Where Should I Get An Alignment Done?

[TechGuru]

Where Should I Get An Alignment Done?

 

[J_C]

A lot of larger chain places use similar equipment, think it comes down more to who, specific employee is doing it, then price, proximity and whether there's any warranty period for the alignment vs what that extra period costs.

I've also read that the lifetime alignment is seen by some shops as more of a way to tell customers they need more work done than that... which may sometimes be true, but when they find things they'd have to be looking for that aren't related to an alignment, kind of fishy at best.

I'd put Pep Boys in last place due to a poor experience there with tire mounting.

 

[swshawaii]

IMO, none of those four choices. Stock height or not, I used THREE different independent shops until one got my Sport Trac alignment into spec. First two were different Lex Brodie's locations who are the largest tire shop in Hawaii with "state of the art" alignment equipment and could not get the camber dialed in. Front is lowered 2-1/2 inches and I've already had camber kits installed. What's good about IBA is they specialize in brakes and alignments and they don't do other types of auto repair work. Printout below is the original alignment from 2017. Went back and had it checked earlier this year and everything's still in spec. I'm VERY careful around curbs and pot holes. LOL

I don't trust Yelp! 100%, but this is pretty convincing. I do understand ANYONE can write a Yelp! review.

Island Brake & Alignment - Aiea, HI

175 reviews of Island Brake & Alignment "Had tires mounted and an alignment on my 2004 Audi S4, came highly recommended by fellow Audi enthusiasts. Made an appointment, extremely professional staff and the alignment was spot on. One of my biggest pet peeves is having the steering wheel off...

www.yelp.com

 

[J_C]

^ I'm gonna need a lot bigger flotation tires if I'm driving to Hawaii.

 

[Mbrooks420]

No old school independent shops in your area? Of those, Quicklane would probably have the most Ford experience.

 

[TechGuru]

The main issue is finding someone who knows how to use the caster split adjustment on the front passenger side.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

gace been sayisfied w firestone for these. rly nesrby and has lifetime alignments moneys worth imo. but i think theyre all the same ievrall

 

[LMHmedchem]

I swore I would never set foot in a Firestone again after a mechanic there told me that I had go coolant on my "timing belt" and that it needed to be replaced. He said it would cost $650 and he could do the work in about an hour. He also said it wasn't safe to drive until it was fixed. When I called the manager over and called him on it he claimed to have never said anything about a belt and accused me of making it up. One of my tires started wobbling badly about half way home. A quick check showed that they "forgot" to tighten the lug nuts on my front tires. After filing a police report I have never set foot in that Firestone or any other, which is a shame since I bought my tires there for years.

I now go to a local chain called Town Fair Tire. I have had excellent service there but I think they are New England only. My grandfather was a mechanic and machinist for all of his life (he started working after grammar school) and he swore by the manual Bear machines. He had newer machines but he always went to the old manual to get the best alignment. I think that mechanics that use such tools also have to actually understand how the tool and the alignment process works instead of just reading numbers off of a screen.

I would look for an old school mechanic at an independent shop. Otherwise, it probably doesn't make much difference as the results will likely depend more on the individual shop and technician then the brand on the sign over the door.

LMHmedchem

 

[Jason94sport]

Any chain the sells tires. I use tire kingdom. Of that choice Firestone. But that likely will be expensive.
I miss Sears...always had the best service for batteries tires, shocks & alignments.

 

[Stynx]

Chain stores will have minimum wage wrench monkeys who barely know how the equipment works. I wouldn't do any work there beyond mount and balance or maybe an oil change and I'd check the dipstick and drain plug afterward.

Find a decent local mechanic that has a good reputation in your area.

 

[TechGuru]

Ya I'm considering going with a locally owned because they are actually cheaper than the chains at only $49.99. They advertise on the back of the local grocery store receipts and the local over the air channels.