Altech Automotive Ltd. (...for alignments)

[p-o-g-i]

I had my 2007 Mazda3GT lowered on Tein H- tech's last week, and had the alignment done today at Altech Automotive Ltd.:

ALTECH AUTOMOTIVE LTD.
384 Olivewood Road
Etobicoke, ON
M8Z 2Z9
(416) 231-1611

(... along Kipling, between Dundas and Queensway)

Here are the positives I came away with in reference to my experience with them:

- able to bring my car back to OEM specs
- provided a print out with specific results
- total was less then $80 (including taxes... and didn't have to pay cash to get this price)


They normally charge more if you just walk off the street, but they reward those who come in off referrals. A friend of mine from Club RSX referred me. They didn't even ask me who referred me. As soon as they found out I came through a referral, they offered me the discounted price.

Again, I paid less then $80 in total and received a receipt and printout with the results. Most important, I got the car to OEM specs :bana2

[KenYork]

They didn't even ask me who referred me. As soon as they found out I came through a referral, they offered me the discounted price.+1

going there on saturday.

[p-o-g-i]

Nah, just tell them that you came through a referral. You can mention my name if you want, but to be honest... all they care about is building that relatinoship. Once they know you came through a referral, they will discount the price. By all means, you can tell them that you came through a referred and that I got the 4 wheel allignment done for less then $80 tax in...

[KenYork]

They're great and punctual. I got my alignment done on Saturday at 10am. I left within half an hour with full print out. Yup! all 4 wheels done for under $80 tax in.

[btown-mazda]

I went to Altech this past weekend for my alignment, overal process was about 30-45mins, I found out my left rear is out of spec and so looks like I'll have to a camber kit. Oh and all I did the day before was called and said I was referred to here and they were cool with that, no questions asked.

[Dragazn]

hmm nice I think i'm going to book an appointment too

[Fobio]

I called Altech yesterday on my day off and spoke with Joe. I told him I was referred by TM3. He said the alignments are not done by him or his shop. He then directed me to Ortis Automotive up the street at Rogers/Keele, across from the Sunoco. I had to wait a total of 2 hrs since Joe did not give their number to me to book an appt.

Afterwards, Frank at Ortis never even told me if my alignment was off or not. When I asked, he said "the right side was off a bit, but everything is all good now." No print-out. $70 and he said he should've charged me $80 cuz I have 18" wheels.

[Mazda3TO]

No toruble booking a last minute appointment, last week. My 3 is lowered on Tein Basic with SPC/Eibach rear cambers. They had a little trouble adjust the right rear camber since one of the bolts was difficult to access (Take note that SPC/ reverses right rear camber bolt, you may want to correct it to match the left prior to installing the camber to avoid difficults whe adjusting). They cut a wrench to fit in the small sapce and completed the alignment. Pretty impressed with the alignment equipment they used (not your typical lazer or balancing methods). Took a little longer due to the camber issue, but charged me $80 no questions asked. Pat is a great guy to deal with and his buddies that were at the shop made the time go by.

I will definitely go back.

[p-o-g-i]

I called Altech yesterday on my day off and spoke with Joe. I told him I was referred by TM3. He said the alignments are not done by him or his shop. He then directed me to Ortis Automotive up the street at Rogers/Keele, across from the Sunoco. I had to wait a total of 2 hrs since Joe did not give their number to me to book an appt.

Afterwards, Frank at Ortis never even told me if my alignment was off or not. When I asked, he said "the right side was off a bit, but everything is all good now." No print-out. $70 and he said he should've charged me $80 cuz I have 18" wheels.

Are you sure you called the right # for Altech as listed in the first post?
I only ask as it's weird how the rest of us were able to book appts and have the work done at Altech.... yet you were told otherwise.... ????

[Fobio]

Are you sure you called the right # for Altech as listed in the first post?
I only ask as it's weird how the rest of us were able to book appts and have the work done at Altech.... yet you were told otherwise.... ????

Shite...after looking thru my Skype logs, I called Altech Performance...which is a different shop on Weston Rd...argh! :bang

[p-o-g-i]

Shite...after looking thru my Skype logs, I called Altech Performance...which is a different shop on Weston Rd...argh! :bang

That's what I thought as have heard of Altech Performance......

Altech Automotive Ltd. is the place to go for alignments!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[btown-mazda]

Perhaps btown-mazda only had a 2 wheel alignment performed?

No, I got all 4 done

[doughboyr6]

does this place damage/scratch your wheels with the equiment that has to be mounted on the wheel?

what other types of aligning equipment can be used if not laser? I thought that was the newest/greatest, no?

[Mazda3TO]

does this place damage/scratch your wheels with the equiment that has to be mounted on the wheel?

what other types of aligning equipment can be used if not laser? I thought that was the newest/greatest, no?

Here is a link to similar equipment that they use:

http://www.pro-align.co.uk/products/wheelaligners/psdsp600series.htm

[doughboyr6]

^^^ Isn't that laser?

can anyone confirm if the equipment that is mounted to the wheel will scuff it up?

[p-o-g-i]

^^^ Isn't that laser?

can anyone confirm if the equipment that is mounted to the wheel will scuff it up?


I can only speak for my experience..... but they didn't scuff my rims.

[LockOut]

Just got my alignment done at Altech. Great guys there. Quick, and they know what they're doing. Alignment: $89. TM3 Discount: $69. Only thing is that they didn't give me a printout of the results, and when I asked for one, they'd already cleared the data, so I couldn't get one. Oh well, I'll live. In and out in about 30 mins.

[p-o-g-i]

That's pretty inexpensive compared to what I paid there.... but then again they provided me with my printout.

Did you request a copy of the printout before hand?

[Fobio]

Went back last week...got print-out and cash pricing...thumbs up! Took a little longer than expected, but I had wifi to read TM3 while I was waiting...will definitely return!

[silvermist99]

Went back last week...got print-out and cash pricing...thumbs up! Took a little longer than expected, but I had wifi to read TM3 while I was waiting...will definitely return!

did you notice your alignment going off after track days? I notice my steering wheel is no longer 100% straight on the hwy. It has maybe a 0.5% tilt to the left now to keep the car going straight. I can tell by the way the steering wheel lines up w/ the steering column. Before the car is dead straight 100%.

[Fobio]

^^^and I don't think it's just autox/track days...roads in the GTA is bad enough to throw alignments off...case in point, the 427 lately...after a drive thru the bottom end merge to the Gardiner, and I think SOMETHING will be off...sigh...but I think it doesn't matter to most ppl who doesn't notice a 0.5% dif... =)

in general, if I feel my alignment feeling wonky enough, then I'd take it in for an alignment...

[allen@simplytire.com]

Nice... I just had my S60R lowered yesterday, and have been looking for a place to get my allignment done... I can't believe how cheap this price is.... my previous allignment shop (in Woodbridge) allways took 2 hours and cost me $120.00 with no printout...

I'm going to go today.

[KenYork]

Nice... I just had my S60R lowered yesterday, and have been looking for a place to get my allignment done... I can't believe how cheap this price is.... my previous allignment shop (in Woodbridge) allways took 2 hours and cost me $120.00 with no printout...

I'm going to go today.

The price for your car may be different. When I went to Altech, Pat was mentioning that our cars alignment was easy to adjust thus the low price he was offering.

[Aceius]

I keep calling but noone picks up. I wonder if they'll still give the discounted price if I just pop by..anyone?

[Fobio]

today's sunday guys...not EVERYONE works like our own Allen @ Simply =)

[KenYork]

I keep calling but noone picks up. I wonder if they'll still give the discounted price if I just pop by..anyone?

Altech is actually quite busy, I'd make sure to have an appointment. Though they may be able to let you drop by.

[allen@simplytire.com]

today's sunday guys...not EVERYONE works like our own Allen @ Simply =)

LOL... it's funny because I kept calling this morning and there was no answer until I realized that it was Sunday and that I'm the only psycho open !!! :chuckle

[Soyabean]

Got an alignment done on tues. Pat was very friendly and everything was done perfectly. He even showed me how off my car was compared to the stock specs and then fixed it. I am extremely satisfied and would definitely recommend this place

[allen@simplytire.com]

I had my allignment done there as well and was extremely happy with the results... they are smart, and know exactly what they were doing...

[kaval]

I'll probably be taking my parents cars there soon. Will post feedback...

[kid_icarus]

just tried calling, i know it's 830am..

but does anyone know their hours of operations for all days?
i know they're closed on sunday?

i've gotta go out now which is why i ask as i won't be able to call them later in the morning/afternoon.

[trix241]

Just had my alignment done here this sat and they did a great job. Good service and got my lowered car within spec! And they gave me a discount price of $60 cash. Definitely recommend this place!

[dj_chinaman2097]

Started noticing my car was pulling to the left so I booked an appointed with Jim.

Jim knows his way around the 3. He showed me the initial measurements and what he was going to do.

Showed me the printout and walked me through the before and after changes.

No marks to the rims.

Was in and out within 20 minutes.

Car drives 100% straight now.

$60 cash with print out.

Recommended.

[jonjon72]

Jim @ Altech did a great job today on my alignment. Quality of work was excellent and time spent going through the print out after the work was completed was icing on the cake. Great stuff. Highly recommended, fast service and best price around.

[KenYork]

Was at Altech today for and alignment. I called at 2pm, they had already closed for an hour but told me to go in anyways. Anyhow great guys both Tim and Pat worked on my car. I also asked if it would cost more if we had a camber kit. Answer: with or without camber kit is $60cash.

[-=phelan=-]

Has anyone else had any services done by 'em as i'm needing rotor and pad swapping soon.

[KenYork]

They're definitely people that stand by their work.

[allen@simplytire.com]

Has anyone else had any services done by 'em as i'm needing rotor and pad swapping soon.

They will be more than capable to do that job...

[samsvoc]

Does Altech balance tires? If yes, how much, if not which shops do you guys recommend for balancing 4 tires? Thanks.

[Fobio]

Does Altech balance tires? If yes, how much, if not which shops do you guys recommend for balancing 4 tires? Thanks.

e - allen@simplytire.com
w - www.simplytire.com
t - (416) 916-9233
f - (416) 916-9548

[allen@simplytire.com]

Does Altech balance tires? If yes, how much, if not which shops do you guys recommend for balancing 4 tires? Thanks.

