You might remember that I hit a hidden curb with the right front wheel while in the Seattle area recently. It has been an expensive ordeal but I guess it is finally over.

I had my body shop order a wheel--cost: $505 plus mounting and balance etc for nearly $600 total. Then I wanted an alignment check. My selling agency had no front end rack for several weeks so recommended Les Schwab. I went there and gave them $84 to tell me the caster/camber was out by a few degrees and required a special factory bolt kit to make the adjustment. They would do no more, telling me to go to a dealership. They would not tell me why they would go no further.

I go back to the dealer and help them figure out that it does require such a kit. They find one and I now get my car in for repair. I suspicioned they had never done this work before and it was confirmed by the time it took them to return my car. In at 10:00 AM and out at 6:00 PM.

I get the bill and it is a real shock! The total was $281 which included about $80 for the bolt kit. I've never seen a four wheel alignment cost so much.

Has anyone had such an alignment done and how much did it cost you? Remember that I did have a caster/camber problem to deal with.

Jim

 

Gonna have to make a change... it's really not a "cheap ride". Did your insurance cover the cost?

 

just had one done when I brought all new tires, the goodyear shop did it for 100 bucks.( they told me they normally charge 200) they had to adjust the toe all four wheels. I understand that without the kit you can't adjust the camber.

 

I got lucky by the sound of it...

I launched over a traffic island in the dark in the rain in a hurry...

No wheel damage

Toe-in on the front was out.
The back was fine.

Cost me $100 at the Mercedes dealer. I had tires done at the same time but that was just because they were wearing thin, not because of my stupid flight time.

I think the cost of the repair bolt exercise could be about right. Figure that part of the bill was about $180.

That's roughly 2-3 hours of shop time above and beyond the alignment.

They probably did a book rate because if they had the car as long as you say, they didn't charge you for their education.

Could have been worse - could have been so bad it could not be repaired...

 

Thanks for the response guys. I did not submit it to my insurance. Didn't want the black mark. I got the car cheap enough that a few hundred invested in fixing my mistakes won't bust us.

I don't think the cost was unreasonable considering, it was just unexpected. I might have to change from Cheap Ride to something else--but not yet. I'm still very pleased with the car.

It looks like caster/camber requires some disassembly from the diagram I got from Les Schwab so would cost more. I guess I wonder why they didn't quote the total price. It sure drives well now, I'm wondering if it was right when I bought it?

Jim

 

I hit a curb also, and had my roadster aligned at Nalley Chrysler in Roswell (outside of Atlanta) after wheel replacement. Cost was only $85.00. They have the proper tools, however. Tried to get it done at a local Firestone station, but they couldn't do it due to lack of tools.