$630 for wheel balance & alignment!!!
06-19-2002, 06:02 PM
#1
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$630 for wheel balance & alignment!!!
OK, I've started breathing again after getting off the phone with my local P-car dealer.
They want $630 to spin balance the wheels and do a 4 wheel alignment!! Are they crazy? The service manager said 2 hours ($210) for the wheel balance and 4 hours ($420) for the alignment.
I know that these cars take a little extra to get everything right, but this seems excessive. Tomorrow I will be calling my local Porsche race-prep shop to get a second estimate.
Comments please...
They want $630 to spin balance the wheels and do a 4 wheel alignment!! Are they crazy? The service manager said 2 hours ($210) for the wheel balance and 4 hours ($420) for the alignment.
I know that these cars take a little extra to get everything right, but this seems excessive. Tomorrow I will be calling my local Porsche race-prep shop to get a second estimate.
Comments please...
06-19-2002, 06:14 PM
#2
Dealers overcharge for all service.
What's worse, they probably outsource this sort of service to a local third party.
Find the best tire shop in your area and get an estimate done. It should be a fraction of the dealer estimate.
What's worse, they probably outsource this sort of service to a local third party.
Find the best tire shop in your area and get an estimate done. It should be a fraction of the dealer estimate.
06-19-2002, 07:11 PM
#3
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Hmmm.... first time I had the 968 aligned, we'd just put new a-arms & struts on the front, so it was _way_ out. Local tire & alignment shop, owned by an SCCA racer, gave me an estimate of $89.00 for alignment... his tech spent nearly 2 hours on it, and definitely had to adjust the rear as well as the front. Final bill was $79.00.
But ~8 years ago, Tire America once wanted to charge me $89.00 for front-end only... "It's an exotic car!" I laughed, said that McPherson struts weren't _that_ exotic, & walked out... it was on my '88 944 na!
Jim, "When it becomes a crime to love, you should consider dating outside the family."
But ~8 years ago, Tire America once wanted to charge me $89.00 for front-end only... "It's an exotic car!" I laughed, said that McPherson struts weren't _that_ exotic, & walked out... it was on my '88 944 na!
Jim, "When it becomes a crime to love, you should consider dating outside the family."
06-19-2002, 07:37 PM
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$630!!?? Uh....why?
"Idiot Price Check on Aisle 3 Please".
A friend that owns a local auto upholstery shop says another shop he knows has an "idiot price" they quote if they don't need the business right now or if they think the owner doesn't have a clue. They quote it and sometimes people say, "uh, er, okay, do it".
"Idiot Price Check on Aisle 3 Please".
A friend that owns a local auto upholstery shop says another shop he knows has an "idiot price" they quote if they don't need the business right now or if they think the owner doesn't have a clue. They quote it and sometimes people say, "uh, er, okay, do it".
06-19-2002, 07:42 PM
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Let's hope I wasn't offered the "idiot price." I started asking the service manager about adjusting the rear ride height with the trailing arm eccentric, so hopefully he realized that I had some clue about the actual work involved.
He did say "Well we're backed up for 2 weeks but we had a cancellation next Thursday...do you want it?" I asked about a "loaner" (insert visions of a 996TT for the day!). He said "we can contact Enterprise Rent-a-Car for you" (insert vision of Geo Metro).
I'm beginning to think that the Lexus dealer (for my SC400) is actually a good value. At least they give you a free, nice loaner car for the day.
He did say "Well we're backed up for 2 weeks but we had a cancellation next Thursday...do you want it?" I asked about a "loaner" (insert visions of a 996TT for the day!). He said "we can contact Enterprise Rent-a-Car for you" (insert vision of Geo Metro).
I'm beginning to think that the Lexus dealer (for my SC400) is actually a good value. At least they give you a free, nice loaner car for the day.
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06-19-2002, 08:29 PM
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Aack! IMHO, don't pay more than $150 - you're not even asking for a corner balance... I get a 4 wheel race alignment, corner weight balance, tire balance, and free tech support at the track if it fails (this does happen) for ~$125.
If you're a PCA member, give the tech, autocross, de, or advertising chair a call or email - they should have a better local solution. Don't be shy of a motorsport shop - they understand street cars also.
Skip
If you're a PCA member, give the tech, autocross, de, or advertising chair a call or email - they should have a better local solution. Don't be shy of a motorsport shop - they understand street cars also.
Skip
06-19-2002, 08:33 PM
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[quote]Originally posted by perry951:
<strong>Tell the dealer to lick your sac!</strong><hr></blockquote>
SAC? - Strategic Air Command... Scottish Arts Council... ohhh, I get it - yikes!
<strong>Tell the dealer to lick your sac!</strong><hr></blockquote>
SAC? - Strategic Air Command... Scottish Arts Council... ohhh, I get it - yikes!
06-19-2002, 08:59 PM
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OUCH! <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />
Dealers SUCK!!! <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />
Dealers SUCK!!! <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />
06-20-2002, 05:54 AM
#14
Race Director
Before each track event, I get a 4-wheel alignment with corner-balancing for $150 from my local Superior Brake & Alignment shop. Then afterwards, I get my wheels balanced at Costco a grand total of $16.
06-20-2002, 12:58 PM
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Perhaps we should be talking about TIME rather than MONEY. Specifically, is there an agreement about how much TIME it takes to correctly align a 944 Turbo including rear ride height adjustment with the eccentric?
If we can agree that the time is 3-4 hours, then the cost may vary depending on the labor rate. In my case, with the Chicago dealer at $105/hour the 3-4 hours is $315-$420. If your local labor rate is only $50/hour then that equates to $150-$200 for the job.
As for the balancing, I think that 2 hours is high. 1 hour at the most (15 minutes/wheel) seems reasonable. Keep in mind these are Fuchs alloys so the weights must be attached to the inside of the rim with adhesive (no clip-on weights that you find on 99% of the "other" cars out there).
If we can agree that the time is 3-4 hours, then the cost may vary depending on the labor rate. In my case, with the Chicago dealer at $105/hour the 3-4 hours is $315-$420. If your local labor rate is only $50/hour then that equates to $150-$200 for the job.
As for the balancing, I think that 2 hours is high. 1 hour at the most (15 minutes/wheel) seems reasonable. Keep in mind these are Fuchs alloys so the weights must be attached to the inside of the rim with adhesive (no clip-on weights that you find on 99% of the "other" cars out there).