Stemmer

Got a flat tire, put on the spare and took it to Mr. Tire. They showed me the gash and it could not be fixed. In putting on the new tire they showed me how the tires were not wearing evenly and recommended a 4-wheel alignment. I knew I passed on it last time so I gave it the OK. After putting it on the alignment machine, I was told an alignment can't be done as I need front and rear inner and outer tie rods which would run $1,100. I passed and they then tried using a blowtorch to apparently do something to be able to perform the alignment. Ultimately they could not do the alignment. My car is actually pulling just a little to the right - I did not notice it before but I'm sure it was there.

The question is can I ignore this issue? It will pull a little and may worsen and the tires are not wearing perfectly. But I don't want to drop $1,100 on this issue. Any other options?

bob2200

There are more options than (1) pay $1,100 to Mr. Tire or (2) do nothing. I would suggest you take the car to a mechanic who knows what they are doing regarding auto suspension and has the state-of-the-art alignment equipment. There are plenty in Maryland. If you can't get a recommendation, take it to a Lexus dealer. You could ask on the Northeast Lexus forum here at ClubLexus for recommendations. Then, when you get a 2nd opinion, report back to this forum. Those are my suggestions.

Stemmer

Those are good suggestions, thanks. I have a good indy but I'm not sure if he has an alignment machine. If he does I will have him look at it; I suppose I could have him check it out even if he doesn't. I could also use my dealer. They do good work but it's so pricey every time I bring it there. Thanks though. I will look into other mechanics with alignment expertise.

PaulDaisy

Where I live, Big-O Tires have Hunter alignment machines, which are very good. Big-O checks the alignment for free and if they can't align they will tell what the problem is. This is what I have always done. They in fact have recommended me a part number to buy elsewhere that would allow them to align my other car, which worked perfectly.

trhs75

If your indy doesn't have an alignment machine, I'm sure he'll know a reputable shop to use.