Wheel Alignment: All You Need to Know

• What Is a Wheel Alignment Service?
• What Is a Four-Wheel Alignment?
• What Does a Wheel Alignment Do?
• Why Do Vehicles Have Improper Wheel Alignment?
• How Do You Know When You Need Wheel Alignment?
• What Are the Pros of Wheel Alignment?
• Wheel Alignment and Tires
• Do Tires Affect Wheel Alignment?
• What Does Poor Wheel Alignment Look Like?
• Caster Angle
• Toe Angles
• Camber Misalignment
• How Does Aligning the Wheel Affect the Tires?
• Uneven Wear
• Control of the Steering Wheel
• Better Gas Mileage
• Driving Comfort Levels
• Frequently Asked Questions

Wheel alignment can greatly affect vehicle performance!

But, why is that? How can something simple as incorrect alignment cause such big steering issues for your vehicle? Why do the tire sets wear out quicker? 

Let us take you on a wheel alignment journey and explain all of your vehicle alignment-related questions.

What Is a Wheel Alignment Service?

A wheel alignment service means the adjustment of the vehicle's steering with the tires. During this process, the vehicle's wheels are fine-tuned to the required angle. This angle is usually specified by the manufacturers.

What you need to know about wheel alignment is that this service adjusts the vehicle's wheel angle to optimize the surface contact. Improper alignment angles can result in the car's incorrect steering axis and wear and tear of the tire tread.

Therefore, it is important to ensure the vehicle's alignment is correct. Typically, manufacturers recommend this service after every 5,000 miles.

What Is a Four-Wheel Alignment?

A four-wheel alignment is the alignment of all the wheels mounted on the vehicle. This is usually required after installing four new tires, as it optimizes the tread wear and increases their service life.

Often, a four-wheel alignment is not necessary, and only the two front wheels need to be serviced. It greatly depends on the state of the car's alignment, which can be assessed by your mechanic.

What Does a Wheel Alignment Do?

Wheel alignment optimizes the tire's surface contact area. It makes sure all four wheels are properly meeting the road surface while the vehicle is in motion. It improves the response of the steering wheel and the car's controllability while making sure the tires don't wear unevenly.

Proper alignment has other benefits as well, most of which offer budget-friendly solutions. Plus, it will also ensure your driving safety, as it optimizes the vehicle steering throughout the drive.

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Why Do Vehicles Have Improper Wheel Alignment?

Vehicle manufacturer recommendations say checking the alignment at least every 5,000 miles, or when you notice issues with the steering is a good idea. But, what causes the car's wheels' misalignment?

The reason for this can vary, but the most commonly poor wheel alignment is caused by:

• Road hazards (potholes, curbs, or accidents which cause a heavy impact)
• Worn car parts (suspension components, wheel bearings, etc.)
• Changing the vehicle height without adjusting the suspension system

How Do You Know When You Need Wheel Alignment?

It does not mean that you need to rush to your mechanic each time you hit a small pothole. There are definite signs that your vehicle needs the intervention of an alignment machine.

An alignment check should be performed when you notice the following:

• Uneven wear on tires
• The car pulls to the side when driving straight
• The steering wheel is hard to handle
• The steering wheel vibrates or is angled
• Tires squealing when in motion

When the vehicle has a perfect alignment, you can still experience these issues, but it's always better to have things checked out.

What Are the Pros of Wheel Alignment?

Wheels aligned correctly will provide exceptional benefits for your car. From the length of the tread life to the vehicle's better handling, proper alignment ensures vehicle performance.

So, what exactly are the pros of good wheel alignment?

First of all, it improves the vehicle's controllability. With modern vehicles, the alignment and the steering wheel are in connection. Therefore, when the alignment angles are correct, the driver has full control of the steering wheel.

Additionally, tires wear unevenly when the alignment is incorrect, especially on the front tires. So, as long as the wheels are aligned, the tires will have optimized tire wear.

Wheel Alignment and Tires

The continually improving automotive industry works hard to manufacture good quality cars and tires. Yet, the vehicle's alignment and the tires are going to be in correlation no matter what.

