What is a car alignment? In this article, I’ll share my 25+ years of professional experience with alignments, I’ll explain what a car alignment is and run you through everything you need to know about the process.
Why listen to me? Well, I’ve been doing alignments for close to 30 years, I also have a training certificate from Hunter Engineering, (the leader in alignment equipment.)
I’ve invested lots of time learning the principles of alignments, and how they affect overall driving, safety, and efficiency.
That said, I’ve aligned hundreds of cars, from custom classics to modern vehicles requiring ADAS recalibrations. I’ve seen it all… Let’s get started.
What is a Car Alignment?
All cars are built with specific suspension and chassis specifications to ensure optimal handling and efficiency. The daily wear and tear of driving knocks cars out of spec over time, resulting in various issues, such as vehicle drift and tire wear.
A front end, (or 4-wheel alignment) is a process where a trained mechanic adjusts suspension components on your car to the correct specs.
This is achieved by using highly sensitive aligner machines that measure the angle of your wheels, referencing an imaginary centerline through the dead center of your vehicle.
This allows a mechanic to set your car up to the correct specifications, optimizing handling, tire wear, and efficiency.
This is possible due to the factory-installed adjustment points found on all vehicles.
Alignment machines read the exact angles of your suspension, in real-time, plus they show the mechanic the desired specifications for each angle. This allows the technician to adjust your car’s suspension geometry accurately.
By positioning specific suspension components via the factory-provided adjustments, your mechanic can “reset” your car’s suspension and bring back the handling, performance, and safety your car was designed to provide.
Factory-installed adjustment points include eccentrics, shims, or specialized bolts. These allow a mechanic to adjust control arms within slots cut in the frame, changing the geometry of the suspension and ultimately how the tires contact the road surface.
A good mechanic methodically adjusts your vehicle’s suspension to optimize tire contact with the road, resulting in better handling, tire wear, and efficiency.
Why Are Alignments Needed?
Potholes, bumps, and even normal driving cause your vehicle’s suspension to move out of alignment over time.
Parts wear and tolerances change. This affects the geometry of your suspension components.
Alignment issues show up as irregular tire wear and reduced vehicle handling, even reduced fuel mileage. Keeping a properly aligned vehicle is a big part of basic vehicle maintenance and will ensure your car handles great and your tires last.
Understanding Camber, Caster, and Toe
Camber, caster, and toe angles are the critical components of your car’s wheel alignment. Here is a quick rundown of the main things being corrected during a wheel alignment service.
Camber
The camber angle refers to the inward or outward tilt of the wheel when viewed from the front of the vehicle.
Camber is what wears down the edges of tires primarily. It is the inward or outward angle of the tire as it contacts the road. Too much either way and the tire’s inner or outer edge takes the brunt of road wear.
Negative camber: Indicates the tire’s inside edge is contacting the road more than it should be.
Positive camber: The opposite, indicates the outside edge of the tire is contacting more of the road and taking more wear.
Camber is usually set slightly negative to counteract the force of cornering.
Caster
Caster involves the forward or backward inclination of the steering pivot when examined from the side of the vehicle.
Imagine having a level horizontal line and mounting two wheels next to each other perfectly on the line, this would be zero caster, both wheels are even with each other.
In essence, the caster is how far forward or behind each wheel is from the center line.
Toe
Toe alignment, meanwhile, pertains to the direction in which the tires point concerning the vehicle’s centerline.
The toe has the most noticeable effect on the driver, mainly due to a crooked steering wheel position while driving straight.
The steering wheel being off to the left or right while driving is not just annoying, it indicates the front toe is out of adjustment.
Signs Your Car Needs an Alignment
You know that annoying carriage at the supermarket? … The one that looks like it’s been to hell and back?
I always seem to grab one of these gems without realizing one wheel is way out of whack. It isn’t until I’m committed and halfway into the store I realize one wheel is crooked and skidding down the aisle.
The carriage example is an exaggerated version of what a car that falls out of alignment may drive like.
Wheels get misaligned over time, this is what causes crooked steering wheels and cars to pull one way or another.
You may feel like you are “fighting” the steering wheel to stay in a lane.
It feels like that because you are, this is because of conflicting angles within your vehicle’s chassis and suspension. You’ll also notice uneven tire wear, poor handling, and even reduced fuel efficiency in severe cases.
The Car Alignment Process: Step by step
The following is a quick rundown of the process. I won’t go into a full-blown tutorial because chances are you don’t want to know the exact process. Instead, I will give you the basic rundown so you have an idea of what to expect.
Step 1: The vehicle is prepared
The suspension is inspected, tire pressures set, and the car is pulled onto the alignment rack. The alignment rack is a specialized lift that has floating turntables.
These turntables allow the wheels to move freely in any direction without resistance. The vehicle information is input into the alignment machine and the sensors are mounted on each wheel.
The alignment machine is then ready and a compensation of the sensors is needed.
Step2: Compensation and initial readings
To have the data it needs, the alignment machine needs “compensation” or initial measurement. The vehicle is rolled forward into position with the sensors mounted on the wheels. As you roll the car forward, (pushing by hand) the alignment machine takes exact measurements of the vehicle’s suspension.
After compensation the brakes of the car are locked and a caster sweep measurement is performed. After the sweep, live suspension measurements are shown on the aligner machine’s screen.
