cost of wheel alignment

The going rate for a 4 wheel alignment on a big Hunter alignment rig (assuming that's what your garage used) isn't as much as £85+VAT around these parts.

However, such alignment machines are very expensive, and if the garage were to do the same work with greased plates, spirit levels, protractors and bits of string, it would have taken considerably longer than 20 minutes.

only if the price increased after you agreed to it? you were free to get a second opinion elsewhere before the work?

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and involved no parts.

If it were for labour alone you'de be right, but you haven't taken into account the cost of the equipment used. It has a finite life, and at a projected date has to have repaid the initial investment and any running costs. On top of that there are the overheads of the garage, plus a profit margin.

Possibly, but a fair price would still have to include all the costs mentioned, not just that for labour. Mike

Now, I wonder why they offer that free check? ;-)

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

I'm looking at buying a decent alignment system and you don't get any change from £10k , you could pay someone £20 to track it with a good old Dunlop gauge.

On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:33:55 -0000, "Fred"

Often depends on how many adjustments they made.

Usually will have a base charge ~£30 just to roll car on to rig, agreeing to having job done could have triggered that even though check was free.

Then it's usually about £10-£15 per adjustment. 4 wheel tracking needing all 4 doing £40-60.

Many cars have camber adjustments too, often it's just rear but toe and camber interact so another £20-£30.

And that total's between £60 and £90 without a base charge.

But prices vary wildly, whole car fixed price for anything from £50 to £120.

Peter Hill gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Very, very few cars have adjustment to anything but front wheel toe.

I got the same service for =A325 including VAT from STS Tyre Pro in Hemel Hempstead, using similar high tech equipment. Perhaps your tyre dealers ripped you off because you have a BMW and they thought they could get away with it.

Any chance of naming names, so I can avoid them?

Derek C

How do you align rear wheels? Surely they are fixed?

Just goes to show they is crap, made for the undemanding and undeserving. Get a proper car.

From '89 200SX had front toe, rear camber and toe. Early ones, if sketches of front camber bolt in workshop manual are to be believed had front camber too, may have been to sort prod tolerances out or for "production" Japanese motor race series.

My RWD '82 Celica had front and rear toe. Rear toe was an eccentric bolt with graduated washer at inner end of semi trailing arm.

I'm pretty sure the OP's BMW multilink setup will have lots of adjustable bolts. A quick google shows E36 have front toe, rear toe and camber and some hits that suggest the 130i has too.

Nissan's FWD cars has adjustment on rear multilink setup.

Derek Molehusband