A wheel alignment is about adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The three different ways your tires can be adjusted each have their own purpose.

CAMBER describes how the wheel leans when looking from the front of the vehicle. (Picture someone who is knock kneed or soemone who is bowlegged). If the wheel leans in or out, this will cause uneven tire wear. Some front wheel drive vehicles cannot have the camber adjusted and if it is not correct then something is possibly bent or broken. For normal driving conditions, you would want the wheel to sit at 0. If the camber is different on each side of the vehicle, this can cause the pulling feeling.

CASTER is the angle of the steering pivot between the lower and upper ball joints. It is viewed from the side of the vehicle and either "leans" forward or "leans" back depending on whether the upper ball joint is in front of or behind the lower ball joint. If the caster is out of adjustment  and unequal between the two sides it causes problems in straight line tracking by creating a pull. If both are equal but not straight up and down then the steering can feel either light and "wandering" in the lane or hard and "kick" when you hit a bump. 

TOE-IN is measuring the distance between the front of the two front tires and the distance between the rear of the two front tires. Most of the time this will be set to equal or parallel in the US. If the distances are not equal the tires either turn in or turn out ( picture someone who is pigeon toed or duck footed). An incorrect toe-in setting will cause rapid tire wear to both tires.

When should you have an Alignment?

There are not definitive guidelines for Alignments like there are for Oil Changes and some other maintenance. You will have to be more observant. You should, or have a professional do, a visual inspection every 3 to 6 months. You can check to see if Wheels seem to be leaning in or out or pointing in or out. You can feel and look for uneven tire wear. Certainly if you feel like your steering is light or pulling you could have a professional check your alignment. If you drive in an area with rough roads or have hit any big potholes or hit a curb hard, this can knock your car out of alignment. Spring is a good time to check your alignment becasue a lot of roads develop larger potholes in the winter from the cold. If you purchase new tires you will probably want an alignment to ensure they will wear evenly and last longer.

Our new computerized Alignment equipment will check all of the specifications of your vehicle against its recommended settings and print a computer printout so that you can see exactly how your wheels compare to those recommendations. We can adjust them if needed. We will always road test your vehicle before and after an alignment to be sure an alignment is really what you are needing.

Come by and see us if you have any concerns. Our technicians have been trained on our equipment and can advise you about whether you need an alignment or not.

Action Automotive is ready to help with all of your automotive needs, call or schedule an appointment today.