Do you need an alignment after suspension work?
The short answer is—it depends on the type of suspension your car has. If the tires are wearing evenly and there is no steering pull or wander, an alignment isn’t typically necessary. On some vehicles, the installation of new shocks and struts may affect your car’s wheel alignment.
Can you drive a car with the alignment off?
The wheels of a vehicle aren’t particularly interesting, but when these are out of alignment, driving can become dangerous. These include the vehicle pulling left or right, uneven tire tread wear, squealing tires and a crooked or shaking steering wheel.
What do you need to know about wheel alignment?
An alignment essentially requires squaring a car’s wheels and axles with each other so that they’re moving in the same direction. The mechanic adjusts the various suspension angles — known as toe, thrust, camber and caster — that influence tire movement and position.
When to do an alignment on a suspension?
Any time something in the suspension is replaced or something adjustable is undone an a alignment is recommended. While theoretically there are lots of little tricks to get the alignment close, it will never be perfect without verification with an alignment check.
What should I do if my car is out of alignment?
I would say that, as a general rule, if you touch any of the major suspension parts (Ball Joints, Tie Rod ends, CV Boot or shaft) you should probably get the car re aligned. Worse case scenario, you can put it all back together, drive on it for a week and re check your tire wear. If your alignment is out of whack, you will know.
Do you need a front end alignment for a 4 wheel drive car?
If you don’t have a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle, your car will likely only require a front-end alignment, in which only the front-axle components are adjusted, or a thrust-angle alignment.
What does wheel alignment do to your car?
What does wheel alignment do? Wheel alignment (also known as tire alignment) is a service that adjusts your vehicle’s suspension to ensure that all wheels are oriented correctly in relation to each other and to the road.
Any time something in the suspension is replaced or something adjustable is undone an a alignment is recommended. While theoretically there are lots of little tricks to get the alignment close, it will never be perfect without verification with an alignment check.
Do you need a four wheel drive alignment?
A four-wheel alignment is typically for four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles and front-wheel drive cars with adjustable/independent rear suspensions. What will my mechanic do? First, your mechanic will take your vehicle for a test drive to see exactly what is going on with your vehicle.
How long does it take for a wheel alignment?
A wheel alignment takes about an hour as a standalone task. Replacing any damaged components along the way would take extra time. Please allow more time for any other tire and wheel services commonly performed along with wheel alignment.