Is fixing car alignment important?

[Greg Bernhardt]

My car currently veers to the right pretty heavily. I need to have the wheel turned very slightly to the left at all times for it not to run off the road. It's been that way for several months now and I'm not too bothered by it. However I just saw my shop has a deal to fix front and rear alignment for $75. Should I go for it?

 

[lisab]

Yes! Bad alignment will cause you to wear your tires much quicker, at best. At worst, you can lose control. Get it fixed, stay safe!

 

[JaredJames]

$75? Blimey that's a rip off. It's $30 near me - but then getting your car to the UK may bump the cost up a touch.

 

[Astronuc]

My car currently veers to the right pretty heavily. I need to have the wheel turned very slightly to the left at all times for it not to run off the road. It's been that way for several months now and I'm not too bothered by it. However I just saw my shop has a deal to fix front and rear alignment for $75. Should I go for it?

It is important, but find a reliable and reputable shop. There are good shops, and bad shops. The latter will do a poor job and rip one off - in my experience.

 

[turbo]

It's important to have a vehicle aligned when needed. As Lisab noted, at least you'll wear out your tires faster, and the uneven wear from improper alignment can make your car behave unpredictably. Believe it or not, car manufacturers' suggestions for tire selection, inflation pressure, etc are driven by design and performance. Since those tires are THE connection between your car and the road, it's best to keep them operating properly.

Alignment is a big factor, though you should keep an eye on inflation pressures, and follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding tire rotation, to keep wear and performance characteristics as consistent as possible.

Edit: BTW, front-end alignment is the most common adjustment done in this regard, but it also sometimes necessary to have the alignment of the rear axle checked and adjusted. Have some minor fender-bender? Hit some substantial pot-holes? If your rear-end alignment is out, your car will "crab" and will not perform to design specs. The best alignment places around here have lifts (jigs, actually) that they drive your car onto, with lasers and alignment gauges that let them bring your alignment back to factory specs. In the case of unibody front-wheel drive cars, it might be necessary to do a little frame-straightening to correct misalignment.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Alignment is a big factor, though you should keep an eye on inflation pressures, and follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding tire rotation, to keep wear and performance characteristics as consistent as possible.

Just a few days ago I caught one of my tires at 10lbs of pressure! The book says it should be 32lbs!

 

[Dembadon]

Just a few days ago I caught one of my tires at 10lbs of pressure! The book says it should be 32lbs!

For cryin' out loud, Greg, be careful! We like you in one piece, mmk?

Aside from being dangerous, it also reduces your fuel economy. Get that alignment done, and keep an eye on tire pressure!

 

[turbo]

Just a few days ago I caught one of my tires at 10lbs of pressure! The book says it should be 32lbs!

Ack! With that low pressure, you were a candidate for a blowout. Try that stunt in the summertime when overheated side-walls fail more frequently, and you could be a highway fatality. Get a flat on the highway? You can compensate for the nasty handling characteristics. Get a a catastrophic side-wall failure at highway speeds? You'd better be lucky, because you could easily be dead.

 

[humanino]

My wife leans to the right of the aisle lately. I constantly have to steer her back to the left. Can I have her fixed ?

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Dunno. I trade in the car when the ashtray fills up.

 

[turbo]

Dunno. I trade in the car when the ashtray fills up.

Me too. As a non-smoker, though, I have to be diligent about maintenance. It's getting hard to find parts for my Hudson Hornet.

 

[Newai]

Geez. I have to pay $80 just for my front.

 

[Dembadon]

Geez. I have to pay $80 just for my front.

That should be a worst-case-scenario cost. If you are paying that for a minor adjustment, then something is wrong (at least where I live).

As Astro mentioned in his post, it is important to take your vehicle to someone you trust! Ask lots of questions and make them explain what they do to you. Prod them for detailed explanations! As they explain things to you, watch them carefully, and analyze what they say. When I do this, I can usually pick-up on whether or not someone is full of it; it'll come out in their explanations (poor logic) or their body language (lack of eye-contact, nervous "ticks", etc.).

Edit:

If applicable, know the tolerances of your vehicle. The last time I went in for an alignment, I looked up the tolerances for my pick-up with respect to the deviation of relative shaft position from the collinear axis of rotation. Sometimes things like this are in your manual, but they can also be found online in gearhead forums. When the mechanic told me that it "looked pretty bad," I asked him explain what "pretty bad" was. He spouted some jargon with a number, and I asked him why he claimed the misalignment to be "pretty bad," when, in fact, it was within the manufacturer's specifications. I ended up only paying for the "racking" fee and never took my vehicles there again.

This can't always be done, but I usually try to make sure that I have some knowledge about what's going on before taking my vehicle someplace I've never been before.

