keeping my car's feet in good condition

November 30, 2005 8:26 AM

What are some good wheel and alignment shops in or around Montclair, NJ?

Just recently moved. What shops nearby can I trust to do a good job balancing my tires and aligning my wheels? The right shop will align the wheels according to my specifications, not the factory specifications, and not act like this is some sort of crazy big deal.

It doesn't specifically have to be an alignment shop. A good garage that's also good at alignments would be perfect. On that note, I'm also interested in hearing about good general-purpose garages in the area.

It's a Japanese car by the way.. Subaru, turbo.

posted by jclovebrew to Travel & Transportation around Montclair, NJ (6 answers total)

I would contact local car clubs, especially the SCCA organization and ask them what shops their members go to in the area. Or if you just want a good balance, search for a shop that has a Hunter GSP9700 balancer.

With regards to finding a good shop, when I had a Miata that I took to the track, I used to go to a pretty good alignment shop here in Orange County, CA, that wouldn't blink an eye when you ask them if you could sit in the car while they align it, just to compensate for the weight effect.
posted by jaimev at 9:58 AM on November 30, 2005

my jeep is fitted with tires from costco on route 10/east hanover. They do free alignments if you buy there, so i don't take it to a shop anymore.

But previously, I had a nissan pathfinder, and used a shop in Garwood, which is down the street from the DMV in Westfield, and the place was awesome, good and cheap. I'm not able to get to my files now, but will find the name of the garage and get back to you soon.

You can also ask the same question in the NJ.com forums, which are well-populated and arranged by county/town. You can probably find something on Route 46, which is much closer to you in Montclair.
posted by naxosaxur at 10:37 AM on November 30, 2005

There's a Sears Auto Center that does decent work in the Livingston Mall on the north side, they have computerized alignment machines and are pretty cheap ($73ish for a 4 door sedan alignment, I think). I'm not sure if they'll take custom specs, but you can always ask. They have a Jiffy Lube too.
posted by Mach5 at 10:40 AM on November 30, 2005

Firestone on Bloomfield Avenue has treated me very well on two occasions. They will certainly say yes or no to a smart question.
posted by elmaddog at 10:51 AM on November 30, 2005

I'd imagine that any shop listed on the TireRack website - meaning they are willing to do installs on tires other people sold you - would likely be agreeable. Barring that, why not just call and ask if they'd do an alignment to your more particular spec? If they hesitate at all on the question, move on to the next one in the yellow pages.
posted by phearlez at 1:32 PM on November 30, 2005

I don't know whether they do alignments, but D'Allesandro & Sons is right in Montclair and was recommended to me by a longtime customer as a good honest shop. They'll pick up and drop off your car, which is very convenient if you have to be on a train or bus somewhere at opening and closing hours. I haven't asked them to do anything to non-factory specs, but they have done general work on various Japanese and German cars belonging to my family and friends.
posted by Songdog at 3:20 PM on November 30, 2005