I need to get an alignment. I called the shop I normally take the car to and they said that it would need a 4 wheel alignment and that it would take three to 4 hours. Is this correct? seeing as how they charge $54 dollars (most cars) i think its a load.

 

This is just a normal alignment by todays standards. It just means they align the front wheels to the rear track rather than independently. They don't usually adjust anything on the rear.

 

I agree! I had an alignment done on mine after lowering and they can only align the front. They just check for toe +/-, camber +/- etc. It was about $65 CDN and it maybe took an hour!!

 

Do they know the car is not front wheel drive?

A shop will usually measure 4 wheel alignment, but they only adjust the front, as Z28SORR said.

 

Probably talking about a 4 wheel thrust alignment....

 

It could mean that with their work load, the car wouldn't be done for 4 hours.
Get a $ estimate. Check around.

 

Yeah, ask 'em about that '4-wheel' alignment on F-bodies and see what they say....

 

I used to do alignments (before knee surgury) You CANT do a 4 wheel on our cars due to the solid axle. The ONLY way you could do it is if you had a adj panhard bar. The way they do it is set 1 sensor per wheel. They they do what is called a a center THRUST line alignment. which means there is a ima. line drawn through the middle of the car and they adjust the wheels to that. But 3-4 hours I used to turn them out about 2 per hour dep on how bad it was off. But $54 sounds pretty res. Think thats what the shop I worked at charged

Matt

 

That was basically it. The guy I talked to just didn't communicate that very well (or at all). I had to drop it off at noon and they couldn't get to it till the end of the day. The actual alignment only took around 30 minutes. And the only charged for the two wheel alignment like they were supposed to. I think the guy on the phone was calling the thrust alignment a four wheel alignment. At any rate they did a great job. Only cost $34.