 

[Containment]

It's not really that important like if you don't notice something wrong you can probably put it off till you do. However in the future you will probably want to do a better job of keeping the air pressure in the tires correct as that's the main thing that will lead to your tires getting out of wack. The difference between hitting a bump with a slightly deflated tire and one that isn't is huge.

 

[JaredJames]

It's not really that important like if you don't notice something wrong you can probably put it off till you do. However in the future you will probably want to do a better job of keeping the air pressure in the tires correct as that's the main thing that will lead to your tires getting out of wack. The difference between hitting a bump with a slightly deflated tire and one that isn't is huge.

Under inflation can cause a number of problems. It reduces the performance of the tire for one and can prove to be rather dangerous. Not something you can shrug off.

Incorrect alignment may not immediately present a problem, but it will increase wear for a start.

 

[Containment]

Ya but most places will tell you that you need an alignment even if you really don't from my experience. However in the Op case he has noticed the problem him self I'd say take it in. Most people do not keep there tires in very good shape you really should be checking them at almost every fill up.

 

[zomgwtf]

Not only will the tires wear out more rapidly but they will wear out abnormally. This abnormal wearing is pretty dangerous... I'd say if you let it continue at least.

Just be on the safe side and get the alignment done, but as Astro said try to find a reputable/trustworthy shop to go to.

 

[turbo]

Under inflation can cause a number of problems. It reduces the performance of the tire for one and can prove to be rather dangerous. Not something you can shrug off.

Incorrect alignment may not immediately present a problem, but it will increase wear for a start.

Also the abnormal wear will tend to be asymmetrical, and that will take the tires out of their engineered optimum performance zone. Not good, especially in demanding conditions. Tires are a whole lot more important than most drivers realize.

The next-to-last operator of what used to be my favorite tire store was a stickler for safety. If you bought tires from him, he'd inspect them, check inflation pressures, rotate them, etc, all for free as needed. As you changed from winter to summer tires and back, he'd do that for just a minimal charge for mounting and balancing. He knew how to generate customer loyalty.

Once, before a very demanding back-road trek to the Maine north woods on roads that were notorious for being slatey, and slashing tires, I stopped into see if I could get an extra spare tire for my Pathfinder. Artie looked at my Pathfinder's tires, selected a suitable rim from his pile of cast-offs, and fitted it with a lightly-worn used tire that closely matched the characteristics of my mounted tires. I reached for my wallet, and he said "no charge" "have a great fishing trip". Part of the charm of living in small towns where everybody knows everybody else. Believe me, I sent a LOT of business his way.

He had a good eye for abnormal wear characteristics, too. It was a good idea to stop in once in a while and shoot the breeze and play fetch with his lab-Rhodie mix. He'd walk around the vehicle while we were talking and say something like "I see some cupping starting. You might have a toe-in problem." and he was always on the money.

Edit: Zom leap-frogged me. Asymmetrical wear can be a lot more dangerous than running on worn tires with less tread.

 

[dlgoff]

I think I paid about $40 for an alignment a couple of months ago after they replaced a ball joint.

 

[L2E]

If your car is veering heavily to one side, then you might need more than a simple alignment which could get more costly.

But car safety is one of the most important things when you are on the road, always keep your car in good running condition.

 

[Proton Soup]

Ack! With that low pressure, you were a candidate for a blowout. Try that stunt in the summertime when overheated side-walls fail more frequently, and you could be a highway fatality. Get a flat on the highway? You can compensate for the nasty handling characteristics. Get a a catastrophic side-wall failure at highway speeds? You'd better be lucky, because you could easily be dead.

heck, if he can compensate for a pull to the right, i see no reason he can't also compensate for low pressure

 

[JaredJames]

heck, if he can compensate for a pull to the right, i see no reason he can't also compensate for low pressure

Yeah, but look what he's using to compensate for it!

 

[Pythagorean]

just take an ultralight to work/school, probably easier to maintain than a car. And living on the edge is groovy, man.

 

[nismaratwork]

I think I paid about $40 for an alignment a couple of months ago after they replaced a ball joint.

Key here: Ball Joint.


Greg: If you have low pressure, and poor alignment, you're just spending more money on gas for one. On the more extreme scale, you could hit something and experience "catastrophic failure of the ball joint"...

... Your entire wheel literally flies off at speed.


So yeah, I'd say alignment is important. Every other relevant point about how/where has already been made.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

update: got my alignment fixed, right front toe was off. all is well now! got my tires to 32lbs pressure too :D

btw, wouldn't slightly lower tire pressure on snowy days be a good thing?

 

[turbo]

update: got my alignment fixed, right front toe was off. all is well now! got my tires to 32lbs pressure too :D

btw, wouldn't slightly lower tire pressure on snowy days be a good thing?

