Quick Facts About Wheel Alignment
- Proper wheel alignment hinges on adjusting critical angles to match manufacturer specifications, ensuring optimal handling and tire longevity.
- Correct alignment prevents uneven tire wear, improves fuel efficiency, enhances steering control, and reduces pulling and instability.
- Regular alignment checks and evaluations after pothole impacts safeguard suspension components, extend tire lifespan, and maintain advanced driver assistance systems that rely on accurate wheel alignment.
Wheel alignment, also known as car or front-end alignment, is an often overlooked but critical adjustment to ensure your vehicle tracks straight and true as you cruise. Poor alignment can cause premature tire wear, suspension failure, unsafe operation, excessive steering wheel play, driver fatigue, and more.
A car, truck, or SUV’s ability to operate properly is a balancing act that depends on a combination of power, acceleration, steering, and braking. It requires proper alignment specifications and well-maintained suspension components. Tires, steering mechanisms, shock absorbers, and springs must work properly with each other for continued reliable service.
Keep reading to learn about wheel alignment and when you may need to visit a repair shop to get this service done.
Wheel Alignment Explained
Wheel alignment, or tire alignment, is how the tires are angled onto the vehicle, maximizing contact with the road. Tire alignments impact the suspension system, so any adjustments help to ensure a smooth ride with minimal tire wear and tear. When the wheels are out of alignment, the tires are not at the correct angles and they’re pointing in different directions. This causes uneven and accelerated tire wear. It also causes your vehicle to pull to the right or the left.
Easily correctible, a dealership service department, tire retailer, or automotive service center can straighten things out for you.
Remember that precise wheel alignment does not last for the life of your car. The potential exists for even brand-new vehicles to have a chance encounter with a curb or pothole. These impacts can cause your vehicle to fall out of alignment instantaneously. In most cases, alignment can degrade gradually and almost imperceptibly over time as components start to show wear.
Wheel Alignment vs. Balancing
Wheel alignment adjusts your car’s wheels to point straight — like fixing pigeon-toed feet — so it doesn’t drift sideways. Wheel balancing adds tiny weights to stop wheels from wobbling due to uneven weight distribution. If the alignment is off, the vehicle pulls to the left or right on the road. If the wheels are unbalanced, you will feel vibration when moving. Both services help keep your ride smooth and extend your tires’ lifespan.
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How Much Does a Wheel Alignment Cost?
Tire alignment service costs typically range from $100 to $200, depending on your vehicle and location, and it should be a regular part of your car care regimen. Kelley Blue Book data shows the national average cost for alignment is $183 at dealerships. Independent shops might charge slightly less. To save money, look for tire and auto care facilities that offer lifetime alignment packages with scheduled alignment or as needed for as long as you own your vehicle.
Find out how much a wheel alignment costs for your vehicle.
What is Involved in a Wheel Alignment?
In the past, as with body-on-frame vehicles and those having non-independent rear suspensions, front-end alignment was usually all that was needed to have you on the straight and narrow again. With today’s unibody designs and multilink independent rear suspensions, 4-wheel alignment is recommended to have all tires working together and tracking in the same direction.
Depending on the adjustments available on your vehicle, alignment is a procedure that involves adjusting the camber, the outward or inward tilt of the tires when viewed head-on; caster, a front or rear tilt when viewed from the side; and toe, which way your tires are pointed when viewed from above. Toe-in means they’re pointed inward, and toe-out means they’re turning away from each other.
While they check alignment, consult with the technicians on wheel balancing. Vibrations can crop up from an out-of-balance tire, which in turn causes excessive tire wear. With so many components responsible for specific causes and subsequent effects, it’s a good idea to have all these exams and services performed at the same time.
Technological Advancements and Alignment
Tire alignment services require specialized equipment and trained technicians. The proper tools are needed to diagnose, repair, replace, and properly align your vehicle. An alignment is not an easy fix like changing your motor oil, and and the service should be done by a dealership or repair shop.
Some shops have adopted high-resolution camera systems and sophisticated software in modern alignment procedures. The high-tech equipment offers greater precision compared to traditional methods.
That precision contributes to proper wheel alignment, which is crucial for the functioning of lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that rely on accurate wheel position.
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Signs Your Car Needs a Wheel Alignment
Some drivers believe alignment is only necessary after tire replacement or noticeable pulling. However, regular checks are an important part of regular maintenance. Here’s how to tell if your car needs an alignment.
- Drifting: Your car drifts left or right, especially when you apply the brakes.
- Hard to steer: An excessive amount of steering input is required to keep you in the lane.
- Shaking: The car’s steering wheel shakes.
Before you take the car in, check if your tires are deflated. Having one tire measure substantially more or less than what the owner’s manual calls for could cause the same effect of drifting left or right or vibration in the steering.
Road Conditions and Alignment Intervals
Imperfections in the road surfaces could be your vehicle’s worst enemy in keeping proper alignment. Drivers who regularly drive on poorly maintained roads or those riddled with potholes may require more frequent alignments. However, bumpy roads aren’t the only reason for your wheels to get out of line. Accidentally hitting a curb or a parking bumper can knock your vehicle out of alignment.
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What Happens If Your Tires Aren’t Aligned
A vehicle that is out of alignment can result in excessive tire wear. You’ll start to notice the steering takes a different direction than intended. Also, a constant scuff works against normal tread wear. You’ll notice the tire tread disappearing prematurely and unevenly across the tire’s surface.
This also can cause a loss of traction, especially in wet conditions. Uneven tire wear, if ignored, can also contribute to premature tire failure or a blowout.
How Often Do I Need an Alignment?
Knowing exactly when you need an alignment depends on your vehicle and how you drive. We recommend you get an alignment check whenever you rotate your tires, about every six months or 6,000 miles, whichever comes first. Check your car manual to find your vehicle’s tire rotation interval. Either way, don’t let your vehicle drive more than 10,000 miles without a service and repair technician examining the alignment.
If your vehicle tracks straight on the highway, it will most likely be in proper alignment. If it veers left or right, that’s a clear sign it’s time for a checkup.
The other time you should absolutely have your tires aligned is when you replace them. Properly balanced and aligned when placed on your vehicle will ensure they wear evenly from the start. Placing new tires on an improperly aligned vehicle will cost you more in the long run because your new tires will continue to wear like the previous set.
Bottom Line on Alignment
Wheel alignment helps ensure your tires point straight and work together for safe, smooth driving while preventing uneven tread wear and steering issues. Misalignment can stem from potholes, curbs, or gradual wear, leading to premature tire damage, reduced traction, and safety risks. Regular checks are crucial for tire longevity and performance. While costs average close to $200, investing in alignment preserves tire life, promotes fuel efficiency, and optimizes lane-keeping assist systems and other modern safety features.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since its initial publication. Mark Elias contributed to this report.