The costs of Alignments are fairly standard across the board. The local garages will be more affordable than the dealer. There are shops that do it for mind blowing prices of $50 – $60 but you really have to factor in what you are getting for this price. A fairly priced alignment for a generic car would be anywhere from $90 -$130 for a four wheel alignment at most garages in Toronto. The more modified and lowered cars tend to be anywhere from $100 -$240 depending on the adjustments and time it takes to complete the wheel alignment. The price of the dealer is usually anywhere from $100- $500 depending on the type of vehicle. If you do find a good alignment shop that takes pride in their work and quality it is a good idea to stay where you feel comfortable. Working with the staff and technicians to develop a good relationship is key. A wheel alignment is a constantly changing dynamic, your car will continue to need wheel alignments regularly. So find yourself a shop you can trust to deliver you a quality Alignment every time.
Why do Wheel Alignments cost what they do?
Let’s first look at the labour side of it. With an average worker price being around $30 – $40 for a licensed mechanic this leaves little room for the business to continue to operate profitability after also calculating shop and business expenses. So a lot of businesses hire unlicensed and trained techs to save labor costs. This could lead to lower than desired results. Also the newer wheel alignment machines can cost anywhere from $50k -100K. Factor the labour, cost of machine and shop expenses and the prices are fairly low. A shop can offer really low wheel alignment prices if they have an old outdated machine and that really translates to low quality wheel alignments. Try to always look for a shop that has a 3d imaging wheel alignment machine. These are currently the most advanced machines to date.
How much time does it take to do a Wheel Alignment?
An alignment typically takes an hour to complete, but with the cars on the road in Ontario the adjustments tend to seize. The fasteners that secure the adjustments usually require heat to free them up and this adds to the time of an alignment. On extremely seized parts it is not uncommon for garages to charge an additional fee to unseize these items.
So overall an Wheel Alignment is an art of tuning the suspension. The suspension may require up to 12 different angle adjustments on a vehicle. The fine tuning of a vehicle’s suspension system is crucial in maintaining the ride quality and stability. A good shop that knows your vehicle and how to set the alignment that is key and is worth every penny.
How Do I Know My Vehicle is Out of Alignment?
What to look for to know your Vehicle requires a Wheel Alignment:
Hitting deep potholes, curbs, or other obstructions in the road tend to lead to alignment issues. If your not sure what is required on your vehicle and need to ask a few questions, you can reach us at Level Auto during the week, or Saturdays, or send us a quick email at: [email protected]