Chedeng88

...even though there appears to be no pull? I mean I can let go of the steering wheel at ~40-50mph and the car runs straight for a decent amount of distance. Previous tires seemed to have worn out pretty even too.

And is there anything special about our suspension that it's best to have it done at the stealership? Where do you guys have your alignment done?

91RS

It's a really good idea, why risk wearing out new tires? You could try and find a place that will offer you a free alignment check. If you find a place that the alignment tech really knows what the hell they're doing, they should be able to align these cars without a problem. If you want a good guarantee of that, the dealer is the place to go since they work on them every day. I don't know about the dealers in your area, but my dealer was only about $20 higher than other places.

dcjwlee

I've gotten multiple flats on my '09 c300 4Matic sport but only replaced tires individually because they were covered by a third party wheel/tire insurer (for a one time fee during vehicle purchase).

I've never been told I have to replace in pairs (all the tires were relatively new) nor have I been asked to perform an alignment. They usually have me in and out within the hour.

I haven't noticed anything wrong... the car still rides as if it were on tracks.

That said, I have heard the stories about uneven wear... I would imagine an AMG running summer tires would be more prone to it than someone on the hard OEM rubber.

AMG3.2

I've usually do an alignment when I get new tires. Also, if your tires are relatively cheap you might not even want to get an alignment, but for others that spend over a grand or so getting an alignment might be a good investment in the long run. Is it necessary? No. Is it beneficial? Some would say so.

Zeppelin

I would say if the other tires wore well then don't bother. I have never paid for an alignment on any of my vehicles.

pointman

Bad wear, get an alignment. Otherwise, don't bother.

Saaboteur

I concur with the non alignment posts. If the car tracks nice and straight, no worries. If you've done some suspension work - lowering springs for example, or coil overs or replaced some of the suspension components that can adjust camber or castor or toe - then definitely you will need alignment. Or if the suspension takes a big hit - I blew out a tire last winter during a thaw that revealed a rather large pothole. Also seemed to shift the steering box (this was on my C43) too. Car needed alignment to run true again.

tw2

Same again. Your last set of tyres will tell you.

Chedeng88

Thanks guys! Looks like I'll skip it.

riceboy-ni

If spending decent money on a full set of new tyres i would definitely get the allignment checked, even if there is no pull. For the sake of a few pounds/dollars this could mean getting a few hundred extra miles out of a set. The tyres on the car at the moment may not seem unevenly worn but then it is hard to tell unless the suspension is significantly out. A fration of a degree can make a difference I say get it done

link146

Alignment is a must. With brand new tires, the cars alignment may be off however the perfect surface of the new tires allows it to track straight. After a a thousand or two miles on the tires, the old alignment issues will show up. Plus your expensive brand new rubber will have poor tread wear.

mgiannetto

+1

Chedeng88

Btw, around how much do dealerships charge for 4 wheel alignment?

Just so I'll have a reference when I call them up.

LuisC55AMG

I changed the rear tires once and did not got an alignment. Then I was on the interstate and noticed that the steering wheel was not aligned when I was going straight. The wheel was pointing to the left anyway, slightly. I went to the tire shop for an alignment and they fixed the problem. After that the rule for me was: Get tires => Get an alignment. That will save you from excessive tire wear in the end.

carenthusiast

The simple answer is NO, you don't need an alignment every time you buy new tires especially if you are not noticing any pull and the tires are wearing off evenly. Here's a video that answers your question in more detail. http://youtu.be/v4Qbh0b0Xgc

dcjwlee

I think right around $100... A bit of a rip off when you consider how much they are charging on labor per hour but not extraordinarily expensive considering it isn't something you have to perform on a regular basis.

carenthusiast

You should be looking to pay somewhere between $80-$100 for alignment. I have even seen lifetime alignment packages that may suit your needs the best so ask for such a package when you are getting quotes!

Saaboteur

You guys get good deals. I typically pay C$140-150, either at the local independent Mercedes shop, or at a specialized alignment shop I've used before too.

DuaneC63

If your car stays straight on a level road and the tires you're replacing have no unusual wear pattern such as just the inside or outside edge wearing out (not both...thats under inflation) then you should be OK. The recommendation to get an alignment everytime you change tires relates more to tires that last 40k+ miles. On a C63 you'd would be doing an alignment every 10k miles based on tire wear.

Chedeng88

My local stealership quoted me $160

pointman

wtf?? Dealer here was over $300 last time I asked/got cheated.