Suspension Springs, Shocks, Brakes

How much does an alignment cost.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-23-2007, 07:06 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Fallen33's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-29-06
Location: asdf
Posts: 2,665
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
How much does an alignment cost.

My buddy that I work with said that a 4 wheel alignment would cost 200 bucks. Does that sound right?
Old 04-23-2007, 07:08 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
05REDROCKET's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-22-06
Location: Canada Oakville Ontario
Posts: 1,275
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Pretty damn close!
Old 04-23-2007, 07:49 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
InfinityzeN's Avatar
 
Join Date: 04-02-06
Location: Harker Heights, TX
Posts: 3,507
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Kinda depends where you get it done at and what state your in, but yea.
Old 04-23-2007, 08:08 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
06blackSC's Avatar
 
Join Date: 06-28-06
Location: No man's land
Posts: 1,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
$200!?!?!?! holy crap thats steep. I charge $65 for a true 4 wheel alignment. that $65 covers adjustments needed to correct alignment angles using factory provisions (i.e. front camber via the strut to knuckle bolts, and front toe for our cars.). If the car needs an after market shim/busing/eccentric bolt to correct something that the factory adjustments wont cover (like i would use a full contact shim in the rear to correct improper rear wheel camber and toe/correct thrustline), then we go up in $$ from there.

But to say that $200 covers everything needed is a little unnecessary since there are alot of cars that do not need after market products to get all angles into specified range. most alignments dont take longer than an hour so that to me is really steep.
Old 04-23-2007, 08:20 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
badg1rl's Avatar
 
Join Date: 09-26-05
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
here in NY its like 2 hrs labor - 90 bucks an hour. so sounds about right.
Old 04-23-2007, 11:02 AM
  #6  
New Member
 
Stl06LS's Avatar
 
Join Date: 04-07-07
Location: O Fallon, MO.
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I just paid $45 for a 4 wheel alignment.
Old 04-23-2007, 11:04 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
Ljavy17's Avatar
 
Join Date: 06-01-05
Location: Miami
Posts: 3,622
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
59.99 here in Miami, for 4wheels
Old 04-23-2007, 11:11 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
iTrader: (10)
 
ItalianJoe1's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-01-05
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 12,485
Likes: 0
Received 60 Likes on 60 Posts
Don't forget, the only factory adjustment on the cobalt is front toe setting, the rear is fixed. If you want to adjust front camber, you have to get a camber kit. The rear is not adjustable. Shouldn't cost more than 80-90 bucks, thats the highest I've ever seen, and that was at the dealer. I worked at Sears which we only charged 69.95 for an alignment, or $99.95 if the car was a pain in the ass, like a Benz, Porsche, something like that.
Old 04-23-2007, 11:16 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
kenhebe's Avatar
 
Join Date: 09-16-06
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 1,858
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
69.99 in Texas at Goodyear, Firestone, national Tire & Battery. Etc. $200 is way out of line.
Old 04-23-2007, 11:21 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
SSKevinSC's Avatar
 
Join Date: 03-16-07
Location: Phoenix, Az
Posts: 1,117
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Talking

64.99 at Sears !!
Old 04-23-2007, 11:47 AM
  #11  
I'm old school
 
Halfcent's Avatar
 
Join Date: 02-16-05
Location: Nashville
Posts: 6,905
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
That price is right for OTHER cars. The Cobalt however has only one thing you can adjust, the toe. Everything else is factory set with no adjustability. My dealer did mine after my spring install and it only cost $50. Toe setting only.
Old 04-23-2007, 08:16 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
eazyasone23's Avatar
 
Join Date: 09-27-05
Location: Pocono's
Posts: 989
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
60 bucks and i got all 4 done
Old 04-23-2007, 09:12 PM
  #13  
Member
 
neodude101's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-01-05
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I pretty much got raped by my dealer. They charged me ~$250 for a four wheel alignment after I put my sportlines on. It was originally going to start out as just a plain old alignment for $85 or something like that, but then they said that my rear tires had an excess of toe in, and that it would tear my tires to shreds unless they put in some shims (which cost $80 a side, plus the price of the shims themselves). I was pretty angry, because I'd never heard of anyone else having to do that... I didn't like the sounds of my tires being "torn to shreds," though...
Old 04-23-2007, 09:18 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
07cobaltowner's Avatar
 
Join Date: 12-23-06
Location: York, PA
Posts: 1,500
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i had mine done at the dealer for 80$ after i put my lowering springs and aftermarket rims on. i had bought a camber kit for the front and rear and let them adjust it.
seemed like a good deal to me
Old 04-23-2007, 10:35 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
iTrader: (10)
 
