It is time for new tires on my 2007 R56 and I don't know where I should take my car for its 4 wheel alignment. Can I trust the job to a typical tire shop or is this a job for a Mini specialist? The difference is $80+.

 

how are your teeth?

Ever looked for a good dentist?

Same problem

define "MINI specialist"

if that's the dealer - it would be the LAST place I'd go 9 out of 10 times

 

Mini specialist? The dealer or a shop that mostly works on British, BMW or Mini cars.

 

First of all, there is no need to do an alignment when you get new tires. Absolutely no reason at all!

Same goes for installing new wheels, new brake pads, new floor mats, or new bumper stickers.

However, if you significantly change the suspension geometry (much shorter springs, camber plates, coil-overs, etc) - then a proper 4 wheel alignment is in order. In this case I would look for a locally renown independent shop with a good alignment wrack. I would stay away from the dealer since they don't normally do a lot of alignments, and the few they do are to factory specs (not necessarily what you want).
You didn't mention where you live, so try going here: http://www.tirerack.com/installer/index.jsp Enter your zip code, and call around to see if the shop can do a quality 4 wheel alignment.

HTH,
alex f

 

All of that is true, but alignment does go out over time. If you haven't had an alignment in 30K+ miles, it's convenient to have it done while you're getting new tires.

 

Mini specialist? The dealer or a shop that mostly works on British, BMW or Mini cars.

I know several - I take my 79 to them. And I would never have them do an alignment on my cars. They are primarily engine guys - they don't even HAVE alignment machines.

a GOOD alignment guy is not a BMW specialist, or a ACURA specialist or any other

he's a GOOD ALIGNMENT GUY and they are hard to find. Most places, especially dealerships & chains, throw the car on the rack ... go thru the motions .... and hand you a bill.

Your alignment may be better after they are done according to the numbers their machine spits out, but MAY NOT appear so when you drive away.

GOOD ALIGNMENT guys know what they are doing and take their time and ensure they do the job right .... they do not turn the job over to the trainee who was sweeping the floor last week.

Ask your fellow car enthusiasts ... where do THEY go. Especially good is to find the local amateur race guys. I found the alignment guy the amateur BMW racer crowd used in Norfolk .... he did not charge more but he did the work himself and if you did not like the result there was no question, the car went back on the rack until I was happy.

But I'll also agree - if the tires you are replacing show no unusual wear - no bad symptoms - you are probably better off not messing with it. If you pay for an alignment, the shop is cautious about handing you a report that says 'no adjustment necessary' and a bill for the full cost. The tire store I use currently puts the car on the machine 'for free' when you buy tires and then shows you the numbers vs specs and you decide IF you want them to futz with it. Can they still mess with you? FOR SURE - but as a returning customer my recent experiences have been "everything looks good."

I like hearing that from my tire guy ..... and my dentist.

 

There is no such thing as a Mini specialist for alignments. It would not be likely that a Mini (euro import) specialist shop would do alignment.

There are basic shops that do offer alignment such as Sears and Midas but I would skip those, no matter how cheap the price.

What prices are you being quoted? A Brake and Alignment shop can do it in about 90 minutes for about $100-120, four wheel thrust alignment.

How many times have you changed tires or bought a set of new tires since you had your MINI? If this is the first time, I would recommend an alignment, even if the old tires seem OK on wear. If your roads are bad with potholes then it is common for alignment to be affected within 10,000 miles.

I have done alignment on my MINI and other cars and I have never seen the alignment not need to be adjusted, usually toe settings.

What are you doing for new tires? Which ones?

 

The dealer is running a alignment special for $170 and a tire rack recommended installer has a coupon for $50 for a 4 wheel alignment. That's quite a range.

I am replacing Yokohama AVID ENVigors and I was generally pleased with them except for only getting 25k miles out of them. Also on the short list are the General Altimax HP's.

 

The dealership will not have a good price. Never.

