Alignments
Alignment refers to an adjustment of a vehicle’s suspension. This is the system that connects a vehicle to its wheels. The key to proper alignment is adjusting the angles of the tires which affects how they make contact with the road. The three adjustments are camber, toe, and caster. These 3 adjustments are primilarly on the front but many newer vehicles need adjustments on the rear. Please contact us if you think the vehicle has worn or loose front end parts affecting the alignment. We can do a inspection before aligning the vehicle.
Check out our page on parts that may need to be replaced.
- HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED A TIRE ALIGNMENT?
- There are a couple ways to tell if your car needs a tire alignment. If you've noticed one or more of these indicators, you should have your alignment checked by a licensed service technician immediately.
- Uneven tread wear
- Vehicle pulling to the left or right
- Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight
- Steering wheel vibration
CAMBERThis is the inward or outward angle of the tire when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Too much inward or outward tilt, also known as negative and positive camber, respectively, indicates improper alignment and will need to be adjusted. Worn bearings, ball joints, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment.
CASTER
Your caster angle helps balance steering, stability, and cornering. Specifically, it’s the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of your vehicle. If you have positive caster, the steering axis will tilt toward the driver. Negative caster, on the other hand, means the steering axis tilts toward the front of your vehicle.
TOEDistinct from camber alignment, toe alignment is the extent to which your tires turn inward or outward when viewed from above. If that’s confusing, just stand up and look down at your feet. Angle them inward toward the center of your body. When the tires on your car are angled the same way (remember, we’re thinking in terms of birds-eye-view), we call this toe-in alignment. Angle your feet outward and you have toe-out alignment. Both require adjustment.