How an Alignment Visit Works at Christian Brothers Automotive Fountain Creek
Our process keeps you informed at every step, from the moment you drop off your vehicle to the moment you approve any work.
Step 1: Computerized Measurement
Our technicians connect your vehicle to our computerized alignment equipment and measure the current caster, camber, and toe angles against your manufacturer’s specifications. Because the system reads to one-tenth of a degree, even a subtle drift shows up clearly.
Step 2: Digital Inspection Report
Findings come back as a digital vehicle inspection report with pictures and video. You see exactly what our technicians see, not a verbal summary.
Step 3: Your Approval Before Any Adjustment
A service advisor reviews the report and recommendations with you before any work begins. Nothing is adjusted without your sign-off. That’s how visits work here.
1. Schedule Your Appointment
Whether scheduling online or over the phone be sure and let us know what you're experiencing so we can provide fast and accurate service advice.
2. Diagnostics and Inspections
Drop off your vehicle and the shop will get to work with inspections and diagnostics using the same equipment as the manufacturers to determine issues and next steps.
3. Digital Vehicle Inspection Report and Estimate
Following the diagnosis we will text you a digital vehicle inspection report, containing pictures and videos of our findings and recommendations.
4. Review and Approval
A service advisor will reach out to walk you through the findings and recommendations to determine how you would like to proceed, or you can approve work directly in your DVI.
5. Work Performed or Scheduled
Most work can be completed immediately, or scheduled based on parts and customer availability.
More Than an Alignment Shop
Visits to Christian Brothers Automotive Fountain Creek include a free Courtesy Inspection covering your vehicle’s major systems, with no extra charge and no pressure. If you need to be somewhere while we work, our free shuttle service can take you home, to work, or to nearby shopping. Our lobby has complimentary Wi-Fi and refreshments while you wait.
Shawn Bradley spent nearly two decades serving in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy before he and Christine opened this location. That background shapes how the shop runs: straight answers, genuine follow-through, and a real investment in the Fountain community. We’re guided by the principle of loving our neighbor as ourselves, and that isn’t a tagline. It’s how we decide what to recommend and what to skip.
Why Fountain Drivers Deal with Alignment Issues
Fountain’s commuter corridor along Interstate 25 and the Mesa Ridge Parkway interchange puts local vehicles through a steady diet of highway miles, construction transitions, and curb crossings. That kind of daily driving gradually shifts wheel angles away from factory specification, often without any single dramatic event to blame. If you haven’t had your alignment checked since your last tire rotation or suspension work, it’s worth confirming your angles are still where they should be.
Schedule your wheel alignment in Fountain at Christian Brothers Automotive Fountain Creek. Every alignment we perform is backed by the Nice Difference Warranty: 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs last. Call (719) 849-6103 to book your appointment.
Alignment Angles, Service Types, and When to Come In
Alignment comes down to three angles: caster, camber, and toe. Each one describes a different aspect of how your wheels sit and move relative to the road.
The Three Angles Explained
Caster
Caster is the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Positive caster helps with straight-line stability and steering return. When it’s off, the vehicle may feel unstable or wander at highway speed.
Camber
Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the tire when viewed from the front. Even a small deviation causes the tire to wear on one edge rather than across the full tread.
Toe
Toe describes whether the fronts of the tires point inward (toe-in) or outward (toe-out) relative to each other. It’s the angle most directly responsible for rapid tire wear and the one most commonly knocked out of spec by curb and pothole impacts.
Our computerized alignment technology measures all three angles and compares them to your vehicle’s original manufacturer settings, accurate to one-tenth of a degree.
Choosing the Right Alignment Service
Not every vehicle or situation calls for the same service. Here’s how the options differ:
Basic Alignment Check
A measurement pass that confirms whether your angles are within spec. If everything looks good, you leave with documentation. If not, we’ll recommend the appropriate next step.
Front-End Alignment
Adjusts the front axle angles only. Common on vehicles where only the front wheels are adjustable and rear geometry is fixed.
Four-Wheel Alignment
Measures and adjusts all four wheels. Appropriate for most front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles, and any rear-wheel-drive vehicle with adjustable rear suspension.
Thrust Angle Alignment
Accounts for the direction the rear axle pushes the vehicle and aligns the front wheels relative to it. Used when the rear axle isn’t adjustable but the thrust angle can still be measured and compensated for up front.
When an Alignment Is Typically Needed
There’s no single mileage rule, but a few situations reliably call for a check: after installing new tires, after any suspension repair, or after a hard impact with a pothole or curb. Ongoing symptoms like uneven tire wear, a pulling sensation, reduced fuel efficiency, or an off-center steering wheel are also reliable indicators. If any of these apply, a wheel alignment check in Fountain is a straightforward next step.
FAQs
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Q. "What is the difference between a wheel alignment and a wheel balance?"Wheel alignment is the term for how your wheels sit when mounted to your car and wheel balancing is what’s done to perfectly balance the weight of a tire and wheel assembly so that it travels evenly.
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Q. "How often should I get a wheel alignment?"We recommend every 6,000 miles or when you experience signs of misalignment.
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Q. "What causes bad alignment?"Normal wear and tear can eventually cause your car to come out of alignment, but perhaps a more sudden occurrence would be things like hitting potholes, bumping curbs, or even minor accidents. Click here to read more on the causes and consequences of bad alignment.
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Q. "Do you offer a shuttle service?"Yes! we understand you have a full schedule. Whether you need to get to work, school, or need to attend to other responsibilities, we can take you where you need to go. Click here to learn more.
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Q. "Do you offer a warranty?"As part of our Nice difference.® commitment to providing our customers the best auto service experience possible, we also offer a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty on all the work that we do. We offer this warranty at every Christian Brothers Automotive nationwide, and it will be honored at any location, regardless of which branch did the initial work.
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Q. "Can you provide service under my extended warranty?"Yes. At Christian Brothers Automotive, we work with all major extended warranty providers to make needed repairs for our customers. If you have an extended warranty, you can discuss your carrier with our team when scheduling an appointment and confirm that the work will be covered. You can find a partial list of the extended warranty companies we work with here.
Have more Questions?
Our friendly auto service experts have the answers.
Call your local Christian Brothers Automotive car shop today
Hear What Our Customers Had to Say About Us
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"I liked the customer service and going above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable while waiting in the store for my vehicle work to be done, specifically being offered a nice hot coffee with creamer."
- J.L.