Is $120 fair for an alignment + balance?
- Thread starter mclasser
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MrQuackers
Site Donor 2024
I think Firestone has a lifetime alignment for about $160. And some shops offer lifetime balance when you buy new tires.
Slightly higher than mormal. Last that I paid for a just an alignment check/tire rotation it was $70+fees+tax 6 years ago using a coupon. When I buy from tirerack and send the tire to a store, they charge roughly $13 additional per tire for mount/balance. In your case, it was just check/correct tire balance.
What really bugs me most and what I look for now for tire work is whether I have to wait. Back before I knew better, I nearly always had to wait 1 hour before a tire shop even starts work. Now I'm willing to pay smaller good mom/pop shops for tire work if I can just drive right up and by the time I sign papers for work, my car is already being lifted.
What really bugs me most and what I look for now for tire work is whether I have to wait. Back before I knew better, I nearly always had to wait 1 hour before a tire shop even starts work. Now I'm willing to pay smaller good mom/pop shops for tire work if I can just drive right up and by the time I sign papers for work, my car is already being lifted.
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Way too much. I paid $55 for a four wheel alignment on the GP at a brake and alignment specialty shop a few weeks ago. The previous alignment I got at a general auto shop was about $65. Spin balancing four tires should not run $55-65, so you definitely paid too much.
Around here alignments are about $80, and tire balancing is $20 per wheel.
You paid top dollar
Did they give you a written estimate before performing the work that you signed?
Ed
Ed
Not the best price but not the worst either. If they were using new alignment equipment, I could see myself paying that much. Some of the new machines can align it within a couple thousandsths of an inch. And just FYI, there is no such thing as a "lifetime" alignment. Clever marketing gimmick is all.
Did they do it right? That's the key.
I pay about $70 for a rotate and balance but that's at an indy shop. Alignment is about the same as it's an hourly deal there.
I pay about $70 for a rotate and balance but that's at an indy shop. Alignment is about the same as it's an hourly deal there.
I don't really trust Firestone, but I guess they're all the same. I usually end up at Goodyear and they just have a 3 year alignment warranty, about $150. They usually have some $25 off $50 service coupon so if you just get the single alignment, it's $79 minus the $25 coupon. They always try to up sell me on service. Now they don't try too hard because they only see me in there for tires or alignments. They print out their quotes and I usually get it done for 1/3 less. Like they wanted to replace one inner tie rod for $300, but I managed to get both sides done for a little over $100 including parts.
Yup. Some shops have a fancy Hunter alignment rack and the techs don't know how to properly use it, same goes for tire balancer.
This is one of the reasons I go to shops that include lifetime balancing, but alignments are going to cost you something no matter what unless you buy a package. Cheapest places to get an ala carte alignment around here is about $70 unless you find a coupon.
That sounds about right to me, at least in my location. I usually pay $80 for a 4-wheel alignment where I provide the specs and then $25 for a balance.
Not sure what a "shop fee" is though?
Not sure what a "shop fee" is though?
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There are so many different scenarios that could cause a price difference. Just a simple 2 wheel alignment that would be high priced but a full alignment with all angles corrected or 4 wheel would be very fair.
I had a GMC done after a front end rebuild where all angles were off, they did a nice job on it and it took some time.
Around here a good 4 wheel alignment will go $70-75 at a good shop. Balance is $10 a wheel + weight.
If they did a good job, eg cleaned the wheels of any dirt (so they don't counter balance dirt) the price is fine.
I had a GMC done after a front end rebuild where all angles were off, they did a nice job on it and it took some time.
Around here a good 4 wheel alignment will go $70-75 at a good shop. Balance is $10 a wheel + weight.
If they did a good job, eg cleaned the wheels of any dirt (so they don't counter balance dirt) the price is fine.
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