Do I Really Need an Alignment?

Close up of a car's tire on alignment rack with an alignment head sensor attached to the rim — Close up of a car’s tire on alignment rack with an alignment head sensor attached to the rim

You’ve probably been recommended an alignment at some point in your car-owning journey. This will usually come after you get new tires installed, suspension issues, or have experienced a “pulling sensation” while driving. The last thing you want to do after spending money on a new set of tires or suspension repairs is spend even more money on an alignment, but alignments are very likely to save you money down the road.

When you hear “alignment” as it relates to vehicles, it is referring to the angle at which your tires contact the road. When the wheels are not properly lined up underneath the vehicle, that means they are not coming into contact with their above suspension components at the optimal angle. To make sure that your vehicle is driving correctly down the road, technicians will adjust the suspension on the underside of your vehicle to make sure the toe, caster, & camber are in the correct specifications. This makes sure keep your vehicle is safe, reliable, and comfortable.

How does this happen?

A vehicle will fall out of alignment as miles are put on or as road hazards are encountered. Typically, highway miles are the least strenuous ones that your vehicle will accumulate. City roads usually include more potholes and uneven surfaces, which can compromise your suspension.

How can I tell my vehicle is out of Alignment?

You may have a subtle to incredibly noticeable pull in either direction while you are driving in a straight line. Sometimes, the vehicle will pull the same way each time, others it will vary based on the direction that you just turned the wheel. If your steering wheel vibrates or looks off-center, this is another sign that something is not lined up quite right. Another sign is uneven or abnormal wear on your tires.

What happens if I don’t get my vehicle aligned?

There are costly side-effect of unaligned vehicles. This can: cause undue stress on your suspension components, make the vehicle more difficult to drive, create a harsher ride quality, wear your tires out faster, and worsen your fuel milage. Alignments usually run between $150-$200, which is preferable to the issues that you may otherwise have. A set of tires can cost $1,000, and suspension repairs can easily double that cost.

What can I do to keep my car in alignment?

There are some things that you can do to ensure that your tires and suspension are staying in good condition:

Maintain tire pressure (we will fill your tires with air for free without an appointment)
Avoid potholes
Feel your tire wear
Avoid braking at high speeds (this compresses your front axle suspension)

A note for all-wheel drive vehicles:

It’s particularly important to keep an eye on your alignment in addition to getting regular tire rotations. For these vehicles, it is important to keep your tire treads within 2/32nds of an inch of each other as to not compromise your all-wheel drive system. One bad tire due to a poor alignment could require the premature replacement of all tires.

Elements of an Alignment

Toe

Above view drawing of front of car demonstrating a car out of Toe

Your vehicle’s “toe” (above) refers to the inward or outward angle that your wheels are. An optimal tow means that the front and rear wheels run parallel to each other. A vehicle’s toe is in when the front of the wheels are closer to each other than the rear, and the toe is out when the rear of the wheels are closer together than the front.

Caster

Caster is the angle that your steering components meet the wheel, this affects your tire life and drive stability. This adjustment only applies to the wheels that turn—your front wheels. If your vehicle’s toe and caster are off, you may see feathering of the tire. Feathering is an abnormal wear pattern where there are sharp peaks in the rubber.

As see in the image above, a zero caster angle means that your wheel is directly centered with the suspension component that is above it (center). Positive caster (right) — your wheel forward of the suspension component above it—helps to create enough tension to keep the wheels straight at driving speeds and helps the vehicle handle better around curves. A helpful example of the opposite of this—negative caster (left) — that shopping carts have negative caster. You can test out caster by pushing a shopping cart forward and seeing how it wanders around on its own. The opposite is true when your vehicle has positive caster.

amber

Camber describes the angle of your wheels in relation to the ground. When a vehicle has zero camber, the tire sits straight up and down in relation to the vehicle. Negative camber is when the tops of the wheels are closer together than the bottoms, the inverse is true for positive camber. Camber greatly influences the effectiveness of your vehicle’s corning capabilities. If your vehicles camber is out of specification this can cause abnormal and accelerated tire wear.

Sometimes, a vehicle falls out of alignment due to a larger issue. If you have an alignment performed; and your pulling, steering wheel shake, or tire wear issues persist, it could indicate a suspension issue. It is best to mention any prior history with these issues while scheduling an alignment! If you have had an alignment performed recently and an issue has popped up, be sure to mention this to your automotive shop so the proper steps can be taken to diagnose any larger issues at play before jumping to do an alignment.

There are a few philosophies on how often to get an alignment. Some shops will recommend this only after new tires are installed or after suspension repairs are performed. Some shops recommend alignments every several thousand miles as a preventative measure. It is always a good idea to have an alignment done whenever you change tires to ensure that every measurement is perfectly within the specified parameters set by the manufacturer. Every measurement counts in increasing your tires’ lifespans. Otherwise, it is a good idea to have your vehicle inspected for a bad alignment every time you come in for service. Usually, you will need to get an alignment every 10-15,000 miles, but this largely depends on the types of roads you are driving on and your individual driving habits.

To put it simply, if your trusted mechanic is recommending an alignment, your car probably needs it!

Here at Top Tier Automotive, we include a complimentary 43-point inspection of your vehicle when you come in for an alignment. Included in this is a tire and underbody inspection where we can check to see if there are noticeable signs of stress or damage that are resulting from a poor alignment. For those of you who have aftermarket or modified suspension we also offer custom alignments for performance vehicles or vehicles with aftermarket parts.