Merrill Axle and Wheel Services Inc.

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  kmo
4 days ago
Been coming here for years. These guys always do great alignments and axle work. They even helped with our vintage boat trailer when we couldn t find matching hubs anywhere. Good people, good work.

  Darlene Hecke
4 days ago
These guys are Amazing! Great Service to my little car! I had a front end alignment done. Car drives like it s brand new! Thank You!

  Travis Olesen
5 months ago
Ruth , Steven and all the guys are the most knowledgeable and skilled in the business always come through for me and it is greatly appreciated I would trust them to do anything they work on to be above and beyond my expectations thanks again for outstanding work.

  Michael Wulf
a month ago
I want to thank the incredible team at Merrill Axel & Wheel Service for not only an incredible repair but treating me like family! I was traveling from MN to TX in my trusty 2017 Ford F150 when the unthinkable happened! While driving at the posted speed limits through their fine city, apparently my u-joint had seen enough (learned that as root cause of problem later). When it happened the "rear end" decided to break thus locking up the rear differential turning everting inside the housing into basically, steel mush and shavings! After an initial tow on an early Sunday morning to another big box auto repair shop I heard about Merrill Axel. They weren t their first recommendation mentioned but after calling them on Monday at 7:58:30 sharp LOL I knew they were the shop for me! The young lady (Ruth) that I ended up speaking to said she d been in this family business for 40+ years and now I know why! They found a rear axel, brake pads, and even that rare Ford u-joint (8:8 ??) and unfortunately had it expedited from KC. I don t wish my vehicle situation or extended stay on anyone but if you do need that rear axel differential BBL on your vehicle, they ll get you in line, through the customer queue and out the door with quality, integrity and possibly a Merrill t-shirt too!

  Jayson Hansen
6 months ago
These wonderful folks are simply the very best. They've done excellent work on both of my problem-ridden BMWs; full suspension refresh on a 2004 e46 M3, and extraction of broken power steering pump bolts on a 2013 e82 135i. Although they were swamped with work on this last visit (glad to see business isn't slowing down), Ruth was able to fit me in regardless when a spot opened up and got me taken care of. I was able to speak with the technician performing the repairs, and had excellent communication. Honest work, great flexibility, and very reasonable pricing. I originally came to Merrill Axle and Wheel because of their renowned reputation; being family-owned, I'll always support their business and hope they stay around for many more years to come. Thanks so much for everything, David and Ruth! Your crew are simply the very best!

  Keegan Jarvis
7 months ago
These people are awesome. They got my f350 in, fixed, and back on the road, in a flash! I even had a 40 gooseneck trailer hooked up to the truck, they helped me contend with, so they could work on it. Its a local, family business so you feel good supporting hard working people like yourself. They have been in business since the 50's so you know you get the benefit of experience that generations have passed down. These aren't just any young, newly minted, wrench turners, these guys are generation deep fixers!

  Ron Allen
3 months ago
The older I get, the more I value the integrity, honesty, and friendliness of a family owned business that has been in business for a very, very long time. They deserve the best.

  Alex Campbell
3 days ago
Friendly, family-owned mechanic with fantastic service at a feasible price!

  Jane Fors
7 months ago
I've been doing business with this company for 40 years. It's a family own business that treats you like family. From my classic muscle car to my new 4 wheel drive pick up. And many different vehicles in the past.All the workers are very professional and I would recommend them for ANY automotive repair. So if you want it done right and professional, bring it right downtown. THANKS Bill.

  Timothy Reinhardt
2 years ago
Always friendly helpful from Ruth in the office, to the guys in the shop. Just got a custom alignment done and the guys were great and car drives great. Update that reenforces everything thing I said as they did wonderful job doing a competition alignment on my Porsche.

  Steve .Vasquez
4 months ago
Family owned and operated small business that I will support every chance my car gives me! Honest no frills business, perfect!

  John Brower
4 weeks ago
They are the go-to people for alignment services. Best in the business and been there a long time.

  Keegan Casteel
9 months ago
Great people located in the heart of downtown Des Moines. They go above and beyond and are willing to lend a helping hand. Very knowledgeable very friendly. First time there and couldn t ask for a better experience. Would recommend to anyone.

