How much for wheel alignment?

I just paid $xxx for a wheel alignment.  At least 25% higher than the same shop in 2021.

Yeah, I know - strings and plumb bob... but what do you pay for a professional alignment?  

$120.

4 wheel alignment on a new Hunter machine done by someone that knows/understands what their doing. That last bit is critical, more than the price.  

I just paid $150 for an alignment on my Boxster by a very good tech using new equipment who set the car to my specs that were not factory specs, and the car has lots of adjustment, not just a toe and go.  Seemed fair as that had to take more than an hour all in plus the expensive equipment 

We charge $220 and that is all the adjustments needed, not just a toe and go. Brand new equipment and guys that know what they are doing. 

Just paid $125 for Fester the F150. Caster, camber, and toe on the front end.

I paid 105 for my clubman at the tire shop down the street. I pay that same shop between 150 and 200 for vintage cars at the same shop and same modern digital rack. I pay them more because we have an agreement. These cars are PITA and everything is more critical. 

I also have a guy (former Ferrari NART team tech) that does old school string alignments on race cars. He gets the very valuable cars (vintage Cobras, Ferraris and the like) he does an amazing job and makes sure they drive very well. He is a little bit more expensive than the tire shop but you have to schedule it a month in advance. 

About $250 for a 4 wheel alignment on a Porsche 993 and I pay with a smile because he knows how to set up the tricky rear suspension.

I'm saddened to say I have spent 750 dollars on an alignment. Granted it was setting up a fully adjustable 996 gt3 suspension that I had refreshed entirely myself, but didn't even include any height adjustments or corner balancing. Sold the car shortly after realizing what it was going to cost on an ongoing basis :-). 

Still no idea what the point is of having fully adjustable arms for every connection to a rear wheel hub.

Slippery said:

$120.

4 wheel alignment on a new Hunter machine done by someone that knows/understands what their doing. That last bit is critical, more than the price.  

Mind telling me where you go local? I've had mixed results at Weber tire. Awesome for old trucks, not great for modern vehicles. 

Olemiss540 said:

I'm saddened to say I have spent 750 dollars on an alignment. Granted it was setting up a fully adjustable 996 gt3 suspension that I had refreshed entirely myself, but didn't even include any height adjustments or corner balancing. Sold the car shortly after realizing what it was going to cost on an ongoing basis :-). 

Still no idea what the point is of having fully adjustable arms for every connection to a rear wheel hub.

After fully rebuilding my Elise suspension and axles, I took it to get an alignment at a very highly-regarded shop down the road. Apparently one of the bolts holding a CV in backed out and started leaking MT fluid. You could see the missing bolt through the wheel spokes, so it isn't like the diagnostics were hard. Still, they charged about $400 for the fluid on the floor and another $400 for the alignment. In their defense, they nailed the alignment (according to the printout, haven't verified third-party), but they left me this little Easter egg for the hassle, I suppose:

grover said:

Slippery said:

$120.

4 wheel alignment on a new Hunter machine done by someone that knows/understands what their doing. That last bit is critical, more than the price.  

Mind telling me where you go local? I've had mixed results at Weber tire. Awesome for old trucks, not great for modern vehicles. 

I have been using Jon at Corsa Technik. Great guy and very patient.

Corsa Technik
2780 NE 7th Ave.
Pompano Beach, Fl
www.corsatechnik.com
(754) 220-6684

If they cant get you in I have one more place to send you to, but he is kind of far near Griffin and 95.

$250 at a speed shop was the last one. Everything was perfect. When I take it into a firestone or something the wheel is never straight. Nobody cares. They just are trying to get the car on and off the rack as fast as possible. I really should learn how to do string alignments.

$120 for toe and go, and they'll ship anything that falls anywhere within the "green zone." i really need to find a new place.

NTB still charges $100 for toe&go but the tech liked my car and spent 2 hours getting the caster and camber to my specs. That's an outlier case but I felt like bragging.

In reply to Slippery :

That's a haul to pompano- but I want it done right. Thanks! 

Bought a lifted OBS F250, only on 35" tires (well 34, as measured) Took some of the lift out. Since I'm not a bro dozer. 
Took it to a highly regarded shop. Told them it would absolutely need a camber adjust, do to TTB, and ride height change. Was assured they always check. 
Went on 300 mile trip for a funeral. 
Got back from trip... both front tires (brand new) were trashed. 
Mechanic said "we did exactly what we always do, for alignment" Yep. Toe and go

Apology's to the rare shop that does good work... but I've yet to find one!!!