What area are you in?

Tires 23 in the West end...
Simply Tire in the city...
Exclusive Wheel and Tire in the east...

We are all sponsors on TM3....

Depending on what size your wheels are, it will be roughly $40.00 to balance all four...

[samsvoc]

What area are you in?

Tires 23 in the West end...
Simply Tire in the city...
Exclusive Wheel and Tire in the east...

We are all sponsors on TM3....

Depending on what size your wheels are, it will be roughly $40.00 to balance all four...

I'm in the Yonge/Sheppard area. Do you recommend I get my tires balanced before I do a 4 wheel alignment? How late are you open and do I need to make an appointment? Thanks.

[allen@simplytire.com]

I'm in the Yonge/Sheppard area. Do you recommend I get my tires balanced before I do a 4 wheel alignment? How late are you open and do I need to make an appointment? Thanks.

In that case, I am the closest to you...

You only need to balance if you are feeling a vibration while driving. This vibration would be there between 70km/h and 130km/h....

It doesn't make a difference if you do the allignment first or not.. you can come by right after you allignment... you don't need an appointment...

[Piru]

Got an alignment done at Altech on Tuesday. Just like everyone has said before me, they will give you a print out and explain everything to you. I called on the phone and quoted the $80 price people were saying they got, but they said its actually $69.99 for TM3 members. But I was paying with cash and they only asked for $60 in the end. I didn't even haggle for a discount. Honesty. I like that.

[p-o-g-i]

What area are you in?

Tires 23 in the West end...
Simply Tire in the city...
Exclusive Wheel and Tire in the east...

We are all sponsors on TM3....

Depending on what size your wheels are, it will be roughly $40.00 to balance all four...

Allen, very admirable of you..... :)

[doughboyr6]

has anyone had their car worked on with the Eibach/SPC camber kit? I want to ensure that i bring it to someone who's had prior experience or the know-how.

I read that thread about KSL and the shop didn't seem to know what to do.

Thanks,

[S.F.W.]

has anyone had their car worked on with the Eibach/SPC camber kit? I want to ensure that i bring it to someone who's had prior experience or the know-how.

I read that thread about KSL and the shop didn't seem to know what to do.

Thanks,
Mazda3To did last year.

[tweak_s]

altech worked on my eibach kit last year as well.

[doughboyr6]

good to hear....thanks guys...i'm assuming they did alright right?

[allen@simplytire.com]

Guys and girls... for those of you that have not yet been there... the guys at Alltech are capable of doing ANYTHING. They are all older, experienced, well-trained technicians. That place is run smoothly and "NO" doesnt' exist in their vocabulary (within reason)...

I brought my complicated as hell S60R to them and they figured everything out in it without flinching....

[jonjon72]

I agree with Allen, had my alignment completed with the Eibachs and Yellow Koni's installed. During my conversation with Jim, we talked about camber kits and he has done them all before. Even mentioned that a ton of RX8s come in with specific alignment requests.

Best part is that the price is the same with or without a camber kit, plus the cash discount on top of that.

[doughboyr6]

that's very reassuring...thanks for the comments guys. I booked an apt today for next week.

[-cj-]

Great shop. I've been there twice in the last month after getting my car lowered. Both times I called about 10 minutes before the shop closes and he told me to race on down.

Only reason I went back a second time was because I wanted to be absolutely sure the car didn't settle and fall out of alignment (I only waited 1 week after lowering the car the first time). Not only was my alignment spot on, but they never charged me anything the second time --- Even though they wasted time getting car the car on the lift and setup for their machine. Great people... and I'll definitely go back again.

Their alignment machine is also top notch, utilizing digital cameras and mirrors to perform the alignment....

[doughboyr6]

I went into Altech yesterday for my alignment. I've never had an alignment done in the 5 yrs i've owned the car (i know, i know)....its been dropped and shocks/struts replaced and i've never had it aligned. I learned the hard way as my last set of Falken 452s only lasted 23,000kms and had terrible camber wear.

It was a pain in the arse for them. They rolled my car onto the hoist and hooked up the laser equipment. When they were ready to make adjustments, they noticed that my SPC rear camber kit had rusted and was all seized up. There was very little working room to get any tools in there.

So they decided to take my car off the alignment machine and put it on a regular hoist. They had to remove my back wheels, drop my control arms...etc to remove the rear camber links. The adjustment nuts were completely seized up, so they had to put a torch to it. Eventually they got both camber links to work properly and are now well lubed for future adjustments.

They buttoned everything back up and threw it back onto the alignment machine for me. They pretty much did all corners perfect and dead on.

I won't say how much the charged me, but far too little for the time they had to spend. I was there for 2 hrs.

They are a bunch of really really nice guys. Very friendly.

Thanks Altech.

p.s. On a side note, my rear camber was at -3.4 originally, now its at -1.5 which is where it should be, but inadvertantly, my rear now sits higher and i don't like how it looks. But that's the cost/trade off for a car that steers straight right? haha

[allen@simplytire.com]

LOL... it's amazing how much camber can affect the way a vehicle looks !!!

[Malcolm991]

Im going there this morning to get mine done then off I go to shop for new tires!

[allen@simplytire.com]

Im going there this morning to get mine done then off I go to shop for new tires!

What size you looking for? We are running a huge clearance right now on many sizes...

[S.F.W.]

Had my car in for an alignment today at Altech. Called this AM and got an appointment later in the afternoon. Altech did the alignment and adjustment of my rear camber kit. Very pleased with the results.

[samsvoc]

I go in Wednesday.

[marvin24k]

I was there Wed. @ 1:45 PM - I was out by 2:30PM. Talked to Pat, he's a cool guy. Charged me the "internet forum" special - 60.00 Cash. He showed me the Mazda 3 Alignment Tool he made, he's so proud of it :). Will definitely visit them again!

OH i did not get a sheet though, he did say I was in spec. You could tell just by looking.

[srbin]

i was there this morning for about 20 minutes... as soon as he realized I was a TM3 member he took my car in right away (even though there were already couple of people in front of me)... I paid $60 cash w/ printout (didn't even have to ask for our discount and a printout)...

very satisfied w/ their service...
:bana2

[gtloaded]

going there tomorrow, iwas gonna go to westowne mazda but this place way better and cheaper

[Hives]

going there tomorrow, iwas gonna go to westowne mazda but this place way better and cheaper

+1 Got mines done there way back in June

[gtloaded]

Anyone know days and hours of operation?

[srbin]

Just had my tranny flushed today at a great price (3x less than what my dealer is asking)...
I'm going there again next friday for an alignment...

[srbin]

Anyone know days and hours of operation?

When I was there couple of days ago to do an alignment i remembered you asked about their hours of operations so I took a picture of it... :)

Monday to Friday 8:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday 9:00am to 1:00pm
Closed on Sunday

[zr6]

I Booked an appointment for my Caravan at Altech for an alignment after having some newb at another shop do a bad job. I showed up early and they fit me in. Showed me the computer display before the alignment, and gave me a printout when it was all done. The price was very reasonable. Overall, it was a friendly and positive experience. Taking my Protege there later this week.

[MistaChin]

I booked my appointment for tomorrow morning at 930am. I haven't got an alignment since lowering my car back in may lol. They said $60 and I have a camber kit installed too.

[jonjon72]

Going to Altech this Friday after I get some work done and camber kit installed. Was there earlier in the year after getting my struts and lowering springs installed.

Definitely worth the drive from Richmond Hill

[Donutz]

How are these guys at setting alignment to client defined specification? Anyone go in with their own specs; if so, how did it turn out? I want my toe at 0 or slightly positive and my rear camber at -1.5. I don't have much room to play around in the back as my summer wheels are 17x7 +40 with 215 / 45 Falkens.

[MistaChin]

How are these guys at setting alignment to client defined specification? Anyone go in with their own specs; if so, how did it turn out? I want my toe at 0 or slightly positive and my rear camber at -1.5. I don't have much room to play around in the back as my summer wheels are 17x7 +40 with 215 / 45 Falkens.

When i had mine done some time ago he asked me what I wanted my specs at. I had no clue what was optimal i told him and he set them at -1.5 i think and explained everything. I'm sure if you go in and have preferred specs they'll be more than happy to help.

[Donutz]

Well I just got back from Altech and I have to concur with everyone's feedback. I was in at 9 AM and out at 9:45. The guys are great, the service is quick, the price is right, and the set my angles just how I wanted them (although I didn't specify castor). I highly recommend them to anyone in need of an alignment.

[stevenma188]

Hey Jason, do you know what your original alignment was? Wondering how my tires will be with camber right on the edge of the specs at -2.3.

[Donutz]

My sheet is in the car. I'll post my results on the alignment spec thread later tonight.

[p-o-g-i]

I will be visiting these guys again failry soon as I'm due for an alignment. I'm glad everyone has had a positive experience.

[Skip]

Visited them today, got my alignment and my wheels put on. I would definitely reccommend these guys, Pat was great. Great service, and they walk you through the work being done. I was shown what was being adjusted and how much the alignment was off. Great pricing as well.

[Ogata]

Booked my appointment on Monday as I'm feeling that my car is shading a lot to the right for some reason. Does it matter if your winters are on or if your summer tires are on? I spoke to Pat and he said that it does not matter as their machine sees through our wheels. He assured me his machine will not scratch your rims as the machine clamps on the outside.

[Thrizzl3]

Booked my appointment on Monday as I'm feeling that my car is shading a lot to the right for some reason. Does it matter if your winters are on or if your summer tires are on? I spoke to Pat and he said that it does not matter as their machine sees through our wheels. He assured me his machine will not scratch your rims as the machine clamps on the outside.

when i had my winters on jimmy told me to do it when i put my summers on. reason being they are bigger rims.

[Soyabean]

how often should you get an alignment? I got mine done immediately after I got my car lowered and that was it. Its been 2 years

[Ogata]

when i had my winters on jimmy told me to do it when i put my summers on. reason being they are bigger rims.

