Alignment Cost - Page 3

AtomicDog · 03-07-2006, 09:40 PM

I was quoted $160 for the alignment w/o corner balance by a shop in NJ listed in Bruce's book. With sales tax, that should come out to about $300, right? I love this state.

Chris

Duckworth · Duckworth's Garage

So to summarize your method:

You decide to measure the floor from the left wheel to the right wheel and get a reading of 5 degrees slope. You then check for camber at the left wheel and see 3 degrees. So, you got negative 2 degrees of camber at that wheel. OK.

Using the same sequence you progress to the right wheel using the smart tool and again factor in the slope. No problem.. You now have your right wheel camber.

But - my garage slopes in from ALL sides inward in order to drain toward center. Most garages do this I think. The angle each tire sits on the concrete is slightly different for each wheel even though yes, there is a general slope from left to right.

Sweating out the small stuff can be a burden. The 'peace of mind' of a professional alignment is what folks are able to have when spending $400.

Phil
______________

'74 fiat 128
'80 928
'82 Targa - sold

wcc · 03-08-2006, 09:35 AM

My garage floor slopes towards the driveway. No drain. But if I had a floor like you have I would do it in my driveway....

I would rather have a professional do it cause I know me and I would spend probably 2 days doing it and it still wouldn't be right and I would have to take it somewhere and I would get charged even more.

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Duckworth
So to summarize your method:

You decide to measure the floor from the left wheel to the right wheel and get a reading of 5 degrees slope. You then check for camber at the left wheel and see 3 degrees. So, you got negative 2 degrees of camber at that wheel. OK.

Using the same sequence you progress to the right wheel using the smart tool and again factor in the slope. No problem.. You now have your right wheel camber.

But - my garage slopes in from ALL sides inward in order to drain toward center. Most garages do this I think. The angle each tire sits on the concrete is slightly different for each wheel even though yes, there is a general slope from left to right.

Sweating out the small stuff can be a burden. The 'peace of mind' of a professional alignment is what folks are able to have when spending $400.

Phil
______________

'74 fiat 128
'80 928
'82 Targa - sold

My garage slopes only towards the door, away from the house, at about 1 degree, so it has been very repeatable for me. Your results may vary.

As I said in an earlier post, my mechanic allowed me the full use of his alignment rack, under his supervision to perform a full alignment. Since that time, I have only checked and made small adjustments in my garage, but my measurements have been consistent. I don't recommend my DIY method as a final setting, but it is accurate enough to get you on the road. It's major flaw is the absence of a caster method of measurement. If you are not careful when adjusting camber, you will affect caster, which can't easily be measured on a garage floor.

edward993 · 03-08-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by javadog
Bill;

The quality of alignments varies. Some places, if the measurements at one corner are within the range allowed by the manufacturer, no tweaking is done. On to the next corner.

A good alignment will entail tweaking all of the measurements to a prefered number within the allowed range and making sure left and right sides are equal.

A really good alignment for a 911 or 930 includes adjusting the corner weights. If this has never been done to a car since it left the factory, I highly recommend it.

...You generally get what you pay for. I'd suggest speaking to the shop ahead of the alignment to find out exactly what you are getting for your money. ...
JR

Exactly. It's not the cost of the rack or that fancy computer/laser gizmo. It's all about the guy working on your car. Is he merely going to get it "within spec," which is a huge variance if you look at what alignment shops consider "in spec," or will he take the time to put every dimention where it "should" be, as per your instructions (or his recommendations if it's a race shop). Think about it: what a doctor often "does" is just look at you, and I mean "look" at you. And then makes recommendations. Easy, right? Anyone can do that! Skill comes with a price. That said, look around for a shop with a good rep and not just charging top $$ because they carry the Porsche logo (cough ...dealer... cough).

Edward

ddann · 03-08-2006, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kqw
Either Performance Automotive in Malvern or Dougherty's. in West Chester.

Thanks!

Duckworth · Duckworth's Garage

It's major flaw is the absence of a caster method of measurement. If you are not careful when adjusting camber, you will affect caster, which can't easily be measured on a garage floor.

Zoanas, I'm currently dealing with a point you raise about caster, and this board is terrific for help on this stuff.

