Is an Alignment Machine Worth It? The Payback Math

An aligner is a big purchase, so it's smart to ask whether it will actually pay off. The good news is that the math is simple, and for most shops that see steady traffic, the answer is yes.

The simple payback formula

To figure out how long an aligner takes to pay for itself, you only need three numbers:

• What you charge for an alignment
• How many alignments you'll do in a typical day
• What the equipment costs

Multiply your price by your daily alignments and your working days in a month. That's your monthly alignment revenue. Divide the equipment cost by that number, and you have your payback in months.

A real example

Here's what it looks like with the Ravaglioli TruBay at $19,995, charging $100 per alignment and working 20 days a month:

Swap in your own price and volume. Even if you charge less or do fewer alignments, the payback usually lands within the first year.

The money you're not counting yet

Alignment revenue is only part of the story. When you do alignments in house, you also:

• Stop sending customers away. Every job you send down the street is a chance for another shop to win that customer.
• Sell more tires. Offering an alignment with every set of tires is an easy, natural add-on.
• Finish suspension and steering jobs yourself instead of handing off the last step.
• Catch worn parts. Alignment checks often turn up tie rods, ball joints and other repairs.

Why the equipment cost matters so much

The same math works for any aligner, but the cost changes the answer a lot. A traditional alignment bay with a dedicated lift and console aligner can run around $100,000. At two alignments a day, that's closer to two years to pay back instead of five months. That's why a portable aligner that works on lifts you already own is such a fast way to get started.

What about financing?

Financing can make the math even easier, because the aligner starts earning before it's paid off. If your monthly payment is less than the alignment revenue it brings in, it pays for itself from the first month. Our financing specialist, Rick, can put real numbers to it for your shop. See financing options.

Our take

If your shop sees enough traffic for even one or two alignments a day, an aligner is one of the fastest-paying pieces of equipment you can buy. The biggest mistake we see is waiting, because every month you're sending alignments out is revenue you're not getting back.

Run your own numbers with us

Ready to look at equipment? Explore the TruBay or browse all alignment equipment.