Here’s where a good technician can finally see the measurement data.
Step 3: Adjusting and rechecking
Available adjustments are different for every car. Several modern cars have adjustable components in the rear suspensions, while others only have adjustable points at the vehicle’s front end.
This is the difference between a two and four-wheel alignment.
In this example, we are doing a four-wheel, the aligner screen shows the live measurements and the desired specification using a bar graph-type layout.
The technician’s job is to bring everything into the specification range.
Again, this is done via factory-installed adjustment points. Once everything is set, it’s time to adjust the front toe, this dictates where the steering wheel ends up while driving straight.
Step 4: Centering the steering wheel and front toe adjustment
After the camber and caster are set the last phase of the alignment consists of setting the steering wheel in the level position and adjusting the front toe.
This is an important step that ultimately dictates where the steering wheel ends up while driving straight ahead.
If the steering wheel is off even in the slightest bit, it will be off while driving the car because the alignment machine is centering the toe to the steering column position. This is where many alignments go askew, the tech needs to ensure the string wheel i perfect or he will be re-aligning the car.
Once everything is set properly the technician adjusts the toe via tie rod ends, these ends are attached by threaded rods which allow the individual lengths to be adjusted, by turning them in or out the tech has control over where the toe is adjusted.
Step 5: Finishing up and the road test
After the toe is set the mechanic will take one last caster sweep to ensure live readings are within specification. Once all the front and rear axle angles, are where the mechanic wants, the vehicle information is stored and the sensors are removed.
The mechanic then road tests the car to ensure the steering wheel is set correctly and the car drives well.
I’m getting new tires, should I have an alignment done too?
I’m a big advocate of getting an alignment done after new tires. A well-done alignment service can easily help extend the life span of tires by 50% or more. Paying a little bit more for the alignment with tires is a good investment.
High-quality tires are expensive, and an alignment is the best way to make them last. Be sure to hire a trusted mechanic to perform your alignments, keep in mind when it comes to alignments, you usually get what you pay for, I would steer clear of franchises.
The Benefits of Having Your Car Aligned
Keeping up with front-end alignments is a critical car maintenance task that has numerous benefits for your vehicle, including extended tread wear, improved fuel efficiency, and enhanced handling and safety.
When your vehicle’s suspension components are properly aligned, you reduce normal tire wear, prevent premature tire wear, and optimize the contact of the tires with the road surface.
Reduced Tire Wear
An out-of-whack wheel alignment can lead to excessive uneven tire wear, this can happen faster than you think, and the result is you have to buy a new set of expensive tires.
Why do tires wear out when your alignment is off?
The geometry of suspension components being out of specification causes tires to drag or scrub along the road surface.
Under these conditions, the tires have no choice but to contact the road surface awkwardly, as you probably guessed, this ends up creating abnormal wear patterns.
This results in tires wearing out way before their time, costing you cash.
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How Can Car Alignment Experience Help in Reducing Feathered Tire Issues?
Proper car alignment experience is crucial in preventing feathered tire causes symptoms. When your vehicle’s wheels are out of alignment, it can cause uneven tire wear, resulting in feathering. Regular alignment checks can help reduce this issue and extend the lifespan of your tires.
Q&A
Does a bad alignment affect my car’s handling?
YES, and in extreme cases, a bad wheel alignment compromises the safety and performance of your car. A vehicle with misaligned wheels will pull to one side of the road constantly if you let go of the steering wheel.
This is known as “steering drift.”
On top of that, cornering and high-speed performance will suffer, this is the last thing you need in a situation where you need to make abrupt maneuvers.
The Cost of Neglecting Wheel Alignment
Skipping the alignment will cost you more at the pump! Driving with your tires attacking the road at uneven angles produces a lot of rolling resistance, resistance that translates into your engine burning more fuel.
Imagine running on the beach, it’s a lot harder than running on a flat surface, isn’t it? It takes a lot more energy and you get winded faster running in sand, your car feels the same way when the tire alignment is off!
When Should You Get an Alignment?
It’s a good idea to get a wheel alignment when you notice the warning signs. Such as uneven tire wear or steering drift. Additionally, after hitting a hard pothole or curb, it is essential to have the alignment checked, impacts can knock the wheels out of alignment or even bend components if it’s a hard enough hit.
Anytime you replace your tires the alignment should be checked as well.
Additionally, if your car doesn’t handle like it used to, or your steering wheel is way off, it’s time to get it done.
All said and done every 30,000 miles is a good time for getting an alignment., even if you aren’t experiencing any noticeable issues.
What Does an Alignment Cost?
The price of a good wheel alignment can vary based on the shop and the specific requirements of your car. Plan on spending anywhere from $130 and up on a quality job. I strongly suggest staying away from tire shops that do free alignments, they are free for a reason.
How does Tire Balancing Complement Wheel Alignment?
Tire balancing involves adjusting the weight distribution of the tire and wheel assembly. This complements wheel alignments perfectly.
While wheel alignment is about adjusting the steering axis and angles of suspension components, tire balancing ensures the wheel and tire assembly spin evenly, avoiding vibrations.
I recommend addressing both the alignment and tire balance. This will achieve optimal tire performance and vehicle handling, along with a smooth comfortable ride.