Interesting...thats what I was thinking too!! Hmmm


how often should you get an alignment? I got mine done immediately after I got my car lowered and that was it. Its been 2 years

I think Allen @ Simply told me every 30ish K or when you hit double digit potholes. I got mine done at the dealer 2 years ago previously because I hit a BAD curb and I have to go back and get an alignment done again as I hit a BAD curb last year before going to Cherry Beach =/

[aris]

when i had my winters on jimmy told me to do it when i put my summers on. reason being they are bigger rims.

I don't see how that would make any difference

[bman13]

Got my Alignment done by Pat and his team and did the switchover...SPEEDs are on and lookin NICE :) My alignment was off due to me love tapping a curb with my winters (was in a plaza not from skidding...long story).

Would easily go back/recommend to friends.

[Bouncx5]

how long after lowering your car should you wait to get an alignement?

[S.F.W.]

how long after lowering your car should you wait to get an alignement?
~2 weeks

[Bouncx5]

thx sfw and can you pm me so i can figure out when to pick up the plate covers

[sudz]

Will check this place out. my car drifts slightly to the right on a level road - Since this winter - I managed to Hit the mother of all potholes. (It actually made me stop and see if there was damage)

[Thrizzl3]

i went for my alignment at altech and pat knows how to get the work done! extremely happy with the service at Altech Automotive :)

[srbin]

Went to Altech again for an alignment last weekend... Great as always!!!

[marvin24k]

I was @ altech on Monday Morning... Needed an alignment bad. I was out the door in 30 mins. GREAT service and the car is back on track. Pat's a great guy to deal with. Will definately visit them again! $60.00 with the printout!

[jonjon72]

Pick up my car after getting some work done for the spring. Had a front sway bar installed as well as my summer tires and rims. Every spring I get the alignment done after a winter with crappy GT roads. Called Altech Saturday morning and made a last minute appt. They were crazy busy but they accomodated me. Some young guy was working the alignment system but Pat took care of my car personally. He provided the regular print out and something extra. Pics are below.

Great work as always......never worried about scratches to the rims.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_4143.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_4142.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_0279.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_0276.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_0242.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_0247.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_0271.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/jonjon72/IMG_0252_edited-1.jpg

[She_Prime]

I'll be there around 11 tomorrow if anyone feels like popping in :)

[sudz]

Appointment at 10am, Saturday the 10th. Will let you know how it goes! Courteous and efficient on the phone.

[Stoked]

sweet i need to get an allignment done and was wondering where to go, and now i know
do they do walk ins or like last second appointments?

[She_Prime]

Kudos goes off to Altech Automotive. After having issues with my front passenger tire I had booked an alignment with Altech for today. I was also lowered last Saturday and haven't had an alignment since owning the car. After leaving Altech I noticed that the steering wheel was turned about a 1/4 ways to the right but that was how the car would drive straight. After driving from Altech to Exclusive Wheel and Tire (to get my new tires on) the issue still persisted. I called Altech back and told them what happened. Pat said once I get the new tires on if the issue is still there to bring it back. Drove back from Ajax and the issue was still present. I went back to Altech and they put my car back on the alignment machine. Car drives perfectly now with a straight wheel. Sorry for the trouble of going through two alignments but Pat was very accomodating to me and my issue.

The price was fantastic as always and very happy with the guys at Altech.

[Signal21]

So I went to Altech and now my car is driving nice and straight. I'm no longer fighting it when rolling down the highway.

The main thing I didn't like about Altech is that they just left my keys sitting there on the front counter and then walked back into the shop to work on other cars. Anybody could have walked in and swiped my keys.

[p-o-g-i]

Have an appt with Altech today over lunch. Looking forward to their exceptional service as usual :)

[p-o-g-i]

Have an appt with Altech today over lunch. Looking forward to their exceptional service as usual :)

Just got back from the appt. What can I say that everyone here does not already know?!?!!?

Outstanding!!! Appt was on time and completed in the spcificed allotcated time. Pat provided a detailed readout with all the specs. He clearly indicated where the adjustments were made.

It was a couple of years ago when I created this thread, and I'm glad I was able to pass along the value add Altech has provided to the rest of TM3.

[optiklenz13]

I just read this now. If I should have known you were there, I would have popped by, It's like 3 minutes away from work..

[p-o-g-i]

I just read this now. If I should have known you were there, I would have popped by, It's like 3 minutes away from work..

haha... sorry Ash, I didn't know you worked around there. I don't work or live near that area, but I do go fo lunch in that area every now and then... (Kipling/ Queensway area). We'll meet up some time.

[optiklenz13]

for sure, Chris. I work at Bloor and Islington.

[ZeroChalk]

Brought my car in on Saturday. Pat did a good job. He was very appreciative of the business our club sends him.

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/5856/altechd.jpg

[RedRaptor]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to make an appointment to have my alignment done since its been a month since I've been lowered.

[leungly]

I was there today around 5pm. Pat also did my alignment. Everything was spot on about the experience, they get in the car before the alignment test to see if there's anything excessively out of order and then do the alignment using a "3D" camera type system that continually monitors the degrees of each tire position as they adjust it. After its done, Pat drove the car quickly around the block to make sure its perfect and he put it on the hoist once more to make a slight fine-tune adjustment to the steering. I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed however he did and I really like how I wasn't rushed. Money well spent and will definitely return. Print Out Included and No Price Differential on Camber Kit or No Camber kit (I have the Eibach Rear Camber Kit installed)

Front Camber
Initial Reading
Left: -0.9
Right -1.5

Final Reading
Left: -0.9
Right -1.4

Front Toe
Initial
Left 0.10
Right -0.35

Final
Left 0.1
Right 0.1

Rear Camber
Initial
Left -1.8
Right -2.6

Final
Left -1.4
Right -1.2

Rear Toe
Intial
Left 0.15
Right 0.45

Final
Left 0.15
Right 0.20

[ericssonfan]

Just got back from Altech for an alignment.. Pat wasn't in yet so Jim was aligning the car. It took about 45 mins so I decided to go outside and take a walk.. Is it me or is all of Etobicoke that run down? Cuz I worked in Etobicoke a while back and the area I worked looks exactly the same. lol
Anyways, great price and service and I was glad to go in for an alignment when I did (2 weeks after springs installation) because my rear camber was out of whack!
Below are my alignment results:

Initial Reading Final Reading
Front Caster
Left 3.0 3.5
Right 2.9 3.7

Front Camber
Left -1.5 -1.5
Right -1.8 -1.8

Front Toe
Left -0.35 0.05
Right -0.25 0.05

Rear Camber
Left -2.8 -1.2
Right -2.9 -1.4

Rear Toe
Left 0.15 0.00
Right 0.30 -0.05

Do these numbers look ok? I told them I was mainly concerned with rear camber wear.

[RedRaptor]

Booked an appointment tomorrow to have mine done after lowering on RB springs a month ago.

[1flycdnM3]

well that went horribly wrong today and very disappointed on many respects with Altech!
let's go through the events together shall we
phone call at noon from work: Me: Hi my name is Scott I am calling from a referral of a friend on the Mazda forums and need an alignment and wheel balance, do you guys do that and what is the price?? when could I come in??
Pat: Yes, we do. It will be $60 for the alignment and $40 for the balancing. We have an opening at 3pm today if you can come in then?? what kind of wheels do you have??
Me: that would be great, 3pm works for me. I have 17" aftermarket wheels.
Pat: Ok we can do that, see you then

So I left work a little early (2pm-ish) and arrived there just a few minutes after 3pm (traffic was brutal) so I am standing there in the shop for a few minutes waiting for Pat to answer phone calls before we get introduced, he informs me "we are a little behind schedule, you can have a seat though".... so i did.... for 45 minutes! *twiddles thumbs* then it dawns on me and think to myself "crap, I hope they have tuner lugs because I didn't think to ask, but I did tell them I have aftermarket wheels so should be fine"...... sure enough...... they DONT!

now I have a few options here, go home or make a scene (being they DID ask about my wheels and a little ticked off now being I wasted 2 hours driving), I chose to go home, after booking an appointment for the morning, which I now have no intent on going to because QEW Mazda (where i went after the long commute back in to town) will do it for basically the same price!

so let me get this straight.... you KNOW I have aftermarket wheels because I told you, why would you NOT remind me to bring tuner lugs if you don't have any?!?!?! How can you even survive as a small shop without this?!?!?! I can't imagine it is very expensive, but the inconvenience of driving for almost 2 hours in traffic for absolutely nothing (especially on those crappy roads when my car is already messed up to begin with).... I just can't fathom the answer to this as I am positive I am not the first (or last) person to come in with aftermarket wheels! [/end rant]

customer service: 4/10 (45-minute wait, unclear phone call which in-turn provided them with insufficient equipment, unwilling to compromise or show any compassion)

Obviously, I do not recommend this shop to anyone and really glad they never had a chance to touch my car either since I saw two prior customers' vehicles being abused in and out of the parking lot during a test drive... eff that! No respect! They don't even have an answering machine for me to cancel my 9am appointment!

[allen@simplytire.com]

Wow that's pretty brutal, there is nothing worse than having your time wasted, but even the best of shops can have a crappy day, and I know from experience, when you fall behind, it just trickles down and makes the rest of the day bad... this could have been one of those days for Alltech ? I know when I tell a customer we're a little behind, it usually means something crappy happened at some point before they came in.

In all fairness, they are not a tire or wheel shop, they specialize in mechanics and allignments, and tuner nuts are a little bit of a specialty item... keeping tuner nuts in stock requires them to stock all the different thread sizes, and there are many... and if you are going to carry 40 pieces of each different tuner nut thread type, you would have to start carrying hubrings, then locks, and why stop there.... Alltech would just assume their customers would bring their own hardware....

Scott, I am not defending them by any means, but Alltech never gets a chance to voice their opinion on this forum, and it sucks that you had your time wasted like that... there is nothing I hate more than to waste a customers time, and we do everything we can to cut wait times down here.... even if it means having to do a car outside in the rain.

Hope you had your stuff sorted out at the dealer...

