Are you sure you need an alignment? If your old tires are not worn excessive and the steering wheel is centered when driving you may not need a lot of adjustment .meaning a basic toe set it depends on what the initial setting is.only way to find this out is on an alignment machine.

 

I always thought it is best practice to get an alignment anytime you get new tires.

 

big-o. seriously. about IIRC $130.

 

I've always known that to be the case, as well.

Did you put the tech through an interview process? I didn't know they would do them there, but I would seriously worry about their ability to get the car on the machine and the willingness of the tech to give the appropriate attention to detail. If all of this checks out, Big O's alignment programs are a great money saver.

 

I had mine done a couple months ago by a local McLaren service center for just under $300.

Keep in mind that it's not just the laser alignment machine that the shop needs to have, they also need to have specific weights that they're supposed to put in various places in the car to properly pre-load the suspension while performing the alignment (see workshop manual), so there's a chance that if a regular tire shop agrees to do it, they might not do it correctly.

 

my Aston dealer did it for $200 two years ago. used the weights in the seats, e.t.c. after 2 years, still dead on straight, no vibration up to 120 mph and no abnormal tire wear... however, not a daily driver... about 3k miles in two years