NO! Snow tires with aggressive treads would be a good thing. Your tires are made to perform with your vehicle based on profile, pressure, tread, etc. Don't start playing with them if you don't know what you're doing.


please...

 

[JaredJames]

btw, wouldn't slightly lower tire pressure on snowy days be a good thing?

Yes it would - same for driving on sand isn't it?

Actually, I know thinner tyres cut through it better so I suppose it wouldn't.

But then everywhere I've seen advises you to do it.

 

[DanP]

btw, wouldn't slightly lower tire pressure on snowy days be a good thing?

No, its a bad idea. You won't increase traction, it will make the car less stable and contribute to more damage to the tire structure. And you should check your tire pressure reasonably often in winter, especially if you live iun an area where it gets very cold.

 

[turbo]

Yes it would - same for driving on sand isn't it?

Not really. You should know that tires are designed for summer and winter uses (and in betweens) and that although it might seem a great idea to soften tires for the winter and increase the contact patch area, that kind of tinkering is going to change the ability of the snow-treads to pick up, flex, and release the snow and slush.

I don't play with that crap. My wife and I have Subarus, and we have full-time AWD, traction control, stability-control, etc. We could try to out-smart Subarus engineers, but so far that has not seemed like a very intelligent thing to do.

 

[dlgoff]

btw, wouldn't slightly lower tire pressure on snowy days be a good thing?

No.

You might get a smoother ride on a dry highway, but it'll cost you in GPMs.

 

[nismaratwork]

Glad you're not driving a death machine Greg!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Glad you're not driving a death machine Greg!

right! now if I can only get my brakes fixed!

 

[nismaratwork]

right! now if I can only get my brakes fixed!

[URL]http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/scared/scared0011.gif[/URL]

You know, I think one of the guys on Car Talk did say that he once drove a car without brakes by aggressively downshifting.

That ended badly.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

[URL]http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/scared/scared0011.gif[/URL]

You know, I think one of the guys on Car Talk did say that he once drove a car without brakes by aggressively downshifting.

That ended badly.

what! I downshift my automatic heading to a red light almost always. also going downhill.

 

[nismaratwork]

what! I downshift my automatic heading to a red light almost always. also going downhill.

Thanks again for this DA:


Greg:

 

[Phrak]

Dunno. I trade in the car when the ashtray fills up.

It's not fun when it doubles as a change tray.

 

[nismaratwork]

It's not fun when it doubles as a change tray.

Better than a candy dish...

 

[sherlock ohms]

hi all, just thought you might like to know the reason for the difference in wheel alignment prices. There are a myriad of different suspension systems, with a variety of adjustment methods, including an absence of adjustment facility..(i.e. no camber adjustment on many FWD vehicles.). In this scenario it may be necessary to fit eccentric bolts, which requires drilling of struts etc.. at the other extreme, older vehicles utilise shims..and i can assure you that can be a royal PITA..
having said that, there are always the total ripoff merchants too..

 

[mugaliens]

Here's an anomaly for you all:

The right front tire (less than 10,000 miles) on my truck shows serious signs of being towed out, but the caster, camber, and tow as measured on two completely different systems show it to be close to the center of specs.

The only issue I've had was with a warped rotor. That, however, would have caused wear on only a portion of the tire, and in any regard, I replaced the rotors several months ago, and she's glided to a stop like a baby ever since.

Addendum: I put the studded tires on at the same time I replaced the warped rotor. The studs show no sign of abnormal wear. Only the summer tires show that. They're kept on different wheels, but the wheels measure true (round), so I'm at a loss as to what might be causing this. No abnormal wear on the studded tires.

 

[Proton Soup]

Here's an anomaly for you all:

The right front tire (less than 10,000 miles) on my truck shows serious signs of being towed out, but the caster, camber, and tow as measured on two completely different systems show it to be close to the center of specs.

The only issue I've had was with a warped rotor. That, however, would have caused wear on only a portion of the tire, and in any regard, I replaced the rotors several months ago, and she's glided to a stop like a baby ever since.

Addendum: I put the studded tires on at the same time I replaced the warped rotor. The studs show no sign of abnormal wear. Only the summer tires show that. They're kept on different wheels, but the wheels measure true (round), so I'm at a loss as to what might be causing this. No abnormal wear on the studded tires.

if you have been going to an alignment shop, maybe try a real mechanic. my experience was the alignment guys couldn't even adjust the steering wheel center after i explained how to do it.

anyhoo, maybe some suspension part is wearing out...

 

[sherlock ohms]

Here's an anomaly for you all:

The right front tire (less than 10,000 miles) on my truck shows serious signs of being towed out, but the caster, camber, and tow as measured on two completely different systems show it to be close to the center of specs.

