Extra labour for alignment?

[Bronxxx]

Hi

I’m getting new Coopers, all 4 installed today and using the specs from carfixers sticky in this forum. The shop wants to charge me an extra 1.5 hrs re: the Flags. Is this reasonable? Total alignment is ~$500.

[NXSBOB]

Quickly leave and find another alignment shop.
I did NOT pay any extra and when shop started the alignment, they said it
was already in "Car Fixer" specs and did not charge me anything.

[Ambitious1]

Quickly leave and find another alignment shop.
I did NOT pay any extra and when shop started the alignment, they said it
was already in "Car Fixer" specs and did not charge me anything.

+1 on this.

[Greg]

I did not pay any more even at Ford dealer to get the carfixer specs requiring the removal of flags. They got a little sloppy with the grinder but cost no more than standard charge. I sure hope it wouldn't take me 1.5 hours to cut them off when it is on a lift. $500 seems may more than it should.

[Bronxxx]

Do they use Carfixer in Canada? It sounds like taking the flags off is a 15 min job. Or is there more to it. It’s being worked on right now. How would I challenge it or which questions to ask. I’m a newbie mechanically. Anymore help is appreciated. I’m picking it up in 2 hours.

Thanks!

[Greg]

Carfixer is just some specifications to use to set the alignment. You are basically telling them this is what I want. Usually to make that happen they have to remove the "flags" on the bolt heads to give more variance to get to the specs. Removing those flags is easy and not 1.5 hours.

I assume they are charging the "book" time to do the alignment. This should cover having to do what it takes to get the specifications - no different than if you put on a whole new front suspension. The extra time is just cutting off the flags. I would challenge why that would take 1.5 hours.

Others more experienced will hopefully chime in.

[blazen71]

The flags can be removed with a pry bar in about 5 sec each.

[justbob]

The flags can be removed with a pry bar in about 5 sec each.



^This^

I use a hammer and small chisel. I’ve never taken more than a minute or so.


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[Mr. Man]

^This^

I use a hammer and small chisel. I’ve never taken more than a minute or so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ProTWSRegrets :D :P ;)

[1Marauder]

Are they drilling out the slots and using SBC Cambor bolts? Did you bring the bolts?

[Bronxxx]

Tires installed and alignment done. Total toe .01 degrees.
Camber left -.25 degrees right -.15
Caster left 5.7 right 6.0

This is what they removed. Extra labour was 1.5 hrs.

Thoughts? And huge thanks to all.

Steve

[justbob]

My exact words would have been “social media will LOVE this! Thanks!”


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[offroadkarter]

Carfixer is just some specifications to use to set the alignment.

Carfixer is the name of an old time member who IIRC is/was a dealer tech, and came up with these alignment specs.


Tires installed and alignment done. Total toe .01 degrees.
Camber left -.25 degrees right -.15
Caster left 5.7 right 6.0

This is what they removed. Extra labour was 1.5 hrs.

Thoughts? And huge thanks to all.

Steve

Wait, you still went to the same shop and they still charged you 1.5 hours of labor after everyone said find another shop?

The specs you posted look fine to me

[Gryphonzus]

I just had my car done last week and they have to remove the flags to do an alignment. I paid a whopping $65.00. It took 1.5 hours to do the alignment. You should never go back there. My Ford dealer said they would do a lifetime alignment for $229.00.