EDIT - No excuse on the customer vehicle abuse !!!


well that went horribly wrong today and very disappointed on many respects with Altech!
let's go through the events together shall we
phone call at noon from work: Me: Hi my name is Scott I am calling from a referral of a friend on the Mazda forums and need an alignment and wheel balance, do you guys do that and what is the price?? when could I come in??
Pat: Yes, we do. It will be $60 for the alignment and $40 for the balancing. We have an opening at 3pm today if you can come in then?? what kind of wheels do you have??
Me: that would be great, 3pm works for me. I have 17" aftermarket wheels.
Pat: Ok we can do that, see you then

So I left work a little early (2pm-ish) and arrived there just a few minutes after 3pm (traffic was brutal) so I am standing there in the shop for a few minutes waiting for Pat to answer phone calls before we get introduced, he informs me "we are a little behind schedule, you can have a seat though".... so i did.... for 45 minutes! *twiddles thumbs* then it dawns on me and think to myself "crap, I hope they have tuner lugs because I didn't think to ask, but I did tell them I have aftermarket wheels so should be fine"...... sure enough...... they DONT!

now I have a few options here, go home or make a scene (being they DID ask about my wheels and a little ticked off now being I wasted 2 hours driving), I chose to go home, after booking an appointment for the morning, which I now have no intent on going to because QEW Mazda (where i went after the long commute back in to town) will do it for basically the same price!

so let me get this straight.... you KNOW I have aftermarket wheels because I told you, why would you NOT remind me to bring tuner lugs if you don't have any?!?!?! How can you even survive as a small shop without this?!?!?! I can't imagine it is very expensive, but the inconvenience of driving for almost 2 hours in traffic for absolutely nothing (especially on those crappy roads when my car is already messed up to begin with).... I just can't fathom the answer to this as I am positive I am not the first (or last) person to come in with aftermarket wheels! [/end rant]

customer service: 4/10 (45-minute wait, unclear phone call which in-turn provided them with insufficient equipment, unwilling to compromise or show any compassion)

Obviously, I do not recommend this shop to anyone and really glad they never had a chance to touch my car either since I saw two prior customers' vehicles being abused in and out of the parking lot during a test drive... eff that! No respect! They don't even have an answering machine for me to cancel my 9am appointment!

[Shizuka_Osamu]

I agree with Allen's statement above about the tuner lugs. It shouldn't be up to the shop to ask the customer to make sure they have tuner lugs. Maybe if the same shop who sold you the rims is also installing it... but not if it's mechanic shop. As mentioned, Altech is not an aftermarket specialty facility.

[1flycdnM3]

I may have "jumped the gun" and was just really frustrated. I am still not too impressed because of that simple miscommunication on the phone could have EASILY been avoided had they not said "yeah that's no problem, we can do that" after telling them I had aftermarket wheels. That being said, I would have also appreciated a "yeah we might be about 45 minutes to an hour" because I refuse to think they had NO CLUE WHATSOEVER how long it would take them, even just a "ballpark idea of how long" would suffice for me. Sitting there with absolutely no clue what was going on, im sure most will agree, is very disconcerting. Upon further research, yeah you are right Allen, would not be in their best interest to stock all the tuner lugs and such so that makes sense to me. Still a lot they could have/should have done to make me more comfortable about the whole situation. Everyone on TM3 knows that I am good at recommending shops and very often support all the places I have been to by word of mouth or otherwise. Like to think I am a very patient person, but still not very impressed. Customer always comes first, many sponsors on this forum know this and will take the extra few minutes needed to keep a customer happy.

Needless to say, lesson learned, tuner lugs are going IN THE CAR from now on!

Lesson to all, make sure if you do have aftermarket wheels, have the tuner lugs IN THE CAR!

[stevenma188]

I always keep the lugs I am not using in the car, as well as keys for both sets (I have an OEM set and a set of Gorilla lugs). Never know when you will need them, and they aren't that much extra weight. I tuck them in a baggie in the spare tire wheel well.

[allen@simplytire.com]

That being said, I would have also appreciated a "yeah we might be about 45 minutes to an hour" because I refuse to think they had NO CLUE WHATSOEVER how long it would take them, even just a "ballpark idea of how long" would suffice for me. Still a lot they could have/should have done to make me more comfortable about the whole situation. Everyone on TM3 knows that I am good at recommending shops and very often support all the places I have been to by word of mouth or otherwise. Like to think I am a very patient person, but still not very impressed. Customer always comes first, many sponsors on this forum know this and will take the extra few minutes needed to keep a customer happy.


I agree with this 100%. I've actually been there once, on time for my appointment, then had to wait about 45mins before bringing my car in... which was annoying because they did not relay that info to me.

[Fobio]

I agree with this 100%. I've actually been there once, on time for my appointment, then had to wait about 45mins before bringing my car in... which was annoying because they did not relay that info to me.

and shortly thereafter, you said f*** it and opened up your own tire shop eh? so you neever have to wait again! =)

[allen@simplytire.com]

and shortly thereafter, you said f*** it and opened up your own tire shop eh? so you neever have to wait again! =)

LOL... I went there after I opened up, because of recomendations from TM3...

[1flycdnM3]

and shortly thereafter, you said f*** it and opened up your own tire shop eh? so you neever have to wait again! =)

hahahaha too funny!

oh well, the new QEW Mazda is much closer and will likely do a better job, just waiting until I get some time off again so I can get it done :)

[Iceman_F1]

hahahaha too funny!

oh well, the new QEW Mazda is much closer and will likely do a better job, just waiting until I get some time off again so I can get it done :)

Alignment should be ok, but wheel balance may be an issue. Had mine done last week and still a bit of vibrations. Unsure if it was the machine or something more wrong with my car. Going to drop it off on Thursday so they can work on it on Friday. Just letting you know! But the new place is pretty nice looking!

[e_biz80]

I was there last week. Called in around 9 in the morning and got an appointment around noon. They finished my car in about 1/2 hour and told me my rear camber was within spec, but really close to the outer limit. He recommended that I get a rear camber kit and offered me one with installation for around $300. Not sure what brand the camber kit was, but does that sound like a fair deal?

[mazdathree]

I was there last week. Called in around 9 in the morning and got an appointment around noon. They finished my car in about 1/2 hour and told me my rear camber was within spec, but really close to the outer limit. He recommended that I get a rear camber kit and offered me one with installation for around $300. Not sure what brand the camber kit was, but does that sound like a fair deal?

Camber kit usually costs around $200 tax in. So you are looking at $100 for installation. I'm not sure if the installation is justified as I dont know how long it takes to install them. Installation charge maybe on the higer end, but it still sounds like a fair deal to me.

[jonjon72]

Camber kit usually costs around $200 tax in. So you are looking at $100 for installation. I'm not sure if the installation is justified as I dont know how long it takes to install them. Installation charge maybe on the higer end, but it still sounds like a fair deal to me.

+1

A sponsor has a set on sale for $220. Installation is around $40-60. Add that altech charges $60 for an alignment. $300 sounds like a pretty good deal!

[acrossthec]

Went in today for alignment and balance, good guys to deal with and good price. Turns out the alignment was fine, but all four tires were way off balance. Gave me a discount cause he didn't have to adjust anything on the alignment. He was good on the time too, said it would be an hour and it was. Will definitely be going back in the future!

[Turok]

Got my alignment done a week ago and these guys are great. All of them are really nice and know what they're doing. Highly recommend them for alignment, they deal with tons of exotic cars.

[mazdathree]

Was there at Altech on saturday to get my alignment done. Excellent service. The guys were very friendly. Only $60 cash for TM3 members.

[Linkz]

I really need to do an alignment soon...thanks for the info.

[shaqkur]

Was there this morning. Great shop, great service, great people! Price for having alignment checked too low to post here. I recommend these guys. Wish they were closer--I would have all my maintenance schedule done by them. I probably will anyway!

[toronto]

Went to Altech this week for alignment after having shocks and struts replaced. Got an appointment with Pat; quick, courteous, professional service! Good deal for forum members, way off their walk-in posted price. Got my wiper blades there too.

Highly recommended! :thumbsup

[alau]

Just came back from Altech. Call Friday at 4pm and got the appointment Saturday 9am. Pat and crews are professional and easy going guys. You can tell they enjoy their work...especially proud of the positive reviews he gets.

I went in for alignment because I replaced a set of new tires. My old ones are wore out on the side.
Pat told me Mazda camber kit is not adjustable and hence he has seen so many MZ3 tires wore out near the inside sidewall. He replaced mine with an adjustable camber kit and did my alignment for $380 cash all-in price. Pat took his time to do fine adjustments. Now my car is dead on. He even did me a favor to grease my progress sway bar bushing.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND to Mazda 3 forum members! It's worth the drive to Altech in Etobicoke !

PS. Too bad I don't know how to post image; otherwise, I will put up the before/after report.

[shaqkur]

Just came back from Altech. Call Friday at 4pm and got the appointment Saturday 9am. Pat and crews are professional and easy going guys. You can tell they enjoy their work...especially proud of the positive reviews he gets.

I went in for alignment because I replaced a set of new tires. My old ones are wore out on the side.
Pat told me Mazda camber kit is not adjustable and hence he has seen so many MZ3 tires wore out near the inside sidewall. He replaced mine with an adjustable camber kit and did my alignment for $380 cash all-in price. Pat took his time to do fine adjustments. Now my car is dead on. He even did me a favor to grease my progress sway bar bushing.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND to Mazda 3 forum members! It's worth the drive to Altech in Etobicoke !

PS. Too bad I don't know how to post image; otherwise, I will put up the before/after report.


I was there a couple of months back for the same reason you were in. New tires, old tires worn out on the inside. But my alignment was within specs. Was your alignment out of specs?? Hence--getting an adjustable camber kit. At the time Pat didnt suggest tht I get a kit. Just wondering.

Pat did say tht Mazda3's negative camber wears out tires quickly plus the stock tires are really bad. Im just hoping tht my new set of tires will last longer.

[alau]

I was there a couple of months back for the same reason you were in. New tires, old tires worn out on the inside. But my alignment was within specs. Was your alignment out of specs?? Hence--getting an adjustable camber kit. At the time Pat didnt suggest tht I get a kit. Just wondering.

Pat did say tht Mazda3's negative camber wears out tires quickly plus the stock tires are really bad. Im just hoping tht my new set of tires will last longer.


Mine was out of spec. I have 2 sets of tires and both got worn out. My car is 4 years old. Tire23 told me a couple of years ago to have alignment check. I did and first though it was an alignment problem. Then my winter set worn out too. Then I faced front passenger strut leaked and I though that was the reason....until today I learn the truth. Pat actually ask me to post the reason on the forum and make the member aware of the design issue. He added that my wore out tires contributed to the road noise that I heard.