The only issue I've had was with a warped rotor. That, however, would have caused wear on only a portion of the tire, and in any regard, I replaced the rotors several months ago, and she's glided to a stop like a baby ever since.

Addendum: I put the studded tires on at the same time I replaced the warped rotor. The studs show no sign of abnormal wear. Only the summer tires show that. They're kept on different wheels, but the wheels measure true (round), so I'm at a loss as to what might be causing this. No abnormal wear on the studded tires.

Incorrect toe adjustment will cause (un)equal wear on both tires. I would hazard a guess that a ball joint is worn, which escapes the attention of many technicians. The worn component allows undesired movement when driving, but when stopped it finds its natural centre, giving a reading within tolerance.

Another possibility is the "U-turn" effect, which causes the outer edge of the nearside tire to wear prematurely.

 

[nismaratwork]

Incorrect toe adjustment will cause (un)equal wear on both tires. I would hazard a guess that a ball joint is worn, which escapes the attention of many technicians. The worn component allows undesired movement when driving, but when stopped it finds its natural centre, giving a reading within tolerance.

Another possibility is the "U-turn" effect, which causes the outer edge of the nearside tire to wear prematurely.

The ball joint is what I was thinking, based only on listening to every episdoe of Car-Talk since... wow... '97?...

Anyway, that's the bit that let's your wheel fly off if it's goes badly...

BUT... I have a hard time believing that mug would overlook that.

 

[sherlock ohms]

Happens all too often. A lot of tire fitters/aligners simply do not understand weight paths. A vehicle may be jacked off the ground to inspect component wear, but doing so loads said component and no movement is detected. Were one to raise the vehicle from the control arm (wishbone), the wear would be very obvious.. but on other suspension systems this method would disguise the wear. Another factor is tolerance..many fail to see the difference between a load bearing and a locating joint.
Could you elaborate on the wear pattern?. worn inner/outer shoulder only, or gradual increased wear across the tread face? Feathered or scalloped?

 

[nismaratwork]

Happens all too often. A lot of tire fitters/aligners simply do not understand weight paths. A vehicle may be jacked off the ground to inspect component wear, but doing so loads said component and no movement is detected. Were one to raise the vehicle from the control arm (wishbone), the wear would be very obvious.. but on other suspension systems this method would disguise the wear. Another factor is tolerance..many fail to see the difference between a load bearing and a locating joint.

:

Well, welcome to PF Mechanic Holmes! I mean that by the way, welcome, and thank you for the very enlightening posts.

 

[Loren Booda]

When buying new tires, is a four-wheel replacement and alignment recommended?

What is the approximate variation of gas milage given tire pressure deviation from normal?

What is the best method for rotating tires: front-to-back, or side-to-side?

 

[JaredJames]

When you get new tyres fitted, they can't be aligned straight away (although it doesn't stop places doing it).

It's been a few years since I worked in a garage changing tyres over the summer holidays but I'm sure it's something to do with the tread. You have to give it a few weeks to 'settle', or something along those lines. Otherwise the alignment doesn't do anything.

 

[dlgoff]

When buying new tires, is a four-wheel replacement and alignment recommended?

When you get new tyres fitted, they can't be aligned straight away (although it doesn't stop places doing it).

To maximize your investment of a couple front tires, get them mounted (and balanced), then take the car to an alignment shop. You want the alignment correct before putting mileage on them even if only sightly out of alignment. With the new tread, the car will set a little differently so you want an alignment starting from that point in the tires lifetime.

 

[sherlock ohms]

:

Well, welcome to PF Mechanic Holmes! I mean that by the way, welcome, and thank you for the very enlightening posts.

well, thanks for your welcome and for your thanks, you're welcome.. BTW, I'm actually a pizza oven technician, but i did do a brief stint in auto service and repair..22 years worth..

 

[nismaratwork]

well, thanks for your welcome and for your thanks, you're welcome.. BTW, I'm actually a pizza oven technician, but i did do a brief stint in auto service and repair..22 years worth..

I don't care who you are, or what you do, only the knowledge you have, and the approach you seem to take.

 

[Proton Soup]

When buying new tires, is a four-wheel replacement and alignment recommended?

i would normally go with replacing either the front or back pair. then put the new ones on front since there is where most braking power is generated, and where hydroplaning will have the worst effect. but if you're been rotating, wear should be about even. so replacing 2 at a time is something you do if money is tight.

not all vehicles have 4-wheel alignment. some only align in front. see user manual. if you're getting a pull or funny wear, you might want to do it.

What is the best method for rotating tires: front-to-back, or side-to-side?

iirc, it depends on the type of tires you use, and if i further recall correctly, most now are radial tires and are rotated front to back. but just consult your user manual or the tire manual.