Wheel Alignment

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#1210904 9-Jan-2015 07:02

scuwp: Wheel alignment - $80 tops.

wheel alignments should be done around every 10,000km. The small price is worth it to save the tyres.

Do you have a highly strung sports car with expensive tyres? Alignment every 10k would add another 50% to my tyre costs. I do rotate every 10k and inspect tyre wear. I save alignment for tyre replacement when the shop usually discounts the price.

When new the car had an alignment check done by the dealer at 1500km when they screwed up the toe in. That was midwinter so wasn't noticed for about 3 weeks. That was enough time to take 10k life off front tyres. If something is wrong you can't afford to leave it.

Batman

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#1210908 9-Jan-2015 07:26

nakedmolerat: Are you sure that is just for wheel alignment?

$295 for wheel alignment is crazy. Bridgestone will do for $40.

I suspect they quoted the price to fix the issue? Misaligned tyres will not cause the noise.

If it's something need to be fixed, you shouldn't wait until March.

if there is noise I'm no mechanic but I'm guessing something could be broken/breaking.

scuwp

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#1210919 9-Jan-2015 08:05

Bung:
scuwp: Wheel alignment - $80 tops.

wheel alignments should be done around every 10,000km. The small price is worth it to save the tyres.

Do you have a highly strung sports car with expensive tyres? Alignment every 10k would add another 50% to my tyre costs. I do rotate every 10k and inspect tyre wear. I save alignment for tyre replacement when the shop usually discounts the price.

10,000 km from memory is the manufacturers recommendation. It will vary from person to person on usage. For me 10,000 equates to about 18 months - 2 years on each vehicle, so don't consider $60 a massive cost to ensure everything is tracking correctly, tyres aren't being destroyed, or handling affected.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

adresdendoll

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#1210930 9-Jan-2015 08:39

For a price reference; I got my tyres rotated, balanced and aligned for $99 at Tony's yesterday.

jonathan18

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#1210951 9-Jan-2015 09:13

Here you go - if you happen to be in Akld:

"For $39, get a wheel alignment, tyre rotation, tyre balancing and suspension check from Super Cheap Tyres, St. Johns (value $149)."

http://www.treatme.co.nz/Deal/Auckland/super-cheap-tyres-saint-johns-dec14sm?utm_source=dailydeal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=smallimage&utm_campaign=ddAuckland&ds=2015-01-09&c=false&ab=&p=1

My service this week said the wheels needed aligning, but am not in Akld - anyone know the best-value place to do this in Palmerston North?

timmmay

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#1210955 9-Jan-2015 09:17

adresdendoll: For a price reference; I got my tyres rotated, balanced and aligned for $99 at Tony's yesterday.

Was it a large car? My Corolla was done earlier this week at Jervious Quay, Wellington, $59.

Jase2985

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#1210963 9-Jan-2015 09:29

whats the size of the car got to do with it?

did your alignment include the rotating and balancing or was that covered under your tyre purchase?

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jonathan18

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#1210968 9-Jan-2015 09:37

Jase2985: whats the size of the car got to do with it?

It may have been a Mercedes G63 - http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/mercedes-benz/g63-amg-6x6 - those 6x6s are pretty large vehicles!

BTR

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#1210976 9-Jan-2015 09:50

$295 is a complete rip off. Tyre shops are the only place I would go for a wheel alignment.

Goosey

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#1210985 9-Jan-2015 10:32

Just remember that if you have any suspension work needing to be done e.g. Tie rods, ball joints, rack, shocks, cv's etc then you will need another wheel alignment after such parts have been replaced.

If your worried about the squeak, then get it checked. What exactly is the squeak? When does it happen ?

Edit; spelling

Goosey

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#1210986 9-Jan-2015 10:35

Squeak when driving could be the wheel bearings bad these can be repacked as a cheap solution or just replace!
Anything suspension wise is best to replace with new parts.... It's keeping you on the road!

Edit; spelling again ...darn iPad!

nzkiwiman

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#1210997 9-Jan-2015 10:54

This thread reminds me I need to get my tyres and alignment checked out before I go for my WOF
Noticed my threads are squealing when I take off from "some" intersections, and I don't think it is to do with heavy foot (but could be). I did get a puncture repaired late in 2014 and it started around the same time

Sidestep

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#1211006 9-Jan-2015 11:06

Goosey: Just remember that if you have any suspension work needing to be done e.g. Tie rods, ball joints, rack, shocks, cv's etc then you will need another wheel alignment after such parts have been replaced.

If your worried about the squeak, then get it checked. What exactly is the squeak? When does it happen ?

Edit; spelling

I'd imagine OP's quote already included some repairs. Maybe $250 worth?

It's likely a quick look under the car showed loose, damaged tie rod ends, boots split or missing, and the noise is a wheel bearing...

He should have been given a clearer description of the work to be done.

A couple wife's friends have recently complained about being ripped off for repair work.
Neither of them could show me an itemised quote.

They'd just had verbal "estimates" and said "go ahead & fix it, I need my car.."
Talking with the shops has shown the problem to be bad communication rather than deliberate overcharging.

xpd

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#1211019 9-Jan-2015 11:35

Noise could just be something simple as a stone chip stuck near the brake pads, scraping the disc..... had that plenty of times.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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#1211283 9-Jan-2015 17:01

You have to be careful what you say online nowadays, so I'll just say I stopped taking my truck to the local agents for WOF because they always seemed to find something expensive that needed doing. Strange, but in the nine years and 18 WOFs carried out by Blenheim Testing Station since then, I've had to replace the front seat belt, and they suggested that I replace the front pads, and maybe the tires before the next WOW. To be fair, the agents were very helpful finding me a seat belt. I missed needing a pre-tensioning belt by six months, which was nice because they are serious money!

Trevor Dennis
Rapaura (near Blenheim)

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