Suppose I do alignment now.

After 1 ~ 6 months, I will replace 4 tires. Will I have to do alignment again?




P.S.:

Reason I consider alignment:
1 or 2 months ago, I noticed shoulder wear on front tires. The shoulder wear was not symmetric. The outer left edge of left front tire wore more than the outer right edge of the right front tire.
I did balancing and rotation right away. But I postponed alignment because it was more expensive than balancing&rotaion.

Reason I consider alignment now:
I go to a mechanic for front brake job. Then I want to do the postponed alignment together to save time.


P.S.:
MB dealer askes $200 for alignment, but I can find independent mechanic or tire shop that askes half of that.
Is there much difference in the alignment job quality?

If you do the alignment now, there is no need to do the alignment when you replace your tires...the new tires will need to be balanced, but an alignment is not necessary...

The quality of alignment obviously varies...depending on the equipment the shop uses, and the skill/experience of the shop...obviously, the M-B dealership has a tendency to overcharge for a lot of their work, while not necessarily offering a better job compared to a good independent...I believe a lot of members around here are from MA...if you say what abouts you are located, I am sure another member can recommend a good shop...one thing to look for though is that the shop warranties the alignment...i.e. if you find something a little weird with the alignment within a reasonable timeframe, they will gladly have a look and realignment the car if necessary...

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1995 black pearl/black Mercedes-Benz E420 :