Alignment and balance every year?

Just dropped the truck off for 15k service at the stealership blearily eyed at 8 am. Before I could really wake up they had me sign for a recommended service to balance and align the tires. Said they recommend that every year. Got me for $130. The truck drives fine and I don't do any off roading. Don't remember doing this with my last truck. Think I got taken?

 

if your not doing heavy offroading or commuting to work I would have declined. if you think you need alignment or balance you could have done it on your terms when needed sometimes with service discounts

 

Doesn't toyota offer free alignments with Toyota care? I believe they do

 

"toyota care" is a joke covering exactly 3 oil changes and 6 tire rotations and 6 "inspections". beyond that GL getting anything out of them. rotating, balancing and aligning can make a huge difference in tire life so it isnt money totally wasted.

 

Even under normal driving conditions, it probably wouldnt hurt to get the alignment checked once a year. I think most places will check it for free, but if it NEEDS the alignment thats whan you have to pay. I actually have my alignement checked everytime i get an oil change. Lots of potholes and rougher regular roads where i live. No offroading but you hit enough potholes in 5000 or 10000 miles and you will need an alignment.

 

I'm pretty sure there was just a thread on here about toyota care providing free alignment as part of the deal. I'll see if I can find it

 

I'm not sure how well Tacomas hold an alignment, but on all previous cars I got an alignment once a year, except on the Audi, twice a year (that car would not hold an alignment, apparently the norm on A6). For rebalancing the tires, unless a weight fell off, why would a tire ever need that? I've fallen for that in the past, and ended up with a shimmy after the rebalance.

 

I balance and rotate tires usually every oil change. I buy tires at Discount Tire and it's part of the package, so no cost. I usually do a couple of alignments a year, but I'm also driving off road a lot. You normally shouldn't need alignments that often. I'd probably check it once a year along with tie rod ends, ball joints and wheel bearings.

 

Rotating every 5k is smart. Aligning when an alignment is needed is smart. Balancing when the tires are shaking is smart.

 

If u live where its snows alignment might be necessary in springtime
Yesterday I hit a huge pot hole rattle my front end where ice, snow and plowing killed the road

 

I only get alignments when I get new tires. So once every 2-4 years depending on when I need tires

 

If all they are doing is "checking" the alignment, I would reject the service. That being said if you have even a suspicion of the alignment being off, an inspection can save you money from having to prematurely replace tires and suffering poor gas mileage.

A full alignment service on a Toyota should include removing and applying anti-seize to front lower control arm cams before reinstalling, hitting all grease zerks on the suspension, performance inspection of all suspension components (looking for play, broken pins, checking torque spec), and four wheel laser alignment. Bonus if they mark all bolts when done.

For $130 I would expect all of this to have been done. Just a note, for $75 you can get a lifetime alignment from Firestone.