I get asked a lot about what happens during an alignment. To do an alignment properly, you first have to check the entire suspension. We have to check it to make sure no parts are loose or worn out. This can cause alignment failure. During the alignment, we measure three angles and adjust them if they are out of specification. The first and most important angle is the toe, and that angle is how the tires are straight from left to right. The second is camber and that is the tire standing straight up or vertical. Last is the caster and that angle is the pivot point axis during steering.
There are also three types of alignments. The first one is the basic front-end alignment. If you were to draw an imaginary line down the center of the vehicle, we align the front end only to that line. If the back wheels are not perfectly straight, your steering wheel will be crooked due to correcting for rear wheel alignment. The second one is the thrust alignment which is used on vehicles that have a solid rear-end with no alignment. Instead of aligning the vehicle to the center line, we align it to the rear-end position. This is called the thrust line. So the rear-end is at the thrust line and gets the steering wheel straight. Lastly is the one where we align all 4 wheels alignment. In this one, we align all 4 wheels to the center line of the vehicle.
In the end, how do you know if you need an alignment? The most common one is to see if the steering wheel is straight; does it pull or drift to one side and tires are worn off at an angle. If the vehicle has a pull or a drift just remember over 90% of the time pulls are caused by uneven tire wear. The alignment causes uneven wear, but the pull is caused by the tire. So, if you are correcting a pull, get an alignment then have tires rotated or replaced. Lastly, on a side note, alignments do not cause a vibration. If you have a vibration, it is caused by the tires, wheel balance, or other problems. A misaligned vehicle does not cause vibration. Come see us at White’s Automotive Center if you have any questions. You can reach us at (706) 323-1060 or visit our website at whitesautomotive.com.