03Panther said:

Bought a lifted OBS F250, only on 35" tires (well 34, as measured) Took some of the lift out. Since I'm not a bro dozer. 
Took it to a highly regarded shop. Told them it would absolutely need a camber adjust, do to TTB, and ride height change. Was assured they always check. 
Went on 300 mile trip for a funeral. 
Got back from trip... both front tires (brand new) were trashed. 
Mechanic said "we did exactly what we always do, for alignment" Yep. Toe and go

Apology's to the rare shop that does good work... but I've yet to find one!!!

Depending on what year it is it may be a very expensive camber job.  Haven't done one in about a million years but we used to have to heat and bend I beams to adjust camber and it's always extra.  Some vehicles are just designed to be toe and go such as ford I beam front ends, Range rovers due to dynamic air suspension, Alfa Romeo (non quad), Fox body mustang (remember when camber plates were a thing), hell even my Sonics need camber bolts in the front and shims in the back.

grover said:

In reply to Slippery :

That's a haul to pompano- but I want it done right. Thanks! 

It is, I hate going south of Glades. 

I cannot remember how or through who, but I heard this guy was good:

Marcello Motorsport

https://maps.app.goo.gl/hstXTuKkzQmkF4oS6?g_st=ic

In case you want to be the guinea pig, lol. I need an alignment on my wife's car, but havent had the time to take it. Might give it a shot. No idea about his prices. 

Most bills I see in the insurance biz are around $125 these days. Some higher, some lower, depending on the locale or if its some silly Eurotrash car with endless adjustments.

My local shop, who was very good, and would set the car up to my specs, charged me $50 for around a decade.  Last year they upped the price to $100, which I thought was still very reasonable.  Then we moved.

Rather than finding another shop, I ended up buying a set of the Paco Motorsports hub stands after the recent price drop.  Still not cheap, but should pay for themselves within a couple of years on the 'fun' cars.  

I still need to find a shop to do my truck.

In reply to cyow5 :

That's a nice suprise!

On the flipside, a local shop full of dirt track racers helped me drill out my fender flares (for clearance), let me help them adjust the camber/toe/etc while on their rack, and setup my racecar to my specs for 150 bucks. Will go there from now on :-)

In reply to theruleslawyer :

"When I take it into a firestone or something the wheel is never straight."

That is one of my pet peeves and the first thing I mention. MAKE SURE THE WHEEL IS STRAIGT"  I stopped going to Gateway Tire for that reason. That and the Ranger needed lower ball joints that weren't mentioned.

I've had great luck with the local mechanic, but I made clear up front I whether I wanted to pay by the hour (Miata after a front end curb hit -ended up around $250) or toe & go (flat rate for the minivan, I think it was $115?).   

Both results were good, it just needed to be clearly communicated what I was looking for and willing to accept higher cost for longer/more finicky job.

Local independent tire shop has a young fellow working there that loves to see me bring in my weird cars cause it's a break from the usual grind of trucks and SUVs. Only problem is some of my LBC's just won't fit his rack or equipment (10" wheels for instance) so there's a guy with a race shop right around the corner that can do it. The race shop usually has to book me in several weeks out, where the tire shop is usually the next day. 

Both guys do excellent work and both charge about the same - $150-160 to adjust all 4 wheels. The young guy at the tire shop is super meticulous and I always tip him an extra $20 as he has 4 young kids at home!

Slippery said:

grover said:

In reply to Slippery :

That's a haul to pompano- but I want it done right. Thanks! 

It is, I hate going south of Glades. 

I cannot remember how or through who, but I heard this guy was good:

Marcello Motorsport

https://maps.app.goo.gl/hstXTuKkzQmkF4oS6?g_st=ic

In case you want to be the guinea pig, lol. I need an alignment on my wife's car, but havent had the time to take it. Might give it a shot. No idea about his prices. 

Hmmmm, I've not heard of this place either. May have to be a sacrificial lamb here. 
have you heard of Stahl? Probably overkill for my cayenne but it's nice not getting the "but it's a Porsche!" Line.