If the alignment is incorrect, the tread wear will be affected. Furthermore, the surface contact of the tires will have repercussions on the fuel efficiency and steering responsiveness of the car.

So, there is definitely a connection between car alignment and tires.

Do Tires Affect Wheel Alignment?

Worn tires have little to no effect on the wheels' alignment. It can only reduce the vehicle's riding height, which does not ruin the performance thanks to the steering design and suspension springs.

However, if you are going to mount new tires on the car, wheel balancing and alignment need to be performed. Now, whether you align the wheels before or after the tires are mounted should not matter in the long run.

What Does Poor Wheel Alignment Look Like?

It is time to visit the alignment machine when you notice any of the following tire issues. It can affect two tires at a time (front or rear wheels), or all four wheels of the vehicle.

Improper alignment is, essentially, the tires' angled contact with the road surface. At times the wheels are not the problem, but the vehicle's suspension angles are at fault. Yet, having the alignment checked every 5,000 miles (or when you have an oil change) will greatly reduce the possibility of the following issues.

Caster Angle

Improper caster angles cause problems with the steering. This is usually caused by the vehicle's worn-out vehicle parts. Furthermore, the caster is not adjustable on most modern front-wheel drive vehicles. Interestingly, this misalignment does not affect the tires.

The caster angle can be positive or negative, which affects the vehicle steering differently. A positive caster makes the steering heavier, causing the vehicle to be unresponsive to steering instructions. On the other hand, a negative caster provides easier or lighter steering but it results in the vehicle wandering to the side during the drive. It makes straight-line driving difficult.

Toe Angles

Toe angles are when the car's wheels are not facing straight forward. This issue causes accelerated tire wear across the footprint. Even a slight toe misalignment will cause wear and tear on the tread area.

Toe angles are defined as the direction the tires are pointing in. Therefore, if the tires are pointing inward, it is a toe-in angle. Excessive toe-in will cause accelerated wear on the tire's inner shoulder area. When the tires are pointing outward, it is called a toe-out angle. This causes excessive wear on the tire's outer shoulder area, the one facing away from the car.

Therefore, if you wish to keep the tires' optimal tread life, it is important to correct the toe alignment as soon as the issue is noticed. This issue is the cause of uneven wear of the footprint on tires properly inflated.

Camber Misalignment

The camber angle is the inward or outward tilt of the tire. When the camber angle is incorrect, the tire's footprint is not fully in contact with the road surface, which causes the tread to wear unevenly. Poor camber alignment will cause the tire to tilt in one direction or the other.

When the tire's top tilts inward, it is called negative camber. The reverse, when the top tilts away from the car, is a positive camber. Both of these cause excessive wear on one side of the tire: negative camber on the inner side, positive camber on the outer shoulder area.

How Does Aligning the Wheel Affect the Tires?

It is crucial to have the alignment checked when you notice issues. This is to prevent irregular wear along the tread area, but it also comes with its benefits.

Proper vehicle alignment will optimize the car performance and the tread life. Let's take a look at the results.

If you are interested in how improper wheel alignment affects the vehicle tire wear patterns, check out blog.

Uneven Wear

Proper alignment makes sure the tire's surface contact is optimized. This allows the driving and load pressure of the car to be evenly distributed along the tread area, which leads to even wear. In other words, the driving pressure does not just affect one side of the tread.

Control of the Steering Wheel

The good wheel alignment of the car optimizes its steering. It makes sure the tires are responsive to the steering instructions and prevent the vehicle from traveling the wrong way when the steering wheel is turned. This makes sure the vehicle does not pull to one side during its performance.

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Better Gas Mileage

Fuel economy is another factor to consider when thinking about worn vehicle parts and irregular tread wear. When the alignment is incorrect, the car will use more fuel to keep it in motion. This is due to the driving pressure accumulating along the tread area. When the alignment is corrected, the vehicle greatly decreases its fuel or energy usage.

Driving Comfort Levels

Road vibrations can be felt in the car cabin during the drive when the suspension components are worn or the alignment is uneven. To minimizes road vibrations all vehicle parts need to be checked, as it can be the result of multiple issues. However, when the alignment is corrected, the vehicle offers a comfortable drive, even during its high speed performance.