Does anyone know of any good "chain" alignment shops? I need to take mine in and dont want to be raped from the back side.

 

I hear ya there, call mieneke and car x and see what they quote you at, and I'm sure pepboys does alignments as well, call ahead and give as little info as you can, and get names, and then when they try to charge you higher for having a Dakota, tell them that it's not what you were quoted at.

Not saying these places will do it, but I know some of the small shops have charged me more just for a different vehicle. they charged me more than a chevy guy and a ford guy, I guess Dakota's require more??? But yeah if it's just an alignment they should be able to give you a quote over the phone. When you get it done, I can guarantee they will try to tell you that something else needs to be fixed before they can do it, or they will recommend other repairs, just say no, the economy is bad so they will try to get every dollar they can, that i know all of them will try and pull.

 

Firestone's Complete Auto Care centers offer a "Premium Alignment" that "provide a Lifetime Limited Warranty* on the alignment, which means we'll set alignment angles on your vehicle every 5,000 miles or whenever needed, free of charge, for as long as you own it"
http://www.firestonecompleteautocare...suspension.jsp

Haven't gotten an alignment done on any of my vehicles yet... so I can't *actually* recommend Firestone, but I can't recommend against them.

 

it is according to who is working at the chain too. i got mine at big 10 tires, and at one store i could have done more with a tape measure , so after they f#$$%$ it up a few times there i took it across town and a guy at the other store made it right. so i am dreading doing my front end stuff again just for that reason, hopefully i can get a good one next time....

 

My friend did do the firestone deal. I belive he payed somewhere around $300, for it. For the first time its over priced. But the second time you use it it pays for itself. I want to do one day. I go to this suspention shop here in town. They do a good job for a good price.

 

Well, firestone wants 635.28 just to replace the ball joints- no alignment included. For just the lower balljoints and the lifetime alignment its 837.01. I about choked. I called a place that a lot of fellas down here take their project cars and daily drivers to. And for all 4 balljoints and alignment its 650. Lower balljoints and alignment 450. Looks like the local wins again.

 

OMG, Midas wanted $1024 for two new lower balljoints and an alignment!! When I asked why they were more expensive by over HALF as much they said that "We provide a nation wide warranty". To which I retorted, Well, if the work is done right the first time, you shouldnt have a need for such an expensive warranty.

 

I just called 2 firestones and they quoted me the lifetime aliment $149. The single aliment $69. Dang I will get the life time for that price. I was paying $100 at the local shop that I was going to.

 

Ya, your gonna get no-lube from the chain stores when they charge to replace the ball joints. (I mean, they rape you).

 

*sorry, bit of a rant here*

I am just appauled by our society and economy at the moment. Seems like although the price of gas/oil has gone down the prices on everything else is the same and going up. I have found myself having to cut other things like cable programming and turning down the furnace and putting on more clothes to keep warm to help compensate for this downward spiral we have been in for some time. And now the prices of automotive repair just plain P122 me off. These chain stores realize that most people dont go through the time to look into the quality of work and at different garages and instead rely on their "nation wide warranty" (that doesnt mean anything because you still have to pay to have the labor done again should a fault be found) and commercials to lure people in and charge double as much money for the same work that a "mom and pop" garage does for much much less. Thing is that the mom and pop stores realize how hard people are being hit and although they are in business to make money, they are not going to slide it in when you are not looking.