How much for a wheel alignment?

How much does a wheel alignment cost in Australia? The cost of wheel alignment starts from $50 for small cars, to $150 or more for larger vehicles.

When it comes to your car, there’s a lot to consider when budgeting for repairs and maintenance. There are so many moving parts that unless you are a mechanic, you really wouldn’t know where to begin.

One of the more critical elements is where your car connects with the road. When you purchase a new car, the wheels are already perfectly aligned with one another and perpendicular to the road. As the suspension shifts over time with use, the wheels move out of alignment.

This is why regular maintenance and servicing of your wheels and tyres is a top priority. It ensures you and your passengers remain safe on the road. Unaligned wheels are one of the most common problems with vehicles. It can lead to premature wear on your tyres, your car pulling one way, or even a collision.

In this guide, we explore:

• What a wheel alignment service involves and why you need it
• Wheel alignment prices
• Factors that influence wheel alignment cost, and
• How to get quotes from mechanics in your area.

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Firstly, what is a wheel alignment service?

A wheel alignment refers to an adjustment of your vehicle’s suspension. The suspension is essentially the system that connects the wheels to the car. Many people assume it’s merely adjusting the tyres on the wheels, but this is not correct.

If your tyres are out of alignment, they can get premature wear, cause you to experience car pull, and increase the risk of driving hazards.

Why do you need a wheel alignment service?

As an owner of a motor vehicle, the safety of you, your passengers and other road users is paramount. This is why having your wheel alignment checked is so important. Most mechanics will either undertake the inspection themselves or be able to point you in the direction of a preferred wheel alignment service centre.

Manufacturers generally recommend having your car’s wheel alignment checked every 10,000 km or 6 months. This can be included in your regular service visits.

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How to know when you need a wheel alignment

If your car isn’t handling as well as usual and seems to pull toward one direction more than the other, this is a good indication a wheel balancing or alignment is in order. Other signs to look for include:

• Uneven or rapid tyre wear
• Noisy steering wheel
• Squealing tyres
• A crooked steering wheel when driving straight.

If you notice any of these symptoms, take your car to a local mechanic for an inspection. Let them know when you first noticed the problem and how often it happens. It’s worth telling them when the last time you had your tyres rotated or air added was, and if any parts have ever been replaced on the steering or suspension.

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How much does a wheel alignment cost?

How much does a wheel alignment cost or a wheel balancing cost? Let’s explore typical prices you can expect to pay for either service:

Wheel alignment cost

How much is a wheel alignment? If you need a wheel alignment, prices start from $50 and go up to about $150. Four-wheel drives, SUVs and high-performance cars are on the more expensive side of the scale. You could expect to pay between $150 and $200 based on the model.

The cost of wheel alignment is a small price to pay for maintaining optimum safety on the roads or to avoid having to fork out money for a new tyre or a set of tyres to replace tyres that wore out too quickly. Having your tyres checked and aligned is one of the most essential parts of car ownership.

Wheel balancing cost

Wheel balancing cost is about the same as wheel alignment prices and start from about $50. It’s usually a fixed price at the mechanic as they use a special computer balancing machine to do the job. It calculates the weight of the wheel and tyre and uses counterweights to get the right balance.

Getting a wheel balance and alignment at the same time can sometimes cut down the cost, and you may even get both for the price of just one.

What affects wheel alignment prices?

Just general driving of your car eventually causes the wheel alignment to need adjustment. Things that affect the frequency of needing your wheels aligned are the road conditions you travel on and the integrity of your vehicle. Something as simple as hitting a pothole or a kerb can do enough damage to mean you need a wheel alignment.

The cost of wheel alignments is usually determined by the size and type of your car, with smaller vehicles being cheaper.

Why is getting a wheel alignment so important?

If your car is experiencing wheel alignment issues, it’s wearing your tyres out more quickly than it should. This not only leads to additional costs to you, but on wet or uneven roads it makes your car instantly more dangerous.

What’s included in wheel alignment prices?

In a wheel alignment service, the technician normally checks your tyre wear, the front and rear suspension and ensures that your vehicle is tracking straight. Whether you drive an all-wheel-drive, or a front or rear-wheel drive, the need for getting regular wheel alignment checks is the same.

With any issues found, the technician will adjust the suspension components, ensuring that your car is not pulling, and they will rotate any tyres experiencing premature wear. Your mechanic may also decide to replace your front and rear tyres if there is excessive wear and exposure to any miscalibration or wheel alignment issues that can’t be fixed otherwise.

With the state-of-the-art technology, computer-generated alignment and testing systems, your car should be able to drive safely and track straight in no time after a trip to the service centre.

Getting wheel alignment quotes from a local mechanic

Still wondering how much does a wheel alignment cost? When looking for “wheel alignment prices near me”, use Yellow Pages to request multiple free quotes from local car service centres or mechanics in your area.

When you ask for a wheel alignment price, be sure to let the mechanic know what make and model your car is and the details of any issues you’ve noticed recently with your car. Choose a local mechanic with a solid reputation.

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*All prices quoted were sourced at the time this wheel alignment cost guide was written and should only be used as an estimate.