I have been having a hard time trying to decide where to take my car to get a four wheel alignment or front alignment with thrust alignment. So I read on here that Dallas Frame and Alignment did great work. I bring them my car at 10:30 am, and at 12:30 pm, they call saying it would be $280!!! I tell them I would have to think about it, but I could not do it today. I get back to the shop about 2:00 pm and attempt to pick up the car, but they had already started adjusted the lower control arms using string and a measuring tape. While I see how this might make it expensive, I really figured they would have used a machine, and since I had never given them an okay to begin the alignment and needed to leave for work, they pulled the car out half finished and not happy. So is $280 reasonable for an alignment? I have spent half that before. If not, anyone know a shop which can do a good four wheel alignment or front and thrust alignment?

 

wow, in chicago $60 is the norm and $100 being the absolute most

 

corvettes of houston quoted me 150$. and thats with vette tax of course. so unless they are replacing something, 280$ is steep. you didnt call around first?

 

280$ i would avoid that place. just took mine in for a alignment and it was 59.99$ most i would spend is 80$ if i was in a situation like that.

 

Firestone does them for 150.00....LIFETIME ALIGNMENT! I just hope than can do a lowered car

 

I had the local euro-tuner shop do mine (they have the only flush-with-the-floor rack) and it was $70 for all four. They also offered to do it to my specs.

 

NTB does it for 6 months 79.99 and a one year for 99.99 they have the flush with the floor rack as well or midas does it to but forgot the price

 

Sounds like they werent doing just the basic suspension alignment. for that price and what you were saying they were doing it sounds more like they were checking for frame and suspension alignment. If not and they were trying to adjust suspension alignment with a string and tape measure then they need to be kicked in the teeth.

 

Way too much. Ntb $59.99.

 

if they are adjusting aftermarket LCAS, PHB and TQ Arm to have the rear end perfectly square, and align the front wheels, that is not expensive.....

But i would have a performance shop or someone that KNOWS race chassis do it for me....

Just my .02

 

dont go to firestone if you have a lowered car. they slammed my subframe connectors on the rack. i heard a big bang, then looked out to find my car stuck halfway up the rack.

 

I told them the rear has adjustable control arms and panhard bar to adjust forward and backward on the right and left side and right and left movement respectively. I said I wanted the front adjusted to -1.2 degrees on camber, 4.5 on caster, and 0 toe. They said it would be $95 for just the front, and $180 for the rear. I told them there was nothing wrong with the frame, and I just wanted an alignment. I expected more than the $70 - $100 that most people are saying that they pay for an alignment, but I did not imagine that it would be over $200. And Yes they were going to charge me per hour for someone to sit under the car and take measurements, I believe.

 

I have tried. Everywhere wants to look at it first. And there were two reasons why I went here. 1) A few people on here have already mentioned they are the best in Dallas 2) They are about a mile from my work.

 

Well I am glad someone agrees with the shop cause it was alot more than I had expected. And the man working on my car, using the string, seemed very confident. He even told me that he had worked on much more complex suspensions than mine, when I was asking what they would be doing that is causing the alignment to take so long.

I guess I would not mind them doing it. I guess think things could have gone better, and they would have given me some idea what I could be looking at as far as price. If I knew it would have been around $300, I could have waited until money was less tight. I just did not have the money yesterday nor the time.

At the same time, I am always open to suggestions of a good suspension shop. If anyone cares has any suggestions, do not hesitate to post.

 

If they were stringing the car, then they were definitely doing a nuts on alignment to the frame and not just aligning all 4 wheels to some arbitrary point.

Simply adjusting camber/caster/toe and then thrust and square, all referencing the other point is an $80 job. And it's typically OK for your average street car.

A nuts on square lignment as the car sits, referencing the frame, ensuring it's dead nuts on square is a tedious and time consuming task. I have turn plates and a Longacre camber/Caster rig for my race car and I have spent the better part of a day getting the string square and then referencing and measuring.

For all that ... $300 is a reasonable rate. Its also why I bought my own gear ...

 

Yeah thats not really what I had asked for. I drive the car daily, so the car does encounter imperfect roads. If this was my racecar, I might have been able to understand it.
So where can I go to get a reliable $80 alignment where they will do the front, rear, and thrust?

Also I would not mind attempting this, by buying my own equipment like you have. Other than string, turn plates, and smart caster/camber gauge, is there anything else you need? And how do you setup the string?

 

Guys, this is for FOUR WHEELS, not just two. I found a place that did my front alignment for $40.

 

Four wheel alignment at Bmw dealer is $199. Thats with the Bmw tax.

 

i paid 80 dollars or something at Southwest Alignment and they have the badass Hawkeye machine

 

Pay attention, for the second explicit repeat ... he's getting a 4 WHEEL alignment. That price you mention is for two. You're in plentiful company, half the posters in this thread aren't paying attention to this either.



OP - you need to decide if you want a perfect alignment or just sufficient.

If you want perfect, frame referenced - $280 is very fair. What's their warranty?

For sufficient, I personally would be hard pressed to pay more than $150-200 for 4 wheels, and it best have a multi-year warranty for that price. I'd be STUNNED if you found even a decent, legit, 4 wheel alignment for $80.

This is all assuming they have competent techs. I'll pay more for someone who knows what they hell they are doing, especially if you have adjustable components.

You should have done a bit more research, perhaps, but it's not too late. Just pay attention to front tire wear. Don't cheap out here, a good alignment does WONDERS for the way the car drives. Good luck!!