ItalianJoe1's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-01-05
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 12,485
Likes: 0
Received 60 Likes on 60 Posts
Originally Posted by neodude101
I pretty much got raped by my dealer. They charged me ~$250 for a four wheel alignment after I put my sportlines on. It was originally going to start out as just a plain old alignment for $85 or something like that, but then they said that my rear tires had an excess of toe in, and that it would tear my tires to shreds unless they put in some shims (which cost $80 a side, plus the price of the shims themselves). I was pretty angry, because I'd never heard of anyone else having to do that... I didn't like the sounds of my tires being "torn to shreds," though...
Thats a little harsh on the price, but you should correct for proper tire adjustment when you raise/lower a vehicle. Suspension geometry is very important, and affects all aspects of driving, including traction while braking and other safety related things. Not worth it to try and save money on that. It also will tear up tires real quick if you are dragging them down the road at an angle. It doesn't take much to cause a lot of wear.
Old 04-30-2007, 12:35 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Fallen33's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-29-06
Location: asdf
Posts: 2,665
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hey guys! Thanks for all of the input. I'm going to start searching around for the best price for an alignment. Under 100 bucks sounds fair to me. (especially since its technically only a 2 wheel alignment then)

I'll give me dealer a call and check Sears too.
Old 04-30-2007, 12:54 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
madmark's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-12-07
Location: FT Knox KY
Posts: 2,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by kenhebe
69.99 in Texas at Goodyear, Firestone, national Tire & Battery. Etc. $200 is way out of line.
wooohoooo its free for me

how do you get charged for a 4 wheel alignment when the cobalt doesnt have a rear independant suspension? or does the ss have that?
Old 04-30-2007, 01:15 PM
  #18  
Banned
 
RA071623's Avatar
 
Join Date: 07-12-05
Posts: 613
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
one word Ass raped by a dealership, there is only one thing to adjust on these cars and that is front toe. Shouldn't cost no more then 50
Old 05-01-2007, 03:14 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
denn454's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-29-07
Location: colorado
Posts: 645
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by ItalianJoe1
Don't forget, the only factory adjustment on the cobalt is front toe setting, the rear is fixed. If you want to adjust front camber, you have to get a camber kit. The rear is not adjustable. Shouldn't cost more than 80-90 bucks, thats the highest I've ever seen, and that was at the dealer. I worked at Sears which we only charged 69.95 for an alignment, or $99.95 if the car was a pain in the ass, like a Benz, Porsche, something like that.
why would you take a car like that (or any car for that matter) to sears? I do loss prevention at sears and I don't think we have gone a quarter without something major happening in the auto center. we have had 2 cars fall off lifts, DRIVE UP LIFTS for alignments, i don't know how you do that, but they did it. we have probably had to buy 4 new engines because the morons forget to put oil filters on (they just leave it off...) or dont' tighten the oil drain plug.

I'm sure they are not all ran by high school drop out morons, but i would never take my car there for anything, and if i had to i have a camera i can watch them with.

I think brakes plus charged me $45 before...
Old 05-01-2007, 03:19 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
iTrader: (10)
 
ItalianJoe1's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-01-05
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 12,485
Likes: 0
Received 60 Likes on 60 Posts
Yeah, Sears is kinda shitty, we actually had one of the better departments in the area, and I helped keep everyone in the shop on track. Never had those types of problems, also we had a Jiffy-Lube franchise in the store to handle all oil and fluid changes. Sears is ok for regular people that don't know/care about thier cars, and if something was done wrong they just come back in and argue. I don't advise anyone to make a regular habit of going there though. I only have had one set of tires installed and two flat repairs, the alignment wasn't really out when we checked it. You kinda gotta go talk to the guy doing the work, make sure he isn't a complete moron. Sears does not pay well, and will hire damn near anyone.
Old 05-01-2007, 03:22 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
RaineMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: 09-02-05
Location: Salt Lake, UT
Posts: 5,446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I paid $100 for alignment at tire kingdom... got a 1 year deal where I can bring it back as many times as I want to... a definate plus when I get my springs on... free alignment.
Old 05-01-2007, 04:20 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
denn454's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-29-07
Location: colorado
Posts: 645
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by ItalianJoe1
Sears does not pay well, and will hire damn near anyone.
i'll secound that! i'm not calling myself a moron, just saying everyone else is... and the pay sucks.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
TotalChaos
Suspension
5
10-14-2015 06:49 PM
DANRICKARD
Problems/Service/Maintenance
8
10-01-2015 12:08 AM
CobaltSS 16
General Cobalt
8
09-12-2015 02:43 PM
ROADKONE
Parts
1
09-09-2015 02:32 PM
DisJuan
Problems/Service/Maintenance
0
09-07-2015 04:24 PM



Quick Reply: How much does an alignment cost.



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:37 AM.