Just got my lift in OME 881/906. Just checked on an alginment and the shop quoted me 120. How important is it to go to a shop with the latest and greatest equipment? There is an old shop by my office that is $70 but they dont have the equipment the more expensive shop has

 

120 dollars ?????? where do you live and yes after the lift its gonna need a alignment

 

Just depends, ive seen the hihtech shops that could align two dots, and an old shop that looks closed and has no computer equipment be the best in town. Ask around and find out who people use, $120 is high, i pay like 50 here just to check and 60 or so if they change any thing down here in georgia

 

$120 is too much. ~$65 is normal. Or go to Firestone and get lifetime alignments for cheaper than your original quote.

 

Just because a shop has the latest high tech 3D laser alignment equipment doesn't mean they will align your truck any better. They all seem to just do the bare minimum required to get it somewhere within the broad Toyota specs. I can do better than that in my driveway with some string and simple measurement tools.

 

I agree, $120 is way too expensive, in my area it cost me $140 from the BMW dealership to have our BWM aligned. Only reason why I went there was the fact there are special alignment procedures that other alignment shops cannot and will not duplicate, in addition they cannot adjust anything on the rear end like the dealership can. Mainly the rear camber because it requires shims to adjust.

 

by standard, alignment is charged by hourly rate. just like putting in front end parts, replacing engine parts etc. standard hourly is $70. so if an outer tie rod takes 30 minutes to change, $35 is what you should pay for labor, inner tie rod is an hour job, you pay $70. alignment is the same way. by standard, alignment is 1 hour. if you replace a tie rod with a fancy wrench, it still charges the same as a crappy wrench. if you have the latest equipment, it only adds to the efficiency of the mechanic, but its still a standard 1 hour job, even if it takes the mechanic 25 minutes. hope this sheds light, i wouldn't pay $120 an hour for the same labor that i can pay $70 for instead.

 

Exactly. I'm still trying to find a shop that will do a good job. My local Toyota dealership is a pretty decent place, and I know both the service writers. However, the alignment they did for me, while within spec, has me sitting with positive camber on both front wheels. Which looks funny and doesn't corner very well on the road. The local Tires Plus is a joke, and our local Firestone is even worse. I'm thinking about trying a new place that moved into an old muffler shop downtown. Hopefully they care enough to do what I ask them....

 

Thanks, thats what I thought. I will check around and see what the chain shops are charging

 

yea that is pricey. are they trying to sell you the "4wd alignment"? if so, you dont need it, you just need the front aligned. maybe that will take you down to 60ish. honestly i think the dealership is cheaper than 120. look on your local toyota dealerships website for some service specials like coupons and what not and that may reduce the damage a bit. good luck

 

Got it done and paid $60.

 

I agree only real alignment you will need is the front end. The rear axle may change a bit with enough lift but you will only be able to center it again if you install an adjustable panhard bar. Otherwise there is no adjustment. I have overall about 6 inches of lift in the rear and have installed an adj panhard bar and measured drum/frame to center. Still wont need a rear axle align. since i centered it myself. Id be more worried about front axle camber/caster/toe. And even toe can be done with a tape measure.