You should place close attention to it so that you don't have to buy a new set of tires. Good luck

[zoso]

ignore.... confused this for another shop

[dj_chinaman2097]

Pat told me Mazda camber kit is not adjustable and hence he has seen so many MZ3 tires wore out near the inside sidewall. He replaced mine with an adjustable camber kit and did my alignment for $380 cash all-in price. Pat took his time to do fine adjustments. Now my car is dead on. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to Mazda 3 forum members! It's worth the drive to Altech in Etobicoke!

After buying the Eibach adjustable camber links separately and having them installed at Street Performance, I would recommend you just go to Altech and get their package. It includes the same kit, install and alignment. It'll save you from potentially having the issues I ran into:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f100/djchinaman/sspx0162_.jpg
Whoever installed the camber links at Street Performance (I dropped off the car) put the car to "factory specs" by using the tightest setting out-of-the-box. The nuts should be loosened to extend the joint outwards. Otherwise, once installed on the car, there is no room for tools to make adjustments.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f100/djchinaman/sspx0160_.jpg
Pat replaces the stock allen-head bolt with an 8mm hex bolt so it's easier to adjust. There isn't enough clearance to work the allen bolt when the camber links are installed, especially if the tightest setting was used.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f100/djchinaman/sspx0169_.jpg
The hex bolt makes it easier to adjust the camber links once installed on the car.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f100/djchinaman/sspx0167_.jpg
Pat at Altech knows alignments. He knows how to install the adjustable camber links so that the first and future alignments are a breeze.

Pat went out of his way and spent more than an hour and a half correcting the adjustable camber links install, explaining what he had to do, and aligning the car back to spec.

Recommended.

[cwp_sedan]

:thumbsup

[baymoe]

Went there today as well from all the recommendations others have made. Took the time to make the proper adjustments and also swapped out the allen screw bolts with hex units.

[cosworth]

I have to say after bringing my car to Woodbridge Alignment I thought I was in good hands but had to go there 2x and they could not fix my alignment and 1 of tires started to loose thread since lowering the car. Well I went to Altech and spoke to Jim who is a very nice guy and very knowledgeable and his staff are very polite.

Well after putting my car on their system it showed that my car was adjusted all wrong. I was 2.9 negative on one wheel and 2.5 in the other (camber).

The Mazda6 should be between 1.2-2.0 and he was able to adjust me Camber to 1.8 which I feel right away and the my back wheels are sitting almost completely flat.

Also my toe was 1.9 and one wheel and 1.5 on the other. He was able to adjust my toe to .10 each wheel.

So if you are looking to lower your car I have heard nothing but great reviews about this business.

Clubs that go there: BMW, Lexus, RX-8, TM3 Members (ofcourse). now TM6 (me).

[miket]

how much do they charge

[dj_chinaman2097]

how much do they charge

Give them a call and ask. (416) 231-1611.

They'd prefer not to advertise their price.

[miket]

thanks i will give them a call

Give them a call and ask. (416) 231-1611.

They'd prefer not to advertise their price.

[aZuMi]

Pat and Jim were very helpful and knowledgeable about alignments. Unfortunately, I waited quite a bit when I was there since Jim injured his thumb the day before my appointment and had to do things with one hand. Knowledgeable and they have all the equipment to do lowered cars.

My only gripe is that after they finished the alignment, I noticed that my black calipers + decals were ruined.

I recommend them, just make sure you haven't painted your calipers yet.

[baymoe]

Pat and Jim were very helpful and knowledgeable about alignments. Unfortunately, I waited quite a bit when I was there since Jim injured his thumb the day before my appointment and had to do things with one hand. Knowledgeable and they have all the equipment to do lowered cars.

My only gripe is that after they finished the alignment, I noticed that my black calipers + decals were ruined.

I recommend them, just make sure you haven't painted your calipers yet.

You sure they weren't wrecked before heading in? I can't imagine the elastics holding the aligning panels would ruin your decals on the calipers.

[laksman91]

You sure they weren't wrecked before heading in? I can't imagine the elastics holding the aligning panels would ruin your decals on the calipers.

Yeah thats what I would think.

Is it possible you had your calipers done before winter and went to get your alignment after you swapped your summers on. And only noticing the harsh effects of winter after that?

[aZuMi]

You sure they weren't wrecked before heading in? I can't imagine the elastics holding the aligning panels would ruin your decals on the calipers.

I forgot to mention that I also did camber kit installation..Would that make more sense?
The calipers and decals were freshly painted two weeks before my appointment. So no, it wasn't ruined before I went to Altech. It's possible it got ruined as they were installing the cambers.

[jonjon72]

That has to be it. I have painted calipers and have gone to Altech for my last 3 alignments. Zero issues with paint coming off. Very happy with their service but ya, I had to wait over an hour to get my alignment done because Jim had sliced his hand open that afternoon. What a trooper.....he came in with his hand all wrapped up. Was it an inconvenience? Sure. But things happen and I highly doubt that Jim wanted this to happen.

[RedRaptor]

That has to be it. I have painted calipers and have gone to Altech for my last 3 alignments. Zero issues with paint coming off. Very happy with their service but ya, I had to wait over an hour to get my alignment done because Jim had sliced his hand open that afternoon. What a trooper.....he came in with his hand all wrapped up. Was it an inconvenience? Sure. But things happen and I highly doubt that Jim wanted this to happen.

Can someone also confirm that your rims will not get damaged in anyway during an alignment?

[jonjon72]

Can someone also confirm that your rims will not get damaged in anyway during an alignment?

Zero damage to the rims. There are still mint after 3 visits to altech!

[aZuMi]

Zero damage to the rims. There are still mint after 3 visits to altech!

It seems alignment is not a problem. I usually stick around whenever someone does something to my car. If you're getting cambers installed, I would suggest you stay when they take it off and put it back on. $2k rims worries me.

[baymoe]

Zero damage to rims. I expect nothing less as the bracket holding the aligning panels are held by the outer edges of the rim.

[rab33]

Been servicing at Altech since I bought my mazda in 2009. I usually drop off my car in the morning and take the subway to work (5 minute walk to kipling station). Ironically enough, I've never had an alignment done there, just regular (synthetic) oil changes, winter tire swaps, brakes, and one major service. Pat is a great guy, a straight shooter, and very knowledgeable. Prices are competitive but don’t expect any crazy discounts unless you are paying cash. Also, they are extremely busy ALL the time, but they’ll try to accommodate you the best they can.

They are very honest and won’t suggest things your car does not need. For the sake of balance though, my only gripe is that when my alternator went they quoted me $400 for a rebuilt alternator… I bought one elsewhere for $200 and had them install it. It could have been gouging or it could have been that their supplier was super expensive, but when we’re vulnerable like that (car is DEAD and sitting on their lot) it’s not cool to be taken advantage of. Also, I just needed things to get done so I OK’d them to replace the battery from their own inventory. Charged me $150 for an interstate battery and I didn’t investigate to determine if that was excessive or not. I will say though that they did the job right the first time and I’ve never had an electrical problem since, so kudos to them for that.

Great shop, just be sure to ask the right questions and don’t get super comfortable.

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Sounds like I know where I will be going for my alignment this year.

[purefocus]

Planning on going to Altech soon for an alignment... roughly how far in advance will I need to book for a weekday appointment?

[acrossthec]

Was in this week after having the trailing arm bushing replaced, had my summers balanced and put back on and alignment. Jim was super nice even though sounded like he had a long day, had me in and out in 45 mins, paid cash. Chatted a bit about the camber, looks like it's sagged a bit since last time I was in, there may be a camber kit in my not too distant future.

A++ service all around.

[omalak]

Can someone PM me what they paid for full adjustment of alignment (front/rear with camber arms) I called this morning, and was told a standard alignment price, and a price if the camber arms are "seized"

Just want to verify what others have paid for front/rear alignment. I have no way of figuring out if my camber kit is "seized"

Thanks

[Flagrum_3]

Can someone PM me what they paid for full adjustment of alignment (front/rear with camber arms) I called this morning, and was told a standard alignment price, and a price if the camber arms are "seized"

Just want to verify what others have paid for front/rear alignment. I have no way of figuring out if my camber kit is "seized"

Thanks

What were you quoted?

_3

[Flagrum_3]

Planning on going to Altech soon for an alignment... roughly how far in advance will I need to book for a weekday appointment?

I don't think anyone here could answer that question.Best bet is to call them yourself.


_3

[omalak]

What were you quoted?

_3


60 for alignment and 160 if the camber arms had seized bolts.. Given that the arms have been on for 2 years i'm not gonna go there and risk a 160 dollar alignment.

[Flagrum_3]

60 for alignment and 160 if the camber arms had seized bolts.. Given that the arms have been on for 2 years i'm not gonna go there and risk a 160 dollar alignment.

Well you could try spraying the shit outta the links with penetrating fluid beforehand- the ends and bolt areas, then give them several (slight) taps with a hammer or rubber mallet....Your going to have to have the alignment done eventually and most likely any place will charge you if the links are seized.Plus yours may not be.

_3

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Dropped my car off for an alignment today. Getting them to set it between 1.8 - 2 degrees camber.

[k13]

Another +1 for Pat, Jim and the guys at altech. I had a siezed camber arm and they busted out the torch and took care of that without a hitch. Perfect allignment too!

[acrossthec]

Was in on Saturday for camber arm install, alignment and throw my winters on. I was there bright and early and left it for the better part of the day, Jim called when it was ready and to my surprise it was actually cheaper than he quoted! How often does that happen, right?!

Anyways, A++ service as always! Highly recommended.

[jonjon72]

Was in on Saturday for camber arm install, alignment and throw my winters on. I was there bright and early and left it for the better part of the day, Jim called when it was ready and to my surprise it was actually cheaper than he quoted! How often does that happen, right?!

Anyways, A++ service as always! Highly recommended.

I was there at 12 noon getting my alignment checked. Was your car the dark gray hatch?

[Bohizzle]

Had an alignment from them after Jimmy installed my suspension. Alignment seemed fine at first, but then the car started acting weird, loose steering, and at times almost locking into place when accelerating or turning.

