4 Wheel Alignment- scam or necessary?

mrvax · Dec 7, 2007

As a kid, there were hardly any POS front wheeldrive cars on the American roads.
When you took a car in for a wheel alignment, they aligned the 2 front wheels and it cost about $20.

Then when FWD cars became popular in the 80's, they needed a 4 wheel alignment done. The cost was double but I understood it was required.

Now it seems like wheel alignment places are pretending that RWD cars like Mustangs NEED a 4 wheel alignment but none can explain why?

Is this a scam to get you to pay $70 instead of $35 or is it necessary? If you know why, please explain how it's required now, but never was in the past.

Thanks!

03ghoststang · Dec 8, 2007

from my understanding its a set price for all cars because now you have RWD suv's/ cars with the IRS and all those FWD cars, so yes it's messed up that we have to pay extra..........before alot of FWD would ask for the 2 wheel and come back yelling why the F*** does it still drift or pull

twogts4us · Dec 8, 2007

As Ghost stated, maybe it's just a fixed price, but if they really tell you they are going to align all four wheels, ask them how they would go about changing the alignment on a solid rear axle car like the GT...?

Superhereaux · Dec 8, 2007

there was a thread awhile back about this

long story short, yes you need a 4-wheel align, no it's not a scam. even though there is no adjustments on the rear the tech still needs to check for damaged or bent components (i.e. you just have a 2 wheel align done but your left rear control arm is bent, the car will pull but as far as you know everything is in the green)

EDIT: and by damaged or bent you're talking about fractions of an inch, not something you can tell just by looking at it

SVT32VDOHC · Dec 8, 2007

My shop charges me 35 for front wheel alignments. And about 70-80 for a 4 wheel. You don't need a 4 wheel alignment on a solid axle Mustangs. I did get a 4 wheel on an old 02 Grand Prix I used to have. MAN......that was the best money I ever spent. That thing drove awesome afterwards, and the humming I had from the back went away. They said some arms were out of wack, and they adjusted them because the wheels were fighting each other. I highly recommend that on FWD cars.

mrvax · Dec 8, 2007

Thanks for the responses. I will attempt to embarass the shops into either giving me a 2-wheel deal or makeing them show me the rear-wheel adjustment. LOL

BTW: 03ghoststang: If you have somehow become a Dallas Cowboy fan and you do not live in Texas or are from Texas... let's just say that's very, very bad.

myponyrocks · Dec 8, 2007

I get 4 wheel for 28 bucks... same price as 2 wheel. Some stores here do charge more, but the one I've used mostly charge by the car model.

DTNODYA · Dec 8, 2007

mrvax said:
Thanks for the responses. I will attempt to embarass the shops into either giving me a 2-wheel deal or makeing them show me the rear-wheel adjustment. LOL

Tell em' you adjusted your rear camber and caster and want to see how far out it is.

03ghoststang · Dec 8, 2007

even though our cars do have the solid axle you will be able to tell if the car will dog track or if its been in a accident and the customer is lying about it....... i have seen this a few times.........

SaleenGT2001 · Dec 9, 2007

you do need to do a 4 wheel alignment. unless they are using a alignment machine from the stone age you need to put the alignment head as on all 4 wheels and compensate each one. the alignment of your front wheels is directly ralated to the rear of the vehicle. if you go in saying you adjusted your rear camber they will assume you are a complete idiot. (i know i would)

we charge $70 for any alignment. so you are getting a good deal.

if you need anymore info let me know. i do alignments for a living!

DTNODYA · Dec 9, 2007

SaleenGT2001 said:
you do need to do a 4 wheel alignment. unless they are using a alignment machine from the stone age you need to put the alignment head as on all 4 wheels and compensate each one. the alignment of your front wheels is directly ralated to the rear of the vehicle. if you go in saying you adjusted your rear camber they will assume you are a complete idiot. (i know i would)

I was joking.

How does someone align the rear wheels??

SaleenGT2001 · Dec 9, 2007

you do not adjust the rear of a solid axle car. you use the measurements you get from the rear to properly align the front of the vehicle. 2 wheel alignments are really just a thing ofthe past now.

bdcardinal · Dec 9, 2007

you actually can add camber to the rear of a solid axle. they do it in NASCAR.

DTNODYA · Dec 9, 2007

SaleenGT2001 said:
you do not adjust the rear of a solid axle car. you use the measurements you get from the rear to properly align the front of the vehicle. 2 wheel alignments are really just a thing ofthe past now.

That means it is a 2 wheel alignment (the fronts). The rears are used as a reference point but they aren't aligned/adjusted. No?

blackfang · Dec 9, 2007

Most of your shops will still do a 2 wheel alignment. We do it for less than a 4 wheel. However, SaleenGT2001 is right. You have to set up the heads to get proper measurements so you know how to set the fronts. However, that doesnt make it a 4 wheel alingment.

Your FWD, IRS, and AWD cars are 4 wheel alignments for the most part.

Rusty67 · Dec 10, 2007

If a shop is using an electronic alignment machine, a lot of places will tell you what you current alignment is for free. Its always nice to get the "report card". The reality is that unless you need a 4 wheel alignment because you have the suspension for it, you are being jacked by a shop charging you a 4 wheel alignment price. Like previously stated, just because they put the sensors on the rear wheels doesn't mean they are aligning them. I've never seen a shop that charges the same for a 2 wheel and 4 wheel alignment. I'm not saying this isn't out there, I just havn't personally seen it. It has always been a different price and the 4 wheels are almost always about double the 2 wheel alignments.

bdcardinal · Dec 10, 2007

sears charged the same when i worked there. got paid the same too. unless it was a "special application" alignment like a Miata, Mercedes, BMW or Audi.

mrvax · Dec 11, 2007

SaleenGT2001 said:
you do not adjust the rear of a solid axle car. you use the measurements you get from the rear to properly align the front of the vehicle. 2 wheel alignments are really just a thing ofthe past now.

I believe you. That means there is no rear wheel adjustments made, you use the rear as a reference point as they did in years past, ie: prior to the FWD era.

That means we are getting ripped off paying for a 4 wheel alignment when only 1/2 adjustments are necessary, as I suspected.

SaleenGT2001 · Dec 12, 2007

we charge the same for most alignments regardless of adjustments made.

cars are $69
trucks are $79
vettes and such are $99
and 22-24"rims are $130

i make the same for adjusting the toe on one side of the car as i would for adjusting everything on the car.

03ghoststang · Dec 12, 2007

SaleenGT2001 said:
we charge the same for most alignments regardless of adjustments made.

cars are $69
trucks are $79
vettes and such are $99
and 22-24"rims are $130

i make the same for adjusting the toe on one side of the car as i would for adjusting everything on the car.

thats cool do you guys get a different flag rate for each one also, cause we get paid 1.2 for every alignment done and if its a lifetime recheck its .8....... but we also only charge $70 bucks for everything

4 Wheel Alignment- scam or necessary?

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