You can ask the tirerack recommended installer if the $50 coupon is for the standard 4 wheel alignment. If so then that will work fine.
see
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...e.jsp?techid=4

Both those tires are OK and 25,000 miles is about right, don't forget to rotate the wheels every 4000 miles or so and keep tire pressures up.

 

RKW,
Unlike one's waistline, alignment doesn't got out over time.

If your alignment needs changing, it is due to either the new suspension components you installed, or the old ones you bent (i.e.: by going airborne Dukes of Hazard style).

Front Mini suspension can adjust the toe (via tie rods - (not camber - my mistype)), but the camber and caster are fixed via the camber plate. You could, in theory, bend tie rods, carrier, or the strut tower/camber plate. But none of those things happen over time. You would know you did it after an accident.
Similar for the rear suspension.

No need to pay for an alignment after 30K miles unless you know you have a problem (observing uneven tire wear), or you know you just change the suspension and you need an alignment (and likely new suspension pieces) to set it to something desirable.

If it comes to that, expect to pay for 1-1.5 hours of labor get it done right. As others have mentioned - ask around, and don't rush to give you business to either the dealer, or the lowest bidder.

HTH,
a

 

You can adjust the front toe-in (not the camber - I can see you meant to type toe-in
rather than camber now) via the tie rods.
You can adjust the rear toe-in via the mounting bolts of the rear trailing arm to the chassis.

You need front camber plates (or new unbent suspension parts) to change
camber or caster, and you need rear control arms (at least one pair) to adjust
the rear camber more than a little (later models have a little adjustment possible,
early models have no camber adjustment).
With two pair of rear control arms, you can adjust rear toe-in a little more easily
than by shifting the trailing arm at its mounting bolts.

 

How quickly can alignment need adjustment?

Depends on:
How you drive- aggressive cornering on rough surfaces, hard serves/slaloms or braking
Where you drive- off road, bumpy roads, lots of highway dividers and bumps.
What size tires/suspension you have- lower stiffer sidewall,stiffer suspension or ride drop.
Any worn/damaged suspension parts- shocks, bushings, control arms or tie rods

The most common thing that can change is toe settings, usually the front. Slight toe in is normal for street cars with the amount equal on both sides. Very slight toe out settings are used in autocrossing for quicker turn in response but may wear out front tires faster than OEM settings. Rear toe settings are usually more toe in than in the front for straight line stability.

Many times I have done alignment to find that in the front one side was toe out and the other toe in or each side was not the same as the other. If you want the best tire treadwear with even handling right or left on turns then a proper alignment is worth the effort.

If you have relatively lower cost tires ($70 each), they seem to wear evenly and handle OK for your street driving and you drive on mostly smooth roads, then you may not need to do an alignment. However once the alignment is out of spec your tire may show signs of uneven wear quickly and that tire will not be usable. Check your tire pressure and wear on a regular basis. I usually check for nails/screws and damage at the same time.

If you do any performance driving, tracking, autocross, high performance driving events, etc, you want your tires to give you optimal handling and wear decently. Getting an alignment is worth the investment you make in your tires and for your enjoyment.

Although my MINI tires can run up to about $200 each my other car has OEM tires that run up to $500+ each. Don't you think that it is worth the effort to do a yearly alignment when changing to a new set of tires? And I have done re-alignment in as little as 6 months and noted that toe settings were not equal, in fact not even close.

If you can find a shop that handles performance cars (just ask them), they are more likely to do a better job than your average chain auto shop. Their equipment is also likely to be better/maintained. Usually they will offer a period of time that you can bring it back for adjustment (few months/ certain number of miles).

 

MINIs are not magical... Go to an alignment shop..

 

Aligning the rear is a serious pita. Ever watch it done? I'd go with a shop that knows Minis and understands how to properly align the Mini's rear suspension and will take the time to do it right.

Potholes and such can knock things out of balance over time. I usually get an alignment when I get new tires so that I can ensure that nothing is out of whack that would abnormally accelerate where on new tires.