  Terrence Oas
7 months ago
I showed up on RAGBRAI day with a flat bike tire. After trying to inflate a tire that wasn't holding air, a very helpful person, whose name I didn't get offered to take me in his truck to a bike shop. I gratefully accepted. Obviously, the people at Merrill are helpful even when they won't make a dime!

  Ryan Crowder
2 years ago
Had brought my 89 town car in to get the transmission and drive shaft redone while it was there they noticed the frame was rotten and Rewelded everything they could do I could drive it they also found issues with the brake lines and did that for me too and when done I took it home. But a week to a month later the brakes started getting spongy and then I only had front brakes and was like ok at least I can still stop yes I know I shouldn t have been driving around like that but it was the only vehicle I had that could actually be driven at the time. Anyway it s been sitting for almost a year and a half now because of financial problems and I didn t want to be an a hole about it but I would like to know what can be done about it and feel bad for asking cause they ve never gotten anything wrong with any vehicle I ve brought in that needed work and have always been really helpful and honest with meThey got back to me today 07/12/2021 we are going to figure out what cause the brake problem here within the next month. My post wasn t to say anything bad about them because they have always been very helpful and I ve never had issues I have been really busy and haven t had free moment to go in person or actually get a chance to call them which is the only reason I posted it they will always get five stars from me and nothing less if I could give more I most definitely would. Thank you guys for getting back to me about it and I ll see you in a month

  Cory
4 months ago
If you want it done right the first time; Go to Merrill Axle and Wheel. These guys are absolutely phenomenal.

  Glenn McDowell
11 months ago
I can't say enough good about this shop. I was traveling across the country and needed a new axle on my flatbed while hauling a a F150. They were able to get my in and keep me moving with the correct axle and zero issues. THANK YOU!! I drove over 4,000 miles that trip and because of them it was a good trip.

  Gary Szakacs
a year ago
Taking your vehicle into an auto repair shop can make a person anxious and uncomfortable. Especially if you never did business with them before. From the time I walked into Merrill Axel and visited with Ruth, Nick, and Steve, I felt at ease. Everyone was welcoming and professional. After they diagnosed my vehicle's issue, they suggested I could actually wait to repair a few things in the future. They said the vehicle was safe and reliable. That's unusual for most repair shops. I walked out feeling good about my vehicle and their century old business. I am impressed with their honesty. If you want an honest estimate for repairs, Merrill Axle is the place to go. THANK YOU Merrill Axel !

  KV
2 months ago
Had what i needed when others didnt. Very helpful people that care about your needs.

  Chris Mortale
a year ago
Dave and Ruth took great care of my truck with the bent frame rails. I couldn t be happier with the communication and them taking good care of it and they took time to explain exactly what they did and why. Friendly service and a fair price. I couldn t ask for more.

  Jeff Caldwell
a year ago
Ruth in the office was wonderful. Such a breath of fresh air with service like what I needed on my pickup. The crew did a great job installing the braces I needed. But that's where the positive experience ended. The moment I walked in, I was told my CE light was on when they started. Which I soon confirmed that was not only untrue, but their direct action caused the issue that five months later, I'm still dealing with. It's obvious they didn't disconnect the battery when welding the braces, and it fried my O2 sensors. So I have gone to considerable expense to replace them. It would have been fine -- I totally understand the issue -- had they just been honest instead of trying to blame it on me. I baby my pickup (hence I had them do the work they did) and to tell me that my CE light was on prior to my arrival was fairly insulting. They do great work and I'm satisfied with the actual work that was done. Just don't expect a ton of honesty after the work is done. And expect some headaches too.EDIT PER OWNER FEEDBACK: I am absolutely certain the CE light was not on prior to me dropping off my pickup to the shop. Any time the CE light has ever been on in a daily driver of mine, I keep an OBDII reader in the glove box and scan it immediately. Had it been on before my arrival, I would have scanned it prior to even getting out. Do all four O2 sensors immediately fail at the same time by chance? I guess I'm pretty disappointed. Oh well.

