Wheel Alignment Services
Car Care For Vehicle Alignment
It doesn’t typically happen overnight, but over time, many drivers
experience alignment problems that cause their vehicle to pull to the
right or the left. If your steering wheel is off-centered when traveling
straight, you likely have an alignment problem on your hands.
The Problem
While alignment issues are uncomfortable, they also cause big problems
for your tires. Uneven wear can shorten your tires’ lifespan and
even cause a dangerous blowout while you’re driving. If your vehicle
is exhibiting any of the following symptoms, it’s imperative that
you get your alignment checked out immediately:
-
Uneven or Cupped Tire Wear
- Cupped Wear: Also known as tire scalloping, this wear pattern appears as
dips around the edge of your tire tread.
- Vehicle and Floorboard Vibrations at Highway Speeds
- Pulling To One Side When Driving Straight
- Diminished Handling Capability
- Steering Wheel Off-Centered While Driving
You should also get your alignment checked if you’ve recently been
in a collision–either with another vehicle or with a curb or parking
barrier. Additionally, if you frequently drive over potholes, it’s
likely that your vehicle is out of alignment, so your best bet is to get
it looked at before bigger, and more costly, problems arise.
Understanding Alignment
Imagine taking a long walk in a pair of shoes with one 3” heel and
one 3 1/4” heel. Though a quarter of an inch is a small difference,
you would quickly run into problems. You’d be forced to walk with
a noticeable limp, and be more careful with each step you take. Over time,
your joints and muscles would have to work harder on one side of your
body than the other, just to make up for your uneven shoes, leading to
lasting trouble for your health.
Now picture your tires as your car’s shoes. Just like the points
of a pair of heels, the tire rubber is the only part that actually touches
the ground. Even subtle discrepancies in alignment can cause lasting damage
to your vehicle’s health and handling ability, and force you to
steer more carefully in otherwise safe conditions. If a vehicle is not
properly aligned, some joints and mechanisms are forced to do too much
work, while others aren’t used at full capacity, eventually requiring
costly repairs.
How Christian Brothers Automotive Can Help
Without the correct wheel alignment, your gas mileage, tire life, and overall
performance of your vehicle will pay the price. This is why we recommend
checking your alignment every 6,000 miles or 6 months.
You may not always notice improper alignment right away. But even subtle
changes can cause uneven tire wear and rob your valuable investment of
thousands of miles. As your partners in automotive care, we offer a free
courtesy inspection check when performing any service. Through our courtesy
check, we are usually able to spot alignment problems when changing your
oil or performing routine maintenance. However, if you believe you have
an alignment problem that needs to be fixed, don’t hesitate to let us know.
When checking your alignment, our experienced technicians consider the
following:
- Toe–In an alignment, the toe is the inward or outward slant of your
wheels, as seen from the top. An inward tilt would be like standing pigeon-toed
and an outward one would be duck feet. Could you walk like that in heels?
Probably not very well.
- Camber–This refers to whether your wheels are vertically aligned,
perpendicular to the ground. Think of it as the angle of your legs when
your feet are either far apart or close together.
- Caster–This one is more complicated, but it has to do with the relationship
of the wheels to the steering column and ball joints, steering knuckles,
and tie rod ends connecting them. Caster measures how this steering and
suspension system, including the steering axis, is connected to the wheels,
based on the position of upper and lower tie rods within the wheels.
- Thrust angle–This compares alignment of the axles. They should generally
be squared off with the car’s centerline.
Whether you need just a basic alignment check, a front-end alignment, a
total four-wheel alignment, or a thrust angle alignment, we can return
your vehicle to manufacturer alignment and safety standards.
Why Choose Christian Brothers Automotive
At Christian Brothers Automotive, we are dedicated to reshaping the way
you think about car repair and service. Through loving our neighbor as
ourselves and our commitment to the Nice Difference®, we aim to always
go above and beyond what you’d usually expect from an automotive
shop. This commitment includes:
- Certified Technicians.
- Complimentary Shuttle Service.*
-
Leading-Industry Warranty:
3 years or 36,000 miles - whichever limit comes last.
- Free Courtesy Inspection Offered On Every Visit.
- Complimentary WIFI and Beverages.
*Complimentary shuttle service available up to three or five miles of the
shop. Contact our store for more details
Schedule Your Vehicle Drop-Off Today!
If you suspect you have an alignment issue on your hands, call us or bring
your vehicle in to our automotive repair shop. Our technicians will diagnose
and fix the problem to get you back on the road as efficiently and safely
as possible.