Getting Is Straight: All You Need to Know About Vehicle Alignment

Our vehicles take a lot of wear and tear out there on the road. From frost heaves and potholes to speed bumps and inconveniently placed curbs, it can sometimes feel like an obstacle course where one moment of inattention can have you patting the dashboard and apologizing to your car. Sometimes these accidents are little more than a momentary, teeth-rattling shock, but even if there’s no obvious damage, they can have a noticeable effect in the long run, often leading to you searching for “auto alignments near me” online when things worsen. As you pick up knocks in everyday driving, your wheels are subtly thrown out of alignment. This can result in a number of issues behind the wheel, including unusual vibrations, drifting, and uneven tread wear that can prematurely age your tires.

Luckily today’s vehicles are built to take a lot of abuse, and there’s a foolproof way to negate the effect of all those knocks and jolts you’ve picked up while trying to simultaneously parallel park, tune the radio and sip your coffee. A vehicle alignment is done by adjusting a vehicle’s suspension, which affects the angle at which the vehicle’s tires meet both one another and the road itself. A properly aligned vehicle drives straighter and safer than an improperly aligned one and can also have a dramatic effect on your tire’s tread life. But just how is an alignment done? How often should a vehicle’s alignment be assessed, and is it a DIY undertaking or something best left to a trained mechanic? We’ll answer those questions and more in our guide to vehicle alignment.

What Is It?

In the most basic terms, an alignment involves squaring the vehicle’s wheels and axles so everything moves in the same direction, not subtly fighting against one another. This creates a safer and more responsive driving experience, as it’s easier for a properly aligned car to move in a straight line without pulling to one side. Alignment is accomplished by adjusting four specific suspension angles—toe, thrust, camber, and caster back to their factory settings. These angles are adjusted by a trained technician using some complex, and expensive machinery, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever find yourself performing your own alignment. Still, it can be helpful to be familiar with a few terms, especially when reviewing the print-out that typically accompanies every alignment, so we’ll take a moment to define these angles.

Toe is essentially the angle at which the wheel turns in or out when viewed from above. Think of the term “pigeon-toed” here and you’ll get the idea. Thrust compares the direction of the vehicle’s rear axle in relation to its centerline and ensures the front and rear axle are parallel to one another. Camber is how much the tires are angled inward or outward when viewed straight-on. Most vehicles are designed with a slightly inward camber or negative camber to improve stability, but too much negative or positive camber can be an issue. Lastly, Caster describes the forward or backward angle of a vehicle’s steering axis when viewed from the side. Too much caster means the steering axis will tilt towards the driver, and vice versa. A properly calibrated caster angle helps a vehicle move straight ahead and can often be gauged by how the steering wheel returns to the center position after making a turn.

Types of Alignments

Alignments are not a one-size-fits-all solution, as different vehicles require slightly different types of alignments. These break down into three basic categories, though a four-wheel adjustment is recommended in most cases.

• Front-End Alignment – A front-end alignment focuses solely on a vehicle’s front axle. While this is the simplest type of alignment out of the three, it’s quickly falling out of favor as most modern vehicles call for a four-wheel alignment. Vehicles with solid rear axles can get away with only having the front end aligned, but it’s the exception rather than the rule. A front-end alignment typically involves adjusting the vehicle’s toe, camber, and caster angles.
• Thrust Alignment – A thrust alignment is often performed in addition to a front-end alignment and is focused on correcting the vehicle’s thrust angle. Thrust angle alignments ensure the vehicle’s rear wheels and axle are both parallel to the front axle and perpendicular to the imaginary line running down the center of the vehicle. Again, this type of alignment is reserved for vehicles with solid rear axles and is almost always performed in conjunction with a front-end alignment.
• Four-Wheel Alignment – Due to the prevalence of independent rear suspensions, most of today’s vehicles require a four-wheel alignment. While such a treatment used to be reserved for four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicles like trucks and SUVs, even front-wheel drive vehicles with adjustable/independent rear suspensions are eligible for four-wheel alignment in most cases. A four-wheel alignment involves much of the same work performed during front-end and thrust alignment but adds a camber and toe adjustment on the rear wheels.

How Is It Done?

To answer this one quickly—by