You need to find another shop. The guy down here charged me $39.99 to do mine after I installed my leveling kit. Everything came out fine. He said the biggest adjustment needed was the camber but nothing major. It took him all of about 45 minutes once it got on the rack.

 

The places I've been going to make a big deal about the size of the wheels and the fact that it's lowered. Always end up adding 20 bucks to their normal 76 dollar prices.

Being lots of cars come on 20" wheels or bigger now, I don't understand the big deal about the wheel size!!?!?!


I may start looking though!

 

usually it's because of extra risk...if you scuff a stocker no one cares, scratch someone's 20's or 26's, better cough up a new wheel...

i pay for 49 bucks for alignment up here...

 

some wheels just wont allow the alignment sensore to attach also... i always have to put my stockers on since my aftermarket wheels dont have a lip on them for the sensors to attach to.

so there is more to it that just being afraid of scratching some wheels.

 

Oh they'll scratch em, for sure.

 

Good alignment shops have little tiny socks that fit over the alignment fingers (the part that sits on the face of the wheels, just so they don't scratch them, they put a new set on every time...

 

You know it's weird the first time I took it to them they used something like that. The second and last time I took it they didn't and scratched the driver's side lip a little. Wasn't a big deal, just the point you know?

 

My shop knows if they scratch a wheel they will be ordering me a new wheel....or some monetary compensation....shops have insurance for a reason

 

I had a tire shop scratch the polished aluminum wheels on my dually a few years back. Needless to say, it cost them about $700 to go to Ford and get replacements. They now use socks all the time. Some of these shops have inexperienced guys that don't really pay attention to stuff like we do. The trick it to cind a shop with employees who are into things like we are.

 

i do alot of alignments and another reason different wheels can be expensive is some times you actually have to let the air out of the tire to getthe sensors to clamp on. so that takes alot more time and effort and yes there is alot of risk with scratches. but to the origional question you may very well need cam bolts to align it. they are slotted from the factory and CAN be adjusted without the bolts but it makes the technicians life alot easier with them. But mhen the alignments only $49 just buy the bolts and make sure its done right. just my 2 cents