I currently am having a problem with my 928 in that one wheel needs to go the max amount of travel of camber to get me on the road. Just that one side. So, the caster is then compromised - or at least, much different than the other side. I don't know how to solve it , but I sure as hek wish I had a reference point to measure and compare the left side caster to right side caster.

Phil
_____________

'74 fiat 128
'80 928
'82 Targa - sold

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Quote:

I currently am having a problem with my 928 in that one wheel needs to go the max amount of travel of camber to get me on the road. Just that one side. So, the caster is then compromised - or at least, much different than the other side. I don't know how to solve it , but I sure as hek wish I had a reference point to measure and compare the left side caster to right side caster.

Check out this owners manual for the SmartTool alignment system. It includes some formulas and theory for alignment that may help.

Link to manual.pdf

There is a way to measure caster by turning the wheel 20 degrees left and right and measuring camber. Then there is a formula to determine the caster for that wheel.

wcc · 04-19-2006, 09:00 AM

Update: I've adjusted my ride height and had my wheels done and ordered my tires. I should have the tires on the rims, strut brace in and bump steer kit all installed this week. Now, I JUST scheduled an alignment with the stealer (dealer) and I guess it depends on who you talk to over there cause now I got a different quote from a third guy of $220.00 over the phone. I got his name, so they can't wiggle their way out of this quote, and set up my appointment with their guy that's most familiar with '80s 911s. My 930 should be back on the road by the middle of next week if all goes well.

Miguel Antonett · 04-19-2006, 12:01 PM

$200 for four corners alignment is reasonable.

diabolos88 · 04-19-2006, 05:46 PM

geez, 200-220 is really cheap. In Chicago its absurd, some shops charge like $1,000. I called some here in Phoenix and got skyhigh quotes as well.

msk1986911 · 04-19-2006, 07:42 PM

After noticing excessive wear on the inside tread of the left front tire I called around to get prices for alignments. The first quote (from a shop wih an excellent reputation for Porsche work in the Baltimore area-Ralph's) doesn't do alignments but offered to make an appointment at a shop co-located with his...price was about $120. I called anothe foreign car shop closer to me and received the all too typical "we won't know until we dig ito the front end, could require the replecament of many parts, but we won't know until we spend about 4 hours on the job...4 hours at about $80 per ($320). I then called a third shop with whom I had dealt on my ther cars (Federal Motors in South Baltimore). Chris quoted $69 for a 4 wheel alignment. That was about a month ago; the difference, after the alignment, is definitely noticeable

wcc · 04-28-2006, 05:08 PM

I ended up paying just shy of $350 but it included a corner balance.

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Now you should set up a home alignment setup and take reference readings for future changes.

diabolos88 · 04-28-2006, 08:58 PM

hey Zoanas,
your avie's getting old, how bout giving us all a new set of 38DD gunbolts to gawk at huh?

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

How about EE's?

diabolos88 · 04-28-2006, 10:26 PM

haha your too much, you must have been breastfed until last week or something

ZOA NOM · ZOA NOM's Garage

Actually, I'm still on the "bottle". Should be breastfeeding tonight.

Miguel Antonett · 05-01-2006, 04:39 AM

Guys, I just had the 930 re-aligned for $150, but it turned out to be a very dissapointed deal. First, the car now pulls to the left. The underbody - right on front of both rear sway bar mounts - got smashed/dent/pushed in with some of the undercoat riped obviously done by jacking the car on the WRONG place - it appears to me that it slipped off the jack and hit something??? Also, one of the rear toe adjustment nuts is now almost round due to the force they applied with the WRONG tool. What would you do?

john70t · 07:24 AM

An expensive alignment with worn out suspension components may not produce the magic band-aid.
If the sloppy bushings allow the tires to move out of toe, or one t-bar/shock is flat, then the static settings won't help much under real driving conditions.

For the price of two or so alignments, why not get the Smartracing/other products that can be used on any car for a lifetime and then re-sold?
Mark the strut/shock tower first so you know how far your changing things.

I had a 4-wheel alignment from a shop recommended by a Porsche builder (grrr-G.D.Racing in Bay Area), and on the freeway home the rear wanted to bounce between the adjacent lanes. The computerized readings showed all wheels were within specs. It took an argument to get his kids to re-do it, and I watched as one showed the other how to use a torque wrench and the clutch felt funny afterwards his "test drive".
The ending ride feel was worse than the initial.