It is time for a wheel alignment and I was wondering if one alignment is much different from another based on everyone's experience. The Acura dealership wants $89 for an alignment when Merchant Tire only charges $59. I don't really want to pay $89 for an alignment. Is the alignment going to be that much more beneficial at Acura?

 

Go with the cheaper one, provided that they're aligning all 4 wheels.

 

It is a 4-wheel alignment at Merchant Tire. Any other opinions?

 

4 wheel alignment- and the only adjustment on a stock TL is: toe in or out
the shop make$ out big time on this job.
The operator of the machine is the important part!!

 

I got a lifetime alignment from TiresPlus (also valid at any store nationwide as well as Firestone) for $110. Check your local stores. Especially if your considering lowering your car or changing ur suspension in any way.

 

4 wheel alignment.

 

I would go with Princelybug. He has more experience with alignments than anyone else since he gets about 4 a year.

 

^yeah, princelybug should open an alignment shop.

 

Thanks for the help guys....I set up an appointment at Merchant Tire for Saturday. We'll see how it goes

 

01tl4tl & others - I got the alignment at Merchant Tire and it is fine, but I was looking at the computer printout that I got from the guy and I noticed that the measurements on the Caster/Camber on front wheels along with the Camber on the back did not change. This is when I thought about the post that 01tl4tl had on this thread. The guy at Merchant mentioned that the Honda/Acuras and most other imports do not have the part installed on them that allows aftermarket alignment machines to adjust them. He said you could buy the part for each wheel, but it would be like $750 after labor, etc. What is the deal with this? Are only the Acura/Honda alignment machines able to adjust the Camber/Caster w/out getting this part put on?

 

Only the TOE is adjustable on a stock TL, and unless you seriously hit something or have a bad part in the steering- the camber and caster are set fine- all you need it the toe going straight down the road.
WHEN you lower the car with springs or adjustable height coilover like Tein, camber goes negative farther than is optimum.
You cure that with a rear camber kit. Look under the back of the car, there are 2 black bars from the inside of each wheel hub- going towards the center of the car.
The kit replaces 1 bar on each side with one that has a threaded shaft- that allows changing the in/out profile of the tire to the ground. Installation take 1/2 hour per side for first timers.
Requires alignment afterwards. Part is $150 for 2, and labor at local rate 80-90 bucks for the hour installation time.

What did they set the toe at?

 

front camber kits are actually custom made ball joints with a pivot-swing action adjustment on them. Looks trick, and takes longer to do as you remove a few things then use a special tool to seperate the old one and remove. There are other cars- not the TL- that can get camber adjustment plate that goes at the top of the shock- used by racers who play with the settings while at the track. parts are about 150 per pair of those and labor I would guess at 1 hour per side.
At an extreme labor rate I can see how he came up with 750 to do a complete setup- that a stock height TL doesnt need---watch that shop ~

 

So, basically there is no point to getting these kits b/c the camber/caster do not cause excessive tire wear like the toe measurements being out of whack would. And, you can't adjust the camber/caster even if you did go to Acura/Honda. Let me know if I am understanding that correctly.

They put the total toe at 0.00 for the front and back.

FL .01, FR -.01 = 0.00

BL .02, BR -.02 = 0.00

They were way off when I brought it in (Front Total = -.14, Back Total = .25). I really needed the alignment.

 

kinda funky way to set the front- but hey as long as it goes straight down the road thats all that matters. Its the new fangled thrust alignment method I am not a specialist in dispensing info about. Got it done on my car- read the color brochure- car goes down the road nice and with 1 finger on the wheel- I'm happy

You did understand correctly. Only those with highly- actually lowly, dropped cars require the camber kits. Stock shocks and springs -stay with what the car has now and only get the 4 wheel toe alignment..