jaehshim

just installed Tein SS , rear sway bar, and rear camber kit.

drove the car for a week, got it to my satisfying height setup, and i'm ready for alignment.

went to local shops, like Pepboys and Sears, they won't do aftermarket suspension.

I went to a performance shop, and they quoted $260 for just wheel alignment. is that a reasonable price?

I also drove up to a pretty "well-known" place , and they quoted about $100 ( they said it will take about an hour)

I 'm driving to pick up my family in Pittsburgh in a couple days, and i really need to align the car before i drive 500+ highway miles.

I'm located in Bergen county, NJ , can anyone recommand me a shop ?
I don't know is $260 dollar is a reasonable price for alignment.

thanks guys

Jae

loulinjai

u can almost get a new set of tires for 260, thats insane. most alignments run $70-100 range depending on type of shop

jwood_06TSX

NOT A FAT CHANCE IN HELL!!! I got my alignment for $75 which is the going rate in my area and i'm like 10 mins inside PA from Trenton, NJ. Some places will align lowered cars but they won't give you the warranty of 6 months or whatever it is. But even the higher end places should only be like $120. Find anyother place man, that is a complete ripoff!!!!!

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

If the local shops are all quoting you ridiculous rates, try a local Honda or Acura dealer. They usually charge 1 hour of labor for the alignment.

jaehshim

but my question is , will they work with aftermarket coilover and camber kit ?

PACman

I'm on SS and Ingalls. Sears did my recent alignment, and they were cool with it. I guess it depends on each shop if they're willing to do it.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Some suggestions before you get your car aligned with the camber kit.

1. Fill the gas tank to about 1/2 full before performing the height adjustments. This is to mininmize the ride height differences in between fill-up.

2. Set the ride height to your specification, then lower the rear another 1/4 to 1/2". This is because the rear ride height will go back up slightly as the rear camber is being set to less negative.

Reach

Depends on the shop. I had my alignment and balance done by a locally well-known performance shop for $150. That's a bit more than other places but they can do slammed cars and have a reputation for doing good work.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Some will, some won't. Depends on how mod friendly they are. Call ahead and ask. Otherwise, you'll have to suck it up and pay the price.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

It also depends on how low the car is. It may or may not clear the ramp going up to the alignment rack. Therefore, you may have to pay more for the alignment at a specialized shop that handles lowered cars.

Audioserf

The $100 sounded reasonable. I go to a local place that does it for $80 or so, and are cool with mods. In fact, they reccomended I install a rear camber kit so I could come back for them to adjust it for me.

n1ke5h

I went to a local NTB shop and got my alignment done there after my drop. I actually bought a full year warranty/ unlimited alignment plan for $100. I know a bunch of people don't recommend doing that, and I was skeptical about doing it also, but the guy told me I could go back in the shop and ask the guy doing it whatever questions I have and what not. So I watched as he put the car on the machine (had to use wooden planks to get the car on the lift because it was too low ) and watched as he aligned the car. The guy who was working on my car is apparently a well known local Miata guy who throws meets and stuff like every week. I guess I got lucky, but it wouldn't hurt for you to go and check out what NTB says.

n1ke5h

Oh, and I don't have my camber kit yet (haven't decided if I am getting one or not) but they told me when I do get it, as long as they don't have to install it then they will still do the alignment under the warranty. Also covers if I decide to change the height and need it aligned again.

Reach

That is an exceptionally rare and good deal you've got there. I wish the rest of us could be so lucky, but it is just not so.

jaehshim

JTSO, thanks for the tips, i'll follow them both.

Agree with number 2 actually, because i did a measurement today, and it is at recommanded setting of Tein SS, but i don't even get one finger gap between the car and the tire. it looks so low and slanted, mainly because of un-adjusted camber kit i guess.

It seems like Sears, Firestone, Pepboys, Autozone in Northern NJ area do NOT do alignment with aftermarket suspension. not at all.

I called up a place called Euro-Tire, a shop recommanded by local NJ S2000 club members. they quoted 125. i will see how it goes

PACman

Hope you're able to find a good shop that will take care of you. Sucks that the chain shops out there won't do it.