sullivas

Thanks but not close to DC. The Indy told me it takes 3 hours to align the car. I don't doubt him, but I wonder how complex could it be?

Macster

A 3 hour quote is about 1.5 hours too high based on my 996 Turbo experience.

I've had my car aligned at several Porsche dealers (4 in all) and it does not take 3 hours. Highest I paid IIRC was $280 which based on a $150/hour labor rate works out to 1.87 hours. Lowest I paid was $160 or thereabouts.

(The highest I ever paid for an alignment for my Boxster was $300 at an indy shop, a highly rated indy alignment shop to be sure, but still $300... ouch!)

The task is not complex -- at least based on my layman's opinion -- but requires someone with the proper equipment and equipment must be in good shape and the know-how of course on how to use the equipment and how to align the car.

I've watched my Turbo aligned (at Rector Porsche in Burlingame, CA) and the task resembles a dance of sorts. The tech drives the car on the rack and raises the car to a working height and adjusts the adjustment transmitters just so and brings up a graphic (with numbers too) display on a computer screen that shows the various settings in graphical with numbers and adjusts the various settings to bring them into specification.

Sometimes changing one setting causes another to move and the tech will adjust first one setting then the other to bring both into specification, while looking over his shoulder at the computer display.

I watched this tech grab the front of the car and cause the car to bounce up and down a bit and then he'd recheck the settings and recheck the steering wheel was centered.

Quite an impressive show and when done right can transform the car.

Sincerely,

Macster.

hpowders

That's the Juan Williams maneuver.

cgfen

$120 for a 4 wheel alignment!??????????

That's a deal.
I wonder how thorough a job they do????????

typical indy price here for a "sporty" aligment = 3 hours of labor.

Craig

cgfen

do a wikipedia search for
toe
camber
caster

then review macster's post above and you will have a better understanding.

IMO no way you could truly test and set;

• front and rear toe
• front caster
• front and rear camber

in only one hour.

No HTwo O

I just checked my receipts:

My Boxster was aligned by the dealership (Moter Werks) on 6/27/08 and I was charged $295. I easily get +20,000 miles from my PS2's and car is on rails.

The 993TT was aligned by the indy (Fisher Motors) on 6/11/10 for $230 and again on 6/24/11 for $115. Each time with new tires. The shop rate is $115/hour. The Turbo handles great (PSS9) and I get about 12,000 miles on the rear tires. The data print-out from the alignment is excellent, too.

The same indy aligned my wife's 2001 MB E-320 4-Matic in September (after new front tie rods) and she was also charged $115.

sullivas

Just thinking, my car although an 05, only has 11k miles on it, and driven on decent roads. It seems that it's a little early for an alignment. I thought the Porsche suspensions were more robust.

cgfen

[QUOTE=No HTwo O;8963628]I just checked my receipts:

The 993TT was aligned by the indy (Fisher Motors) on 6/11/10 for $230 and again on 6/24/11 for $115. Each time with new tires. The shop rate is $115/hour.
QUOTE]

that makes good sense, the shop was re-aligning a known car and probably had to do little other than re-set front toe.

that's great that you have an ethical shop you can trust.

best

Craig