David Berry

Where do you get your 911 all wheel alignment done?
Porsche dealership wants $500. I think I would pass out at this price?

thanks in advance

Ripking

specialty alignment shops in my area (so cal) typically charge around $300-$400 for an alignment and corner balance.

David Berry

Looking for someone in Houston that is not Porsche dealer

texass4

I just got a 4 wheel alignment done yesterday at my local dealer. $299 plus tax. New tires were mounted recently at discount tire, but I didn’t want them doing the alignment.

Petza914

My Indy has a corner balance and alignment rack. Don't remember what I paid. It was in 2014 and with no rubber left in the suspension joints hasn't moved.

GTSpure

Wow that's crazy. Should not cost more than 100/150 bucks..
BTW, It is recommended an alignment after the installation of new tires (after wheel balancing).

David Berry

Porsche called it a “dynamic alignment “.
Another term for “expensive alignment “?

texass4

You may be right, and it may cost more than it should. I think, to an extent, you get what you pay for. If it's 300 bucks at the dealer or indy maybe, i think i'd still rather pay that knowing it was done right over paying Discount Tire and risking someone who doesn't know/doesn't care to do a half-assed job. Peace of mind for an incremental extra cost that's nominal at most.

BHMav8r

I have a long time friend that owns a couple tire shops.
He does all my tire and other family car light maintenance.
They have the specs and tolerances for my car's allignment.
I have them set it to the outside limit so as to get more life out of the rears.
Very happy.
$75 lumped in with new shoes.

997ajk

$500............. Damn that's a different level rip off.

Try Tracktime Preformance - probably be around $250....

David Berry

BUT, it’s a “Dynamic Alignment”!

PV997

Alignment on these cars is simple. Camber is set on the front with the upper strut mount and toe is set with adjustable tie rods. Caster is not adjustable. In the back camber is set with an eccentric on the lower control arm and toe is set with an adjustable toe arm (also with an eccentric bolt). It's no harder than aligning a Camry and should cost no more. I do my own alignment with less than $200 in tools.

I have no idea what a "dynamic alignment" is but unless it involves measuring alignment while simulating actual road forces (e.g. on something like a dyno) then it's probably typical Porsche marketing BS.

Porsche has a nice little racket going where they've convinced people that since the car costs 4x that of a Camry then maintenance should also cost four time as much (hence the $500 oil changes). It's nonsense. Any competent shop can do the alignment.

nerdnic

Can you share what tools you use to do your own alignment?

David Berry

That is really good news. Locating a shop that fits that description in the Houston area is my quest.

Ironman88

There is no possible way that they can reasonably justify a $500 cost for an alignment on a 997.

You may not have the time or desire to do this, but I would give the following a try:

Identify a few qualified shops in your area that can do a proper alignment on your 911. Ask them how long the process will take; how they will ensure that the alignment is set to correct specs for your car; and how much it will cost.
Additionally you may want to phone some other Porsche dealerships in the broader region and get their pricing for the alignment.
From that, I would assemble a list and document it perhaps on a spread sheet.

Then I would head over to the Porsche dealership and have a friendly chat with them - asking how they justify the $500 charge for the alignment. If there is no "aha moment for you" where they reveal some compelling (unknown) process that they carry out when doing alignments, I would pull out your spreadsheet and let them know how uncompetitive their pricing is.

You may get through to them and they'll agree to a more reasonable fee for the work.