter7 wrote: »

E36 318is.

Unless you have after market suspension components, the front camber and castor aren't adjustable on your car. With a decent machine they would have measured their readings though.

JerCotter7

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Unless you have after market suspension components, the front camber and castor aren't adjustable on your car. With a decent machine they would have measured their readings though.

HSD coilovers. Adjustable mounts.

Nissan doctor

JerCotter7 wrote: »

HSD coilovers. Adjustable mounts.

That give you camber adjustment only so.

Regardless, its still a very good price for the full set up.

nympho

€20 for a full wheel alignment at my local place.

Nissan doctor

nympho wrote: »

€20 for a full wheel alignment at my local place.

I'd love to see that.

Yawlboy

I paid €25 this morning at Hanover Tyres in Carrigtwohill for full alignment of my 07 Saab 9-5. They have the John Bean equipment.

JerCotter7

Nissan doctor wrote: »

That give you camber adjustment only so.

Regardless, its still a very good price for the full set up.

Nope. I have caster as well. It was 7 and it was moved to about 4.5. The whole shock mount moves for caster. Only the plate in the middle moves for camber.

Nissan doctor

Nissan doctor wrote: »

€60 is perfectly reasonable if it was full 4 wheel alignment you had done.

Its a complete rip off that's what it is. 50 is a rip off which is what a lot of places look for never mind 60 but people are willing to pay.

I got 4 wheel laser alignment with camber etc done on my GTI for 30 euro. I was shown through the whole process and shown on the screen what was off and what was being adjusted to solve it etc.

Viper_JB

Anybody have any recommendations for getting the 4 wheel alignment done properly in Cork and a rough price?

Viper_JB

Viper_JB wrote: »

Anybody have any recommendations for getting the 4 wheel alignment done properly in Cork and a rough price?

John Banks tyres in turners cross should be around 30 euro as my above post, they are dead sound in there too. Give them a quick call to confirm a price for your own car.

Viper_JB

Jase Salty Combat wrote: »

John Banks tyres in turners cross should be around 30 euro as my above post, they are dead sound in there too. Give them a quick call to confirm a price for your own car.

Sweet, might check them out now tomorrow or Sat.

Nissan doctor

Jase Salty Combat wrote: »

Its a complete rip off that's what it is. 50 is a rip off which is what a lot of places look for never mind 60 but people are willing to pay.

I got 4 wheel laser alignment with camber etc done on my GTI for 30 euro. I was shown through the whole process and shown on the screen what was off and what was being adjusted to solve it etc.

Which model Golf do you have? Presumably its a MK3 or a MK5/6?

Laser systems are old tech now but if someone did a proper job for €30 then you did well.

It obviously, in no way, means that €60 for have the full range of adjustments carried out on the latest equipment is automatically a rip off though. In the same way as saying that a bottle of mobil 1 oil is a rip off when you can get oil in your local filling station for much less.