Alignment

Why do I need to offer wheel alignment?

Any suspension work i.e. wheel bearings, springs, arms, shocks etc. this also includes dropping down of subframes to fit clutches/gearboxes.

Potholes, speed bumps, Kerbs there not going away anytime soon and can cause havoc to a suspension. Wheels are getting bigger and tyre profiles getting lower, so what this mean? well its going to cause more strain for the suspension.

But don’t worry the suspension is designed to bend, therefore you will see a lot of alloy and mild steel components now.

The customer wants a straight steering wheel and for the car to perform as it should. So, because of all this we recommend a check every 10,000 miles or every service.

So, let’s talk about the money:

• Average price for 1 adjustment i.e. front toe is £30-£35 or doing a fully adjustable car could be a couple of hundred pounds.

Its not just the alignment you’ll be making money on either.

• You will be looking to find extra work i.e. worn/bent components
• Charge extra for un seizing components or for replacing the track rod ends etc.
• Average price for 1 adjustment i.e. front toe is £30-£35 doing a fully adjustable car could be a couple of hundred pounds.
• There is a lot of electronics on cars now that rely on the alignment being correct, these electronics can fail if the alignment hasn’t been reset. A steering angle or ADAS reset may also be needed on some cars.

Back up

• A before and after printout showing the customer that the car has been adjusted
• Keeping a record on the aligner, as then you have proof that when the car left everything was good because weeks/months later it could be out again.

The Maths

Example:

One Rav 6 CCD alignment Machine @ £6995 +VAT = £8394
So just 5 cars a week with an average alignment costs of £65 (front and rear toe) = Machine fully paid and making 100% full profit within 6 months.