  Jeremy Barnhart
a year ago
Wonderful receptionist on the phone. Very friendly, very helpful. I had a customer in the area in a bind and they dropped everything, sent a tech to her to help with her lug nut concern. Thanks again!!!

  Bill Zahren
6 months ago
It took the pros at Merrill about 10 minutes to figure out what had stumped others and half a day to fix it. I highly, highly recommend them.

  Clyde Mcpherren
a year ago
If you need anything done to your suspension, brakes shocks anything I would highly recommend Merrell axle. Excellent service. Excellent worksmanship. These guys know their stuff. You won't be disappointed.

  SM Sanborn
a year ago
A great group of techs that were more than willing to help us out in a time of need! We had blown a tire on our dually trailer and needed assistance getting the tire off due to a lugnut issue. Without any hesitation they were able to assist quickly and in the pouring rain, I might add. No bs, no overcharging of services, no ego. A for sure!!!

  Rebeccajoyd Adventuress
2 years ago
We had a trailer spring break on our way out west. Thank goodness for the team at Merrill!! They mad a recommendation on how to rig up the trailer to get us to their shop. We showed up 30 minutes before close and they had no qualms with staying late to get the job done so we could get back on the road. Best experience we could have asked for to resolve an issue and keep our vacation on track!!

  Jerry Briggs
6 months ago
Amazing people to Deal with there Honest and Caring and They Do Good Work .

  Matthew Blanchard
2 years ago
Such an amazing family owned establishment. After I mistakenly bought a 4Runner with a severe rust problem, I had to cast a wide net to find someone to help un-lemon my mistake. I found SafeTCaps would offer a solid fix to my problem and after investigating who installs these things, I found Merrill. As soon I reached out, I knew I found the place. Ruth was such a kind and accommodating person through the entire process. She even sent me pictures of the renovation process. The guys that welded on my truck did an excellent job and left me with something more thoughtfully stronger than I expected. I would HIGHLY recommend you seek service at Merrill. From the moment you do, you ll know it s a family owned business and that your dollars are going to hard working people. I d surely return if Des Moines wasn t a 9 hour drive from Denver!

  Rod Leaverton
a year ago
Absolute straight shooters who have a proven family business history of doing great work. Genuinely appreciate folks who give you the straight scoop. It s a rare occurrence, these days.

  Joe Hoium
3 years ago
I really can't say enough good things about my experience here.Here's the skinny: I bought a truck, lifted said truck, took it to Car X and purchased a lifetime alignment and explained to them that I was getting an alignment because it was no longer a stock suspension. They said "no problem!"...After getting an alignment, I thought the camber looked way off, but was assured it was near perfect. I took it back 6 months later to get it checked because I had new tires put on and the fresh tread made me question it even more. Again, got the all clear. Fast forward nearly a year (and only 8,000 miles) and I am noticing an extreme amount of wear to the outside of my tires, which only solidified my fear that the front end had way too much positive camber. After calling Car X, it was explained to me that they, "Just put in the vehicle make and model and get it as close to factory specs as possible..." I explained that I brought my vehicle in for an alignment specifically because it had been modified and was no longer factory. I was told, "Sorry, the only other thing we can do is align it to whatever numbers you give us." Not knowing what those numbers needed to be I went searching...Then I found Merrill Axle. Not only was I impressed with how they listened to my concerns over the phone, I got a emphatic, "Yea, you can't align a vehicle to factory specs when it no longer has a factory suspension". I thought, "Finally!!! Someone who knows what they are talking about!". I made an appointment for the next week. The alignment took about an hour and, upon my return as I walked down the street, I could tell a noticeable difference in how my trucks front end was sitting. Not only does my truck look right and ride like a dream, the friendliness of Ruth and the rest of the staff here seriously goes unmatched. Its no wonder they have been and will continue to be in business as long as they have been! Come to find out, my camber, toe and caster were all off by a degree or more (caster on one side was off by nearly 2 degrees).I would recommend this shop to anyone and everyone who is needing suspension, axle or alignment work done, especially after an addition of a lift kit or new suspension. I was in and out in right around and hour for just over $100 after tax with the peace of mind knowing my truck was done right the first time (at this shop anyway).