So I took it back in for the alignment to be checked, and the gentleman said the alignment is fine but something is wrong with the car, might be the suspension is loose.

I proceeded to call Jimmy, who after taking the car for a test drive, knew something was up, got the car on the hoists, and first thing he does is pull on the control arm to check the ball joint. Sure enough my right ball joint was completely shot.

This frustrated me, as I thought an alignment place should be able to check the ball joints when it's brought in because something is up.

Overall, the pricing was good and customer service was decent, but I was disappointed that they were unable to diagnose the issue that the car was brought in for.

Andrew

[jonnL]

Does anyone know what Pat means when he says "are the bolts on the camber arms installed correctly?" I pretty much installed them as-is from the box... Does he mean the bolt that locks the extending arms?

[Flagrum_3]

Does anyone know what Pat means when he says "are the bolts on the camber arms installed correctly?" I pretty much installed them as-is from the box... Does he mean the bolt that locks the extending arms?

Check out dj_chinaman's post above post #131 I think, it's self explanatory.

Anyways had the camber kits and alignment done back in September at Altech, superb work ethic and car runs better then ever, even better then new actually with no probs whatsoever.

My thanks to the guys at Altech.


_3

[jonnL]

+1 for Jim.

Had alignment done on Saturday. Paid $80 cause they had to take the wheels off to align the rears...
Had it set to factory, so ~-1.5 all around. My rears were -3.5 before LOL

[SKYMP3]

Just come back from Altech as well.
Called 30 min before and ask if I can drop in, they said yes. Waited around 15-20min and my alignment is done within 10 min after.
Quick service. I'm in and out of the shop within 35-40min. Happy Customer.

I love cash deal

[terapr0]

just booked my appointment for tommorow morning.
Hoping it goes well and I dont need camber arms....feeling kinda broke right now lol. My tires are so ****ed they're just begging to be replaced. After finally rotating the backs to the fronts, they're making an unnerving amount of noise. Never felt anything like this before. Once I'm 100% sure its not the alignment or balance (already had them balanced), I think I may have to bite the bullet and grab some new ones :\

[Flagrum_3]

just booked my appointment for tommorow morning.
Hoping it goes well and I dont need camber arms....feeling kinda broke right now lol. My tires are so ****ed they're just begging to be replaced. After finally rotating the backs to the fronts, they're making an unnerving amount of noise. Never felt anything like this before. Once I'm 100% sure its not the alignment or balance (already had them balanced), I think I may have to bite the bullet and grab some new ones :\

The reason it's making an unnerving sound is because your tread has been farked on the tires you had on the back! There is most likely a 'sawtooth edge' to the treads and that is usually a sign of the camber being out bad. Unless you can afford new tires right away, I'd rotate the tires back to before, bad ones too back again. No use farking the good tires you had in the front and you won't have to deal with the noise/ vibration. If your car is lowered, I'd venture to guess you'll need camber kits, unfortunately.

_3

[terapr0]

I just lowered it 2 weeks ago (1.25" road magnets), so the uneven wear isnt from riding low without camber arms for too long. I went into this half expecting to need camber arms, but I'm still kinda hoping I can get away without them.

I can see a bit of uneven wear on the tires, but its nothing horrendous. Changing the tires back might be a good idea though. Worth a shot at least.
I'll see what they say tommorow.

Thanks for the advice

[Flagrum_3]

Well update us on the prognosis ;-)

..curious.


_3

[terapr0]

sorry I forgot to post the update here.
Went to Altech and everything was within spec. The toe was off slightly, but my camber was all OK. I asked for a printout and will post it when I get a chance to scan.

Unfortunately the tire noise is still there. Drove almost 1000km round trip over the weekend with no issues. Tires still have lots of tread, and the noise has decreased slightly, but still present. Too many other expenses right now I cant justify dropping $$$ on new tires, so I might just wait it out, at least for this last summer.

[Flagrum_3]

Well thats good news! Atleast you know nothing is bent! Likely culprit now may be a bearing if anything.


_3

[terapr0]

its a 2011 mazda 3 with less than 30,000km on it....I sure as shit hope it isnt the bearing, or Mazdas got some explaining to do. Oh wait, since I'm now lowered (the noise pre-dates the drop by about a week), Mazda will probably tell me to screw off and blame it on the springs :\

[terapr0]

now that I've had the wheels balanced and checked the alignment, the ultimate test would be to put my winter rims back on and see if the noise goes away. just too lazy :\

[highlineMotors]

sorry I forgot to post the update here.
Went to Altech and everything was within spec. The toe was off slightly, but my camber was all OK. I asked for a printout and will post it when I get a chance to scan.

Unfortunately the tire noise is still there. Drove almost 1000km round trip over the weekend with no issues. Tires still have lots of tread, and the noise has decreased slightly, but still present. Too many other expenses right now I cant justify dropping $$$ on new tires, so I might just wait it out, at least for this last summer.

Possibility of uneven tire wear?

[Flagrum_3]

its a 2011 mazda 3 with less than 30,000km on it....I sure as shit hope it isnt the bearing, or Mazdas got some explaining to do. Oh wait, since I'm now lowered (the noise pre-dates the drop by about a week), Mazda will probably tell me to screw off and blame it on the springs :\

I'm not saying it's the bearings, just another possibility. It could just as likely be bad tire(s). But that said, I had two rear wheel bearings blow-out on my car very early in it's warranty period. ?????....Anyways, I was lowered when the second bearing went and they gave me no problems or tried to put the blame on me lowering the vehicle, as that would be a rediculous claim anyways.

_3

[tnguyenviet]

Hey guys - just wanted to give a quick thanks to you guys here for the recommendations that led me to go to Altech Auto!

I am not a TM3 owner but felt it was appropriate to register and give you guys a thanks.

I am a 2006 Civic owner where regional forums over at 8thcivic.com is very low populated so it is not as active. I was looking for some alignment shop to get my car aligned but couldn't find anywhere decent until I stumbled across here. Great guy Pat is! Great price and excellent service even for my civic! :)

Will be going to him from now on ! Again, just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations! Tried to put a word out on the regional forums on 8thcivic but even now no one seems to bother and keeps recommending places like APH.

[highlineMotors]

Hey guys - just wanted to give a quick thanks to you guys here for the recommendations that led me to go to Altech Auto!

I am not a TM3 owner but felt it was appropriate to register and give you guys a thanks.

I am a 2006 Civic owner where regional forums over at 8thcivic.com is very low populated so it is not as active. I was looking for some alignment shop to get my car aligned but couldn't find anywhere decent until I stumbled across here. Great guy Pat is! Great price and excellent service even for my civic! :)

Will be going to him from now on ! Again, just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations! Tried to put a word out on the regional forums on 8thcivic but even now no one seems to bother and keeps recommending places like APH.

The 8thcivic.com sucks forum. I own a Honda myself but joined here because I was a Mazda technician. There's really nothing special about that forum for the Toronto crowd.

[zzz3]

went to Pat last week and mentioned that i auto-x, gave me some toe out front for better turn in! i also don't rub at all anymore with my fat ass tires.

great place and price :thumbsup

[trulankan]

went to altech today for alignment after searching on here for a good place to go to. I was actually gonna get it done at a Midas but they said they cant do it cause my cars lowered lol (so glad I didnt get it with them and dish out $90). Pat was very helpful and I only paid $64 even though I paid by credit card and the normal price was supposed to be $79. Great guy! Anyway, my car is still out of spec slightly and I would need a camber kit to fix it. I didnt get it cause he said it would be like $420 in total and I balked at the cost. He said my tires shouldnt wear down too quickly. He fixed my toe spec so it will help out alot.

[O1Kanoby]

Went to pat yesterday, great guy great service....:) also met "trulankan" while i was there too.

[-RJ3-]

Got my alignment from Pat and it was a good thing I did

My toe was out of spec by 2.75.

Got new lower control arms and needed the alignment

Great guy and great service!

I recommend him to anyone


Www.altechautomotive.com

[stevenma188]

Went a few days ago to get an alignment on the parent's Camry. Excellent service as usual.

[ds08tf]

I'm going to go to Altech when I get my camber arms installed and an allignment done. I was wondering though if I should wait until I switch over to my winter tires come in. Will it be cheaper if I do it all in one shebang? I might even get them to swap my exhaust for my new one at the same time.

[-RJ3-]

I'm going to go to Altech when I get my camber arms installed and an allignment done. I was wondering though if I should wait until I switch over to my winter tires come in. Will it be cheaper if I do it all in one shebang? I might even get them to swap my exhaust for my new one at the same time.

Make sure whoever installs the camber arms to adjust them. Some people just install them which makes it impossible for anyone wanting an alignment happen

[aris]

Make sure whoever installs the camber arms to adjust them. Some people just install them which makes it impossible for anyone wanting an alignment happen


I'm a little confused with your statement? I installed my camber arms my self then took my car for an aligment they adjusted the camber arms since they got the aligment machine....

[-RJ3-]

From out of the box if they were not adjusted. You adjusted it so there's no issues for them to align.

[trulankan]

do they only do alignments or can they do tire mounting and balancing as well?

opps wrong thread - ignore

[ds08tf]

Make sure whoever installs the camber arms to adjust them. Some people just install them which makes it impossible for anyone wanting an alignment happen

Confusing post is ... confused.

[-RJ3-]

Regardless pat was mentioning this issue to me. He will charge more or will not do the alignment if the camber arms are not adjusted prior to getting car aligned

[aris]

Regardless pat was mentioning this issue to me. He will charge more or will not do the alignment if the camber arms are not adjusted prior to getting car aligned

By the sounds of it this place is not a good place to take your car for algment...

The place I took my car did not charge me extra to adjust my camber... And I wanted my camber set close to 0

[Flagrum_3]

By the sounds of it this place is not a good place to take your car for algment... The place I took my car did not charge me extra to adjust my camber... And I wanted my camber set close to 0

Aris, Altech is by far one of the best places in the GTA for alignments. They have an excellent reputation that spans decades. I don't know what RJ3 is talking about but I bought my camber arms at Altech and they installed them and did an awesome alignment for a very decent price. My car drives better then from the factory! Anyways what RJ3 may be getting at is that Altech usually changes out the adjusting bolts on the camber arms, for better access and easier future adjustments. So if the arms are already put on, it'll mean some extra work....Don't quote me on this, as I am just guessing this is what Rj3 might be getting at in his comments.

