[Closed] Car wheel alignment - who's good, honest and reliable?

I use https://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/wheels-alignment.php - recommended by my local Audi independent, always have Porsches and Ferraris in along with normal cars. I paid £60 last time - all 4 wheels checked, only fronts needed adjustment.

Just checked - they use a  Hunter Hawkeye 811 Pro Wheel Aligner

Yes, Hunter wheel alignment machines are considered to be the best at the moment and they do cost an absolute fortune.

I don’t know how fool proof they are, but you’d hope that anyone spending that kind of money would also spend the time to know how to use it, wouldn’t you?

Hunter is pretty much the standard and is hard to get wrong unless machine calibration is out in the first place.

Personally I wouldn't go somewhere that used anything else, maybe misguided of me. I used to use string when setup race/rally/track cars and it was arguably very reliable but took ages.

I view it as paying for the operator's time and knowledge - the fanciest alignment machine in the world is useless without someone who knows how to use it properly and have a good understanding of alignment in general.

I've used the same guy for 15+ years. £75 for 4-wheel alignment, Hunter machine: https://www.pro-grip.co.uk/wheel-alignment

Definitely go with a place that has Hunter, they will adjust the camber too (if it’s adjustable on the particular car)

Just spoke to another independent that uses Hunter...seemed very knowledgeable - £50 plus vat. Based on your replies re: Hunter, it's prob going there as they use the Hawkeye Elite alignment system...cheers y'all

Its worth checking whats actually adjustable on your car - lots don't have the same at the back as they do at the front.

Hopefully stating the obvious, but as the car will be sitting on its' tyres, you need to ensure the tyres are properly inflated and also that if tyres are unevenly worn, you're basically wasting your time

Hopefully stating the obvious, but as the car will be sitting on its’ tyres, you need to ensure the tyres are properly inflated and also that if tyres are unevenly worn, you’re basically wasting your time

All the tyres are 2 weeks old

I view it as paying for the operator’s time and knowledge – the fanciest alignment machine in the world is useless without someone who knows how to use it properly and have a good understanding of alignment in general.

If they have the Hunter machines it's all done by the computer, if your car isn't in the database they* won't do it.

In terms of difficulty therefore it matters not a jot whether it's a Ferrari or a Fiesta as long as the Mechanic can spell either.

*they probably can, but it's more hassle than it's worth.

”£32 for the front plus £12 for each adjustment” – ok, so how much the worst case scenario? – much muffled conversation on the other end – “about £90”

Doesn't sound far out, £25-£35 for the front wheels to stick it on the machine and check toe in/out. Double that if the rear is adjustable. Some places don't charge for the rear unless it needs adjusting as you have to put the alignment doodads on the wheels anyway.

Kwickfit IIRC will check it for free, and only charge if it's in need of adjustment. No doubt someone will tell you they'll fake that it needs adjustment in order to charge the fee, but with the Hunter system you can't, you just tell it what the car is, and it tells you what the alignment is currently and what it should be.

FWIW I occasionally work Saturdays in a small specialist garage that only does classic sports cars. We have a set of alignment tools, it's like a laser version of the block of wood and string technique. But if a customer wants their suspension aligning we drive it upto the Quicklane in town and get them to do it.

Kwickfit IIRC will check it for free, and only charge if it’s in need of adjustment. No doubt someone will tell you they’ll fake that it needs adjustment in order to charge the fee, but with the Hunter system you can’t, you just tell it what the car is, and it tells you what the alignment is currently and what it should be.

Not sure if it’s standard for Kwikfit, but I used my local recently and they had a really time display in the waiting area. So I watched the blow torch come out.... then saw him wind in the alignment. Not usually a Kwikfit fan but couldn’t fault them

I use FCM in Bristol, £10 per adjustment. Wheel alignment is his sole business and he knows what he is doing (unlike most tyre fitters).

Another thumbs up for KwikFit, transformed my MX5 when I bought it with three different tyre brands on it. Fresh rubber and half an hour of spannering on their Hunter and it was like a different car.

In my first-hand experience Kwikfit are **** idiots, and I wouldn't trust a word they said so would never use them again.

Where in the country are you? If anywhere near, A Line in Dudley is great. Knowledgeable and well proceed, often drive up there from an hour or so away for my silly car.

I used a local place with a Hunter for my daily Clio Cup though, and they did a great job on it.

Cheers submarined but not close enough for that

Local independant are good value near us. Our cars are only 2 wheel alignment anyway. About £35.

rascal
Free Member

In my first-hand experience Kwikfit are **** idiots, and I wouldn’t trust a word they said so would never use them again

My first hand experience is that they vary massively. Smaller ones have been ok (or even good) for me, whereas some larger ones (looking at you here Great Western Rd) seem to be little more than crooks

I use a local boy-racer wheel and tyre place (Autodynamics in Sheffield).

It slightly depends what you're after - if its just to make it drive straight on the road, then a Hunter machine plus its default files will be fine. If you have something a bit more esoteric and know how you want it to ride, handle and feel, then places like Centre Gravity have a very good rep for setup, although not cheap as they'll want to sort out any worn components before they start. (not much point in aligning a car if the bushes are all sloppy)

While yes, its largely about doing what the machine tells you, there's a bit more to it than that, as each adjustment affects how the whole car sits so they affect each other. I was quite impressed the last time I went how the lad tweaked everything to be a bit out, then as he hauled the last camber adjuster round the whole car came to absolutely dead on spec.

Do you have reason to suspect that alignment might be out on wheels with four 2-week old tyres fitted?

In my first-hand experience Kwikfit are **** idiots,

Kwik Fit is a chain / franchise. There will be good and bad ones.

My local KF has been nothing but exemplary, I've used them for decades without issue. They'd be my first choice for wheel alignment.

I had a free Kwikfit check, nice printout with all the angles etc. They wanted £40 to fix it.
I "fixed" it myself, then got it checked at Wilco, who wanted £30. They told me they couldnt measure it, as one wheel was further back than the other, and one coil spring was heavy duty, so they didnt charge me

Do you have reason to suspect that alignment might be out on wheels with four 2-week old tyres fitted?

It was out prior to getting them fitted.

A couple of years ago I ordered tyres online at Fukwit. When I picked the car up they'd fitted the wrong tyres - ballache yes but shit happens. Booked in to get the tyres changed a few days later. Went to get the car and they fitted the same wrong tyres - again! I kicked off as you would and vowed never to use them again.

there is a place local to me that just bought a brand new hunter so i took the bus in and i watched the spotty yoot completely screw it up. ended up having to help him and he didnt know what to do, he used an induction heater to heat up one of the bolts (which wasnt seized as i had soaked it in wd40 and checked it moved before i went in) so much it had melted the threads and the nut wouldnt come off. moron. the place is one of those chavvy massive aftermarket rims place.

lesson learned went to a place i usually go to about 15 miles away that also has a hunter, that is owned and run by some middle aged chaps and the bloke doing the alignment is a calm middle aged chap who has years of experience. they always show before and after and the car/bus always steers as straight as a die afterwards. they are in witham essex if that helps. the place is immaculate, has pipe insultion taped onto the jack handles to protect your paintwork, they have soft flooring to protect the workers, and they always use a torque wrench (adjusted to your particular car) and dont use a rattle gun on your locking wheel nut.

wont use anyone else now.