4 - wheel alignment questions
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 5
From: Schererville Indiana
4 - wheel alignment questions
I've been calling around a few places getting prices on a 4 - wheel alignment and you would think the car came from Mars. One Chevy dealer said they charge by the hour and it could run over $300. Another dealer wants $210. One Goodyear tire shop said it is difficult because of the torque tube... WTH? Another Goodyear dealer said they have to remove the air-dam because it interferes with the laser. Most cars run about $100 for an alignment. Is this just a vette tax? Any recommendations?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
Obviously those places don't know what they're talking about or just don't want to do your car so stay away. You're right, the average is about $100, some higher.
I suggest you go into your Regional Forum and just ask for recommendations for alignments in your area. Those kinds of questions come up regularly on my Pac Northwest Forum. Here there are only about 3 or 4 places the Vette owners use and trust. Probably the same for your area. You want a place with the latest equipment and a technician who knows how to use the equipment and has done Vettes before, not someone who will use your car as a guinea pig.
Good luck.
I suggest you go into your Regional Forum and just ask for recommendations for alignments in your area. Those kinds of questions come up regularly on my Pac Northwest Forum. Here there are only about 3 or 4 places the Vette owners use and trust. Probably the same for your area. You want a place with the latest equipment and a technician who knows how to use the equipment and has done Vettes before, not someone who will use your car as a guinea pig.
Good luck.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 179
Likes: 2
From: Lincoln California
After reading google reviews I went to local Firestone. New shop with brand new alignment rack. Shop manager has a C5 vert! Not saying every firestone is the ticket as it varies by location. I was able to get lifetime alignment as often as I like for about $140.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Rick and Loaded are correct; not everyone knows or wants to do an alignment. Most just simply can't do one very well. That's a simple fact. I just mapquested your town, and you're not anywhere I can recommend a place. One would think, however, that somewhere in the larger Chicago metro you could find a place south of there.
Here's my suggestion: look up, then call up the Corvette club presidents nearest to you and ask the question: who does an alignment best for C6s. Get at least a few names of places. Then, check them out, even if they supposedly do a particular Corvette clubs membership.
Good luck. You might also first search the regional section of CF for your area (Midwest?), and if nothing pops up with an advanced search in the red bar above limiting it to Midwest, and the word alignment, you can post a thread there in Midwest, too.
Here's my suggestion: look up, then call up the Corvette club presidents nearest to you and ask the question: who does an alignment best for C6s. Get at least a few names of places. Then, check them out, even if they supposedly do a particular Corvette clubs membership.
Good luck. You might also first search the regional section of CF for your area (Midwest?), and if nothing pops up with an advanced search in the red bar above limiting it to Midwest, and the word alignment, you can post a thread there in Midwest, too.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 5
From: Schererville Indiana
That sounds like a good deal. I'll check them out. Do you know if they had to remove the air-dam do to it interfering with a laser?
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 179
Likes: 2
From: Lincoln California
I was able to save $10 bucks by getting a 1-time alignment, completing their phone survey, then returning with 30 days to upgrade to lifetime alignment
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
$300...I don't think so! Although, my local dealership does a decent alignment I take my C6 to our local Volvo dealership for alignment work. The Volvo dealership has the absolute latest in high tech 'photo' alignment equipment. There's nothing inherently difficult about aligning the C6. My car has a fairly radical alignment for track use and Volvo does an excellent job. I think the total cost was about $120.00.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,819
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Some alignment racks have problems with the air dams. As the rack comes up a piece of metal raises to block the car from rolling forward and on some racks this piece actually catches on the air dam and raises the front of the car just a little. The GY store where I took my C5 had this type of problem with their rack. When they upgraded the equipment the problem went away.
Bill
Bill