_3

[aris]

Aris, Altech is by far one of the best places in the GTA for alignments. They have an excellent reputation that spans decades. I don't know what RJ3 is talking about but I bought my camber arms at Altech and they installed them and did an awesome alignment for a very decent price. My car drives better then from the factory! Anyways what RJ3 may be getting at is that Altech usually changes out the adjusting bolts on the camber arms, for better access and easier future adjustments. So if the arms are already put on, it'll mean some extra work....Don't quote me on this, as I am just guessing this is what Rj3 might be getting at in his comments.

_3


They probally are good... Just RJ3 comments are confusing me about this place?

[loki]

I'm a little confused with your statement? I installed my camber arms my self then took my car for an aligment they adjusted the camber arms since they got the aligment machine....

Thought the whole point was so they could align and adjust camber like aris mentioned.

Earlier it was mentioned that if the camber arms are seized you could be charged an extra $160, or something I cannot remember. People have had everything adjusted no problem, they just can't be seized

Refer to this:

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?23966-Altech-Automotive-Ltd-(-for-alignments)&p=770334&viewfull=1#post770334

[-RJ3-]

Regardless what you decide I am going to altech after the car has the stock suspension back on. Thanks

[Flagrum_3]

They probally are good... Just RJ3 comments are confusing me about this place?

Not 'probably' are good. They ARE one of the best alignment shops in the GTA!! They are well known and 'trusted' by many who have much more expensive cars then ours, they deal with alot of exotic vehicles. I think RJ3 just misunderstood what he was told. The camber arms will be adjusted during the alignment and will not add to the cost of alignment. Without adjustment of the camber links, alignment is not possible is it? Their alignment prices are comparable to some other deals mentioned here periodically, but you can be sure the work will be done to precision. I'm talking from experience here.

_3

[jonjon72]

Not 'probably' are good. They ARE one of the best alignment shops in the GTA!! They are well known and 'trusted' by many who have much more expensive cars then ours, they deal with alot of exotic vehicles. I think RJ3 just misunderstood what he was told. The camber arms will be adjusted during the alignment and will not add to the cost of alignment. Without adjustment of the camber links, alignment is not possible is it? Their alignment prices are comparable to some other deals mentioned here periodically, but you can be sure the work will be done to precision. I'm talking from experience here.

_3

+ 1

Been taking my car to Altech the last 3 years and willing to drive there from Richmond Hill even with other shops nearby.

[-RJ3-]

M
Not 'probably' are good. They ARE one of the best alignment shops in the GTA!! They are well known and 'trusted' by many who have much more expensive cars then ours, they deal with alot of exotic vehicles. I think RJ3 just misunderstood what he was told. The camber arms will be adjusted during the alignment and will not add to the cost of alignment. Without adjustment of the camber links, alignment is not possible is it? Their alignment prices are comparable to some other deals mentioned here periodically, but you can be sure the work will be done to precision. I'm talking from experience here.

_3
Thanks buddy. I shouldn't type when sick and under medication.
I'm sure when I reread my posts ill correct it :)

[aris]

Not 'probably' are good. They ARE one of the best alignment shops in the GTA!! They are well known and 'trusted' by many who have much more expensive cars then ours, they deal with alot of exotic vehicles. I think RJ3 just misunderstood what he was told. The camber arms will be adjusted during the alignment and will not add to the cost of alignment. Without adjustment of the camber links, alignment is not possible is it? Their alignment prices are comparable to some other deals mentioned here periodically, but you can be sure the work will be done to precision. I'm talking from experience here.

_3

I'll take your word for it lol..... I don't live in Toronto area so I can't comment on the quality of their work :)

[Pokaroo Kris]

I called and they told me for an alignment and spring install, they're charging me $300 cash (after mentioning TM3). If I wanted a camber install as well, it was an extra $130ish. I just took her over to get the first option done. Met Jim and he's a very friendly guy. He said by 1pm she should be ready. I'll update later today.

[6strings]

Just got back from these guys. Very friendly and patient when it comes to explaining things. My camber arm was seized, but they took care of it and now all is good and aligned properly. Trip from Milton was worth it.

[Pokaroo Kris]

I got mine back at the end of the work day. Although I dropped my 3 off at 9am, they didn't get to it until 2pm (they were really busy today). But considering that I picked it up at 4:55pm, they did a quick job. The alignment was done proper and the drop looks great! I recommend them to anyone.

[-RJ3-]

Good ol Pat! and Jim!

[jonjon72]

Thumbs up to Pat and Jim for being able to squeeze me in this morning with a last minute appt. Better yet, I drove up and they had my car brought in two minutes later. Woot!

[J_Logik]

Was at Altech on Friday gone by. Even with a backlog and no time to eat. Pat still managed to get me in and out within an hour. He was able to bring the front end of the car back to exact factory spec and the rear he set so that there would be no tire wear, without any parts to be able to adjust camber in the rear!! These guys are fantastic at what they do, and can work on cars that are LOW, for certain. Will be a repeat customer, for sure.

[Proudfoot]

+1 on all of the positive reviews of this shop.
I already posted in another forum about my great experience with this place, but just thought I would add to the official thread on Altech.

I appreciated the friendly service, speed and quality of the work at Altech. Good energy at this shop. Check this place out!

[Proudfoot]

Had some major work done (all new shocks, alignment, transmission flush, balancing) before some major road trips for our family Mazda 5.
Trustworthy guys, Pat and Jim. It is also close to the Kipling Subway station. :chuckle

I will return.

[sudz]

Just called in, for an alignment tomorrow. Told me if I don't mind waiting he'd squeeze me in between appointments. Was grateful and took him up on the offer. Asked me if I was lowered (no longer :-( ) and if I had camber kits.

[aris]

........

[don77]

Great guys and a good alignment job. In and out

[murdaspeed]

Great guys and a good alignment job. In and out

What he said.

[RedRaptor]

Got my alignment done today.

[jonjon72]

Thanks to Pat for fitting me in first thing this morning to adjust my camber and have my alignment done! Excellent job as always!

[FD22]

Got my alignment done from the guys at Altech this morning, and was impressed with the service they provided. Seemed very in-tune and detailed in the work they did. Will likely be back in the future!

[genericmoniker]

Just got back from my alignment, very happy with the service and results. I did have to wait a bit past my appointment time, but it was completely understandable.

[acrossthec]

Came in for alignment and summer changeover on my CX-5, Pat and Jim were great as always. I was in/out in 40 mins, great pricing, and just super nice guys. Kudos for running such a great shop!

[prime]

Although they're advertised mainly for alignments, Pat and Jim are still my go-to all-around mechanics...
Just before Canada day they just replaced my driver side CV boot and front strut mount, and got an alignment... the car is running like new again.

[416GXM3]

Went for an alignment today and Pat was informative. Showed me what I need to know about breaks, suspension showed me what I need to do if I see rust. Great service and done in 30 minutes. It's still 60 bucks cash. Highly recommended and will go back for break work in the future or alignments

[kimy27]

Today, I went to Altech for alignment.

I paid $69 + TAX. (Credit card)

GOOD PRICE AND SERVICE.

[jay93]

Just did a MUCH need alignment with these guys. Pat was great to deal with. I called them yesterday (monday) wanting to do the job yesterday. It was my screw up as I forgot to call before to make the appointment but I explained that to pat over the phone and said I'd call back to make a appointment for another day and he says nope don't worry come over now and I'll squeeze you in. I went got the job done and after looking over the print out the gave me, my cat is finally with in the specs. I'll be visiting him again soon as he recommended I get camber arms and like that I'll get even better results. Oh and to add I came to this shop after reading reviews from this thread and a suburu forums because Canadian tire didn't want to attempt to put my car on their rack. #lowlifeproblems

[quixotic_elixer]

Just wanted to chime in and say thanks to Jimmy and Pat who took care of my car and fixed gotten my car all straightened out.

I got a quote from Jimmy and he was very accommodating in slotting me in towards the end of the day. They are quite busy at all hours, but I managed to get my car in and out within an hour or so. The printer wasn't working so Jimmy couldn't provide me with a printout of the results but he had referred to a couple issues that were causing the car to pull to the left.

Thanks Jimmy!

[Hyperion]

Just wanted to chime in and say thanks to Jimmy and Pat who took care of my car and fixed gotten my car all straightened out.

I got a quote from Jimmy and he was very accommodating in slotting me in towards the end of the day. They are quite busy at all hours, but I managed to get my car in and out within an hour or so. The printer wasn't working so Jimmy couldn't provide me with a printout of the results but he had referred to a couple issues that were causing the car to pull to the left.

Thanks Jimmy!
Why not post this in the Street Performance review thread instead of Altech's?

[quixotic_elixer]

Why not post this in the Street Performance review thread instead of Altech's?

What do you mean?

I went to Altech to get an alignment done and wanted to post my experience with them. I believe Jimmy is Pat's partner here... if that's where the confusion is.

[jonjon72]

Why not post this in the Street Performance review thread instead of Altech's?

Josh, there is more than one Jimmy. Pat and Jim run Altech so he's posted in the right area.

[Hyperion]

Josh, there is more than one Jimmy. Pat and Jim run Altech so he's posted in the right area.

Lol. I've only dealt with Pat when I go there. You learn something every day.

[sarujo]

Jim and Pat continue to run a great little shop. Hit a pothole this week - hard - causing damage to the front steelie requiring replacement. Called up Altech after returning from Tires23 at lunch for replacement and Jim said I could drop by after 5pm for an alignment. Arrived around 5:30pm and the team was winding down to leave. Pat took my car in and worked his usual magic. Thankfully only minor mis-alignment (and no damage) from the pothole and Pat tweaked the steering wheel for absolute perfect centering! And of course the cash deal! :-)

[Lmmorden]

I'm do to go again.. Glad I saw this

[Canadianbacon]

Went for alignment today very fast took my car right away. Went over the alignment sheet showed me what needed fixing. Apparently everything was like seized Bolts etc and looks like it wasn't rustproofed. Even though i did 2years ago at dealership when i got car CPO. But he used a heat gun and fixed bolts. Toe was out of wack and camber off. He told me i should get rear camber arms also its 1.2" off from normal. But anyways the $60 cash deal still alive for TM3 Members!

