The tires on my Intrepid wore badly on the inside, so I took it in for an alignment. They couldn't get the front wheels aligned because the standard tie rod ends needed a special tool, which was nearly impossible to turn since the ends are above the axle and extremely difficult to get to with the wheels on (taking them off wouldn't be very practical while doing an alignment, now, would it?) I payed half of the alignment cost (-$30) and replaced the tie rod end and sleeve on the side that gave them the most trouble (-$20). I took it back in so they could finish the alignment job (-$30), but now they couldn't get the other side to move. Replaced the other side (-$20) and went back a third time for them to finish the job (-$25, for an extra half hour of labor). There's a total of $40 in parts, and $85 in labor for an alignment job that should have been no more than $60. And the real solution? Buy an after-market tie rod end with a six-point head to replace the 'special' slotted end that comes standard on the car.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The tires on my Intrepid wore badly on the inside, so I took it in for an alignment. They couldn't get the front wheels aligned because the standard tie rod ends needed a special tool, which was nearly impossible to turn since the ends are above the axle and extremely difficult to get to with the wheels on (taking them off wouldn't be very practical while doing an alignment, now, would it?) I payed half of the alignment cost (-$30) and replaced the tie rod end and sleeve on the side that gave them the most trouble (-$20). I took it back in so they could finish the alignment job (-$30), but now they couldn't get the other side to move. Replaced the other side (-$20) and went back a third time for them to finish the job (-$25, for an extra half hour of labor). There's a total of $40 in parts, and $85 in labor for an alignment job that should have been no more than $60. And the real solution? Buy an after-market tie rod end with a six-point head to replace the 'special' slotted end that comes standard on the car.
- krestep, Elkton, VA, US