Car Wheel Tracking Cost

A question about : Car Wheel Tracking Cost

Got a problem with my car pulling over to the left especially at motorway speeds so I'm thinking I need to get the tracking checked?

Anyone any idea of an approximate cost of having this done? I'm away so going to have to get wife to take it in and she wants to know how much it's likely to be as in her own words 'I don't want to be ripped of because I'm a woman and don't know what I'm talking about - ask those friendly people on MSE you're always talking about and ask them how much I should have to pay'.

Thanks,

Paul.

Best answers:

• As a general rule I never pay over £20, the costs are usually fixed though, e.g. my local Kwik-Fit is £24.95 but a little garage is £19. May be an idea for you to phone in advance, get the price, then ensure she isn't charged for any extra jobs, etc. if that's what you're worried about.
  If she's into DIY she could try this
• Thanks Crabman, if I could get someone to go over and film her with a camcorder trying to do that I'd be quids in, I'm sure plenty of You've Been Framed type shows would be interested in the ensuing hilarities!
  Those prices seem fair for the job, I'll let her know the approx cost.
  Thanks again.
• Just about any tyre shop will give a FREE check but just about ANY car WILL have the tracking 'out'!!
  The cost as above is pretty much correct, except the more specialist tyre centres, with 4 whell allignment systems (Supertracker) which can be Ј60+. Most cars won't REALLY need this, but just so long as you're aware of the differences in Ј$"Ј$Ј
  Also is this a new problem, maybe you've a slow puncture, bumpaed a kerb, hit a traffic (H)carming road obstacle, or just not noticed it before?
  Worth having it done, even with budget priced tyres, it'll save a few Ј$Ј$, instead of early replacement & make driving more comfortable!
  VB
• Tracking is 2 wheel alignment and is not of much use
  You really need a 4-wheel alignment, where it tracks the rear wheels, then centers the steering wheel, and finally adjusts the toe on the front.
  The good news is its not to expensive, a standard a car- maybe Ј30-Ј40 pounds.
  2-wheel tracking will not solve tracking problems- bear that in mind
• also what car is it? if only front toe is adjustable it will be cheap
• The trouble with tracking is you will never know if its been done properly.
  Every car has a different amount of Toe-in or whatever.
  Ive paid before and watched a young lad fiddle about under the car, to do it properly BOTH track rod ends have to be loosened, in an old car the nuts are usually seized so they just go thru the motions, pretend theyve done something. its not until several hundred miles later that you will know if anything has been done, how may people check their tyres with a gage after every, say 100 miles, then they can always say "you must have bumped a kerb it was correct when it left us!
• The car is a Honda Civic Sport 05 plate. I only noticed the issue after I'd had two tyres replaced, but the place I got them changed at (Costco) don't do wheel tracking and I'm led to believe it's unlikely this could actually be the cause of the problem?
• You had 2 tyres replaced and you now have a problem?
  I would check that the tyres are the same on each axle (both the front tryes or both the rears match), fitted the correct way most tyres are directional if 1 is the wrong way it could case it to pull. check the try preasures I have had tyres done and a fauly valve or just not inflated enough has caused problems.
• Dont bother getting the tracking checked take the car back to where you had the tyres fitted and TELL them to sort it out.
  Its their problem and as far as I can see this is a safety related problem and should be sorted by them immediately
• Did the new tyres go on the rear - this is accepted as THE correct axle for new rubber, as it will be more efficient when brakes are applied, especially in wet conditions.
  & yes, I'd agree to let the tyre seller investigate, if there is a problem with the new tyres, although I'd doubt this.
  My guess is you've new tyres on the front & now the tracking adjustment that was needed anyway, is more apperent, due to the new tyres.
  & on your model, a 4 wheel check would be Ј$Ј$Ј well spent.
  VB
• I asked a tyre fitter and he said he'd have noticed and it didn't need doing.
  Also, I've been told by the previous owner that on my car, a Skoda Favorit, the tracking is difficult to adjust and one garage refused/was unable to do it as they didn't have the required equipment or something.
• costco ALWAYS fit new tyres to the rear axle (unless they are different sizes to the front)
  check the tyre pressures to see if one tyre is below pressure
  go to a tyre shop that has a 4 wheel tracking machine
  cost is normally around Ј30
• I've jus tbeen quoted Ј49 by Kwik-fit.
  Luckly I had a quote from a local garage at Ј40, so Kwik-fit has a price match system.
  So finaly going to do mine on the Kwik-fit for Ј40 the 4 wheels.
  Apparently, from what the Kwik fit man said many people do tracking on the 2 front wheels only, which is not right if something is wrong with your back wheels.
  Also he said he uses the latest technology = Digital laser alignment machine.
  Does this seem to be correct or I'm being riped off ?
  Thank you
• I'd avoid Kwack-fit as they'll tell you your brakes and shock absorbers need replacing too.
• Full 4 wheel laser alignment and tracking can be done for about Ј20 if your near enough to Micheldever tyres, Micheldever, south of Basingstoke Hampshire. Very busy place, constant stream of customers hence they are able to do it at that price. Ј40-Ј80 is typical for the same thing elsewhere.
• Had my car tracked multiple times (dont even go there) - front is in the region of Ј20 and front and rear is about Ј45.
  Make sure they do it properly though - I had huge camber issues (leading to this tyre wear!) and had the tracking and camber checked which was "fine" and 1,500 miles later my new tyres ended up the same way - I bought a machine to check the camber and it was 3° out on each rear wheel... DIY'ed it to 0.5° and then paid Ј47 to get it redone and fixed properly.
  Similarly a garage claimed they could do full 4 wheel, camber, toe etc alignment for Ј30. Great, I thought... Until I turned up and they claimed they couldn't do it because I had non-standard wheels (which are exactly the same size as the 15" factory option on the car but still) as they weren't actually going to do a laser alignment, they were just going to to use a tape and do it that way...
• national tyres and autocare have a printable voucher offering wheel alignment for Ј14 cheapest I've found so far