4 Wheel alignment, who's had it done lately.
 

Since I bought my X in 2005 technology has changed.
So I thought, new tires is cause for an alignment.
So I searched a bit and found this alignment video.
4 Wheel Alignment on BMW X5 - YouTube

But wait: I may not buy all four us senior citizens have
to save our pennies. :rofl: I may just get two new ones
for the front and swap the tires that still have tread,
(20K expired tread mind you) to the back.
Then I asked myself the question; Can I get
an accurate alignment with this shoe arrangement?

Hmmmmm I wonder? :dunno:

Hi -

A suggestion or comment.
What have you done for the front or rear end suspension since.

Is/Are the old/current tires wearing well. Does she track well ?

I would check the front suspension items and the rear Upper Control arm before doing a alignment IMO. No point pissing money towards a alignment with fatigued components.

I get one 1X a year. Cost me a good $180+. For some, it's overboard....for me, I'll just spend less at the bar, the next time we go out....

About a year ago, my mechanic points out to me that one of the rear tires has worn badly on the inside, so much that the steel belt is visible. I could have replaced 2 but since there wasn't that much tread on the fronts, I did all 4. The tire place was offering a 3 year alignment package for not much more than the one-time alignment clearly needed, and usually I pass on this, but this time I bought it. Took the X5 back last August and it needed some minor adjustments. I'm due to bring it back in again. Not sure if it's my wife's driving style, or the speed bumps she slams going to/from home. In either case, I feel good about buying the package (3 years, every 6 months) for less than $200.

That is a lot of alignments...must be the LA pavements ;) I've only done an alignment 2x on the car since new (9 years and 88k miles and counting) and both times only needing very minor adjustments. Tires were wearing pretty evenly throughout the X's life...and this is on staggered 19s :D

Oh Mai ! $200 for 6 Alignments if I'm doing the math right 2/ 3 years.

2 of my Trusted Indys....$180 each per alignment, no 2-3-4 year combo pack.....and I'm guaranteed at least once a year, and if I feel like I have play money leftover, I might get one. Alignments are more for wear, but there's nothing better than driving a aligned car.

^^$180 per?! A 4 wheel alignment from the BMW dealer here is ~$110 taxes in. I generally only get them done after replacing suspension components (which works out to about every 2 years), as I have yet to experience any tire wear issues.

I paid for lifetime alignment at Firestone and have it done once a year. It costs me $190 for the pkg.

Have anyone of you had the 'Hunter Hawk Eye' Premium 4 Wheel Computer Wheel Alignment system done?

QwkAg,
Here is the company's blurb on the system...
Alignment Systems and Alignment Accessories from Hunter Engineering Company

Its a great system, I've had it done on mine when my air struts were replaced, now I am due again since I just a had a round of front suspension parts replaced and am doing my wheel hubs/bearings in the front.

My indy shop used the system and they give you a nice printout with it, my buddy is a master tech at Lexus and they use the system at the dealership (he does my alignments now for free)

Just got her out of the shop and found no Problems with front or rear end suspension. But rough roads being what they are
the rear passenger tire is seeing more wear than the others.

Quicksilver -

The Hunter Hawk Eye is a great alignment rack, but there are others as well.

These are the factors I look for for my alignment shop -

Do they Ballast the Car
Is the tech knowledgable.

There are 2 views...similar to how some people will NEVER change their brake fluid and some will do it every 2 years.

Any *monkey* can just follow the instructions and get it in the green lights..

A alignment tech will center the steering wheel, lock it, do the rear, do the front, get the toe right, dial in the settings, etc, My guy will take it off the rack and do a test drive. Sometimes he may tweak it a bit afterwards and then take it for another test drive.

So I look at it as a whole. Not only the equipment but who's doing it.
NOTE: Hunter also has the sensors that clips into your tire treads. No metal hooks will ever touch your car ever (great for $$ wheels like mine).

If it's wear you are concerned about, find a experience alignment guy and not someone who just get's it *in the green*

Hawkeye is not Hunter's best machine but can do the job.
Did the shop use weight bags in front, rear and trunk when doing alignment?
New computerized alignment machines have made alignment very simple these days and even a entry level tech can be trained to do alignments.

Snap-on has gone one step ahead of Hunter. Their new touchless clamps center does not even touch the center of wheel where the plastic ring on Hunter touches.
Regular Hawkeye does not have the tire clamps, you need Elite system for that.

I asked around and found the 'Hunter Hawk Eye' Premium 4 Wheel Computer Wheel Alignment system' priced at $85-$90. Less than what I paid the last time and I'm leaning
toward Continental ExtreemContact DWS.

Hey Quiksilver. Did you get your new tars or your quest for a alignment

Just got my yearly done. Guys was on the rack dialing it all in - spent around 2 hrs or a hair over 2 hrs in it. Nothing major on tweaking, but just dialing it all in.

Just wanted to chime in, as for me , part of the alignment is not the machine, but the technician who does it.