[sarujo]

Went for alignment today very fast took my car right away. Went over the alignment sheet showed me what needed fixing. Apparently everything was like seized Bolts etc and looks like it wasn't rustproofed. Even though i did 2years ago at dealership when i got car CPO. But he used a heat gun and fixed bolts. Toe was out of wack and camber off. He told me i should get rear camber arms also its 1.2" off from normal. But anyways the $60 cash deal still alive for TM3 Members!

Pat loves my car b/c I Krown it every year...no issues with bolts or seizing :D

[Kiewan]

Went to altech on Saturday and it was well worth the drive down to etobicoke. I had called on Thursday and they scheduled me in for Saturday which was awesome. Friendly staff and they recommended camber arms for the rear as I am just out of spec. Will be going back for future alignments for sure.

[Adrian1]

Just brought my car there. The Pat guy didn't bother to get the front toe any better than 0.08 and 0.07.

Even the dealership gets it way better than that. Really not so great at all, and they tried to explain it way as it was "still in spec".

Sure it's in spec, but a very poor effort. They wanted $80 as well. They were fast, but a little too fast if you catch my drift.

I won't be going back there. Not impressed at all, and now, I still have to take it somewhere to get it done right.

Don't believe the hype on this place is my advice.

[Canadianbacon]

Just brought my car there. The Pat guy didn't bother to get the front toe any better than 0.08 and 0.07.

Even the dealership gets it way better than that. Really not so great at all, and they tried to explain it way as it was "still in spec".

Sure it's in spec, but a very poor effort. They wanted $80 as well. They were fast, but a little too fast if you catch my drift.

I won't be going back there. Not impressed at all, and now, I still have to take it somewhere to get it done right.

Don't believe the hype on this place is my advice.
You didn't get the $60 cash TM3 discount on probably cuz u didn't have licence plate frame or decals this is your first post so new member. Did you book an appointment or just walk in? I went 2.5 months ago had fantastic experience

[Hyperion]

Went twice. Will go again.

[FD22]

Just brought my car there. The Pat guy didn't bother to get the front toe any better than 0.08 and 0.07.

Even the dealership gets it way better than that. Really not so great at all, and they tried to explain it way as it was "still in spec".

Sure it's in spec, but a very poor effort. They wanted $80 as well. They were fast, but a little too fast if you catch my drift.

I won't be going back there. Not impressed at all, and now, I still have to take it somewhere to get it done right.

Don't believe the hype on this place is my advice.

That's quite odd. I've been there about 3 times now for an alignment, and always come out satisfied. Pat is usually quite good in making sure they get your car aligned as close as possible to what you request, and will work with you if you're not happy about something.

[jonjon72]

That is surprising feedback. Even when I traded in my mazda3 still went with my Genesis coupe and pat stood with the $60 cash deal.

Hopefully you have better luck with another shop.

[jay93]

You didn't get the $60 cash TM3 discount on probably cuz u didn't have licence plate frame or decals this is your first post so new member. Did you book an appointment or just walk in? I went 2.5 months ago had fantastic experience

So having the tm3 plate covers on, pat gives the 60 cash? Ohh so that's why I paid 60. None the less very happy with the service.

[loki]

So having the tm3 plate covers on, pat gives the 60 cash? Ohh so that's why I paid 60. None the less very happy with the service.

You are not a unique snowflake

[bman13]

If you tell Pat you're paying cash, he'll do the alignment for $60 for others. I've taken other vehicles there outside of the Mazda.

[LimeWan]

Don't believe the hype on this place is my advice.

I seemed to have a similar experience then in that case

Called first to schedule an appointment, was told he was heading to the office to check the schedule, fast forward 5 minutes and I can't tell whether I've been put on hold or hung up on, so I leave it and call later.

Call later, book the appointment quickly, no problems, everything good so far.

Arrive a bit early (3:30), appointment is for 4, get taken in at 4:15. Not bad at all to be honest, but definitely seemed longer since I got there early.

Car gets taken in, seemed to get up on the platform just fine (I'm lowered) and the alignment was done in 30 min.

Now one thing I'm not necessarily too happy about is the fact that they scuffed up the underside of my side skirt when trying to use the wooden blocks to get my car down. They cut it close the first time, then tried again and tried getting over the block quickly which is when it lifted up and scuffed the bottom. Not something that's visible, and is not as bad as I may make it sound, but they could have definitely been a little more careful

Both my TM3 plates are on the car, but I paid visa, so I'm not sure if the cost should have still been $80 after tax or more like $70 (60 + tax), but the thing I didn't like was how they pressed okay to the confirmation screen on the interac terminal for me behind the counter, leaving me with the enter pin screen and having to ask what I am actually paying (as I was never told by anyone or shown on any paper). Honestly, $80 might be a really fair price, but I just had the impression that it would have been $60 plus tax because of visa but the tm3 discount. More of a let down on an expectation, not necessarily a bad price

Now I am not sure how the wheels are actually aligned, and if there was reason this happened, but my front toe was 0.02 and 0.48 before, and was 0.07 and 0.08 after

Now everything I may have said could just be normal stuff, but I can't help but feel like I didn't have a good experience

Personally I'll probably be trying a different shop next time

[Hyperion]

There's no tm3 price..... It's a cash price genius.... Because... Cash. You should be able to figure out why.
Sucks that you had to ask what amount you were paying tho.
Also, while 0.02 and 0.48 are probably both within oem specs, it's much better for your wear and steering to have your toe the same.

[LimeWan]

There's no tm3 price..... It's a cash price genius.... Because... Cash. You should be able to figure out why.
Sucks that you had to ask what amount you were paying tho.
Also, while 0.02 and 0.48 are probably both within oem specs, it's much better for your wear and steering to have your toe the same.

Again, that's why I didn't want to give a definite statement about the shop. I had certain expectations in my mind since I've never been here before, and so I was off put by not knowing what to expect. This was my first alignment job.

As I get more experience and visit more shops, I won't be as 'surprised' in future visits

It's the same thing as you looking into X product for the very first time, get referred by all your friends to go to Y place. You pay Z price, which is still a good price, only to find out later that all of your friends got item X for less than what you got it for.

And as for the toe, like I said, I am not sure how the alignment process is exactly, which might be a direct answer to my question, but if one of my wheels was at 0.02, couldn't they have only adjusted the 0.49 one to get the toe a bit closer to 0?

[Canadianbacon]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/25/c77d6fcc02c23c99f0e9efaf5e5f24b0.jpg this was mine 3months ago... Anyone have theirs to compare? Im lowered

[don77]

this was mine 3months ago... Anyone have theirs to compare? Im lowered

Here's mine:
http://i.imgur.com/hQRFPCSh.jpg?1

[kimy27]

Thanks. Altech Automotive Ltd.

$60 (Cash)

It took 30 min.

[416GXM3]

does pat do installations for control arm and brakes? hes the closest mechanic in etobicoke thats why .. anyone have experience or any has someone to recommend in south etobicoke

[Hyperion]

Yea they do. Good job too.

[Canadianbacon]

does pat do installations for control arm and brakes? hes the closest mechanic in etobicoke thats why .. anyone have experience or any has someone to recommend in south etobicoke
Yes they do great work and care

[p-o-g-i]

Here at Altech Automotive as we speak for an alignment on my wife's car.
Never had a bad experience (knock on wood).

[p-o-g-i]

Here at Altech Automotive as we speak for an alignment on my wife's car.
Never had a bad experience (knock on wood).

Figured I should elaborate on my last post......

So I called in earlier this morning and asked if they had an availability for me to come in. They said they were busy but would find a way to fit me in and to come on in.

It was about an hour from the time I called to to the time I arrived.
From the time I arrived to the time they took my car in was about 15 mins, and then another 30-40 mins to when my car was complete. So all in all, I was out of there within an hour of arriving.

Service was friendly and they were able to get the car back to within OEM spec.

I'll continue to highly recommend their service, just as I did when I first created this thread :)

[rcmasterj]

First time going to altech and decided to give it a try since everyone has a great experience. Booked an appointment 2 days in advance for 11am today with Pat at Altech.

Decent size shop but no parking, place is packed with cars. Had to park across the street while i waited to get my car in. They had my car in around 11:20am. Place was super busy as it is a saturday. So book ahead of time so you wont have to wait.

Another mechanic did my alignment, not Pat. Couldnt remember his name. Super great guy and was very knowledable. Told him the camber specs i wanted and he said no problem.

I got bc coilovers with front camber plates and rear camber arms. I opened up the hole bigger on the shock towers to be able to adjust camber and i antisiezed the rear camber arms, swapped out the cheap allen key bolt for a standard bolt and proper install of jam nuts. He said i was one of the first people to do the correct install.

Also told him my drivers rear toe was out of wack badly cause the previous owner hit a curb and bent the trailing arm. I thought i would have to buy a new arm as it was bend in and thought it was affecting the alignment cause of the damage. That alone saved me $75 at the scrap yard plus hours of labour.

After 2 hours of them working on my car since the rear camber arms where difficult to adjust cause of the tight space, he was able to set all camber and toe adjustments to spec. Pat then took on a test drive. Steering wheel is dead straight and drives perfect. Couldnt have asked for anything better. Thanks everyone at Altech! I will definately be returning.



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[Milan96]

Not sure if everyone is aware but the cash price for alignments is now $70 instead of $60, I'm here now for an alignment and that's what I was told. Still a good price though

[dumbone95]

Not sure if everyone is aware but the cash price for alignments is now $70 instead of $60, I'm here now for an alignment and that's what I was told. Still a good price though

Was gonna post this, just called today to get aligned and the gentleman on the phone told me it was 70$ cash now.


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[Hyperion]

Still worth it. Cheapest I know of and quality work.

[Oner1]

Went in without an appointment and they had my car in within 5 minutes. My car is dropped about 2 inches and they had no problems driving it on the lift. It wasn't busy at all so I was in and out in 30 minutes. Paid $70 cash.
I Got a print out after, too. Quick, cheap, quality work. I'll definitely come back If I need another alignment. :)