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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Suspension | Brakes | Chassis > Alignment by Firestone - Y or N?



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      11-05-2009, 01:34 PM   #1
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Question Alignment by Firestone - Y or N?

I've had mostly good experiences with Firestone. They did once trash a wheel trying to dismount & remount an RFT, but they replaced the wheel with a brand new one for free, so I came away fairly pleased in the end.

Anyway, they have an "Unlimited Alignment" deal right now for $129.99 (or one-time alignment for $69.99), and I was wondering if I could trust this job to Firestone. The dealership wants $190.95 for a one-time alignment. That's a *huge* difference. Is there something special about aligning a BMW versus other cars? Or is the dealership just way overpriced?

(Apologies for posting here, but I need to make a decision quickly on this. If moderators could give it a few hours before moving it, I'd really appreciate that.)
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      11-05-2009, 01:39 PM   #2
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Go to the dealer. I had my 335i e90 aligned at Firestone under the lifetime alignment for $129. Brought it back three times and they just could not get it right. Brought it to the dealer and it was aligned correctly. Firestone gave me my money back when I showed them the specs on how far they were off.

I would check with your dealer as I only paid $99 for a one time alignment.
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      11-05-2009, 01:58 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by jign4bass View Post
Go to the dealer. I had my 335i e90 aligned at Firestone under the lifetime alignment for $129. Brought it back three times and they just could not get it right. Brought it to the dealer and it was aligned correctly. Firestone gave me my money back when I showed them the specs on how far they were off.

I would check with your dealer as I only paid $99 for a one time alignment.
Yikes, how do you actually know if they get it wrong? Did the car pull one direction or the other or did is just not feel right?
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      11-05-2009, 02:06 PM   #4
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Well, I found a coupon that brings the dealership price down to about $120. That might be decent for San Diego.
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      11-05-2009, 02:18 PM   #5
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Here in my area indy shops charge $89 and the dealer is $129. I guess $120 is a good deal. If you find an indy make sure they know how to align BMW's. Specific weights are to be placed in different seats/trunk etc.
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      11-05-2009, 02:50 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Tee-Dub View Post
Here in my area indy shops charge $89 and the dealer is $129. I guess $120 is a good deal. If you find an indy make sure they know how to align BMW's. Specific weights are to be placed in different seats/trunk etc.
Thanks TeeDub, that pretty much answers my question about whether "there is anything special about aligning a BMW"
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      11-05-2009, 03:24 PM   #7
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danimal, Cunningham BMW in El Cajon has a special on alignment for $125.00..which saves you $60.00, its on their website. i had it done a couple of weeks ago and it was worth every penny.
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      11-05-2009, 04:11 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Bartman619 View Post
danimal, Cunningham BMW in El Cajon has a special on alignment for $125.00..which saves you $60.00, its on their website. i had it done a couple of weeks ago and it was worth every penny.
Thanks, Bartman...that's actually the dealership I was referring to. I like Cunningham.
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      11-05-2009, 04:17 PM   #9
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Firestone=NO (IMO)
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      11-05-2009, 04:28 PM   #10
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The shop I go to charges people about 100 an alignment.

But for me, they only charge about 70-80 as I've taken so many people there; all have been satisfied.
And when one time I thought the alignment wasn't how I wanted (I said I wanted conservative..), they re-did it for me to a more aggressive one.

You're in SD so you're a bit far though...
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      11-05-2009, 04:32 PM   #11
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There's nothing special about aligning a BMW vs. something else. Firestone should be fine.
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      11-05-2009, 04:50 PM   #12
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Neither.

Go to a proper tuner and get a 4 wheel alignment.

-scheherazade
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      11-05-2009, 04:55 PM   #13
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Can Firestone align cars with Active Steering?
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      11-05-2009, 04:55 PM   #14
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An alignment is an alignment. Everyone usually uses the same Hunter machines. Even Turner Motorsports outsources their alignments to chain shops..
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      11-05-2009, 04:59 PM   #15
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Can Firestone align cars with Active Steering?
Good question. The dealership claimed that getting an alignment on a car with Active Steering costs *a lot* more. Like $300+. I don't have that option on my car, though. Apparently, it's the gift that keeps on giving :-P
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      11-05-2009, 05:01 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek Zoolander View Post
An alignment is an alignment. Everyone usually uses the same Hunter machines. Even Turner Motorsports outsources their alignments to chain shops..
Thanks, Derek. I should ask Cunningham who does their alignments for them. I think I asked them once before, but I forgot the answer.
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      11-05-2009, 05:02 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek Zoolander View Post
An alignment is an alignment. Everyone usually uses the same Hunter machines. Even Turner Motorsports outsources their alignments to chain shops..
Yeah but i doubt everyone does a weight balance like the BMW dealer will do to verify weight distribution of the car after the alignment. Cost a little more to go to the dealer, but if you were worried about that, shouldn't have bought a BMW in the first place.

My 2 cents...
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      11-05-2009, 05:32 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by 335iPaul View Post
Yeah but i doubt everyone does a weight balance like the BMW dealer will do to verify weight distribution of the car after the alignment. Cost a little more to go to the dealer, but if you were worried about that, shouldn't have bought a BMW in the first place.

My 2 cents...
I know I paid a *lot* extra to get a car that handles and steers like a BMW, so I'm willing to pay a little extra to keep it that way. That said, are you sure all the dealerships do the weight balancing? If they just farm it out to some shop, it makes me wonder if there really is any difference.
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      11-05-2009, 07:53 PM   #19
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Active steering is another story...
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      11-05-2009, 10:28 PM   #20
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My dealer does the alignment on site at their facility. They don't farm out the alignment to a mill. All I can tell you from my experience is what I told you earlier. Firestone couldn't get it after three tries. BMW did the first go around. It's your call.
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      11-05-2009, 11:51 PM   #21
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If you don't mind driving 2 hours on 405 north, bring your car to West End Alignment in Gardena. Darin owns this place and he's an expert in wheel alignment. He's an perfectionist and he keeps his garage CLEAN. He usually charge around $85-90 for a four wheel alignment.
Type the keyword "WEST END ALIGNMENT" in Yahoo, and read the reviews.
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      11-06-2009, 11:31 AM   #22
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+1. Its not brain surgery. You do need someone who knows what they are doing, has good equipment, and most importantly is willing to take the time to get it right.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek Zoolander View Post
An alignment is an alignment. Everyone usually uses the same Hunter machines. Even Turner Motorsports outsources their alignments to chain shops..
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