has anyone done frontend alingment work??? if so what is the bad thing about it??? also how much can you expect to earn as an alingment tech????
Thanks!!!
are you asking how much is a decent rate to pay someone to align it or how much you could make as a profession?
I dont know of alignments that are billed by the hour, so im guessing you mean the ladder?
My father was one when he was my age and younger....paid alright he said, but not that great...
Our alignment tech gets paid buy flag hours and he pulls the same as the other diag techs, sometimes more. They always crack on him because he stays cleaner than any of the other techs. He does pretty good. I believe he makes around $20-$22 an hour. (flagtime). He usually gets 40-50 and sometimes 60hrs. It really depends on the flow of the shop. We are a very busy facility, avg about 75 cars a day. Ranging from drivability to routine maint work. Tires and of course alignments.
Summed up if you know what your doing and your in a good reputable busy shop, then yes theirs money to be made. If you suck and in a slow paced shop, then NO, learn a different trade or move to another.
That's what I've done for the past couple years... Alignment tech. It can be good. Some days are slow and some not. (Depends of shop of course). I was dubbed "Lightning" cause I would knock them the f' out. lol. You make your money really on caster/camber that is not "adjustable" from the factory. Most McPherson struts designs need to have the spindle to strut holes elongated for camber... that's atleast 45 mins a side. Some rears (PT Cruisers and such with solid rear axle/front wheel drive) need shims, which always paid me an hour a side. It really depends on what's coming in the shop. At Ford I made a killing off Tuarus's and Windstar/Freestars. Strut plate needed to be air hammered off, 1 hour a side. Plus the vans needed the whole cowl taken off to access the strut plates, which paid another 30-45 minutes a side.
Like said, it can be good, just depends on what comes in the shop and what the writer/service manager can sell. If you're just doing "toe and go"es, then you really won't make too much. I've always made 10 bucks an hour, plus 10-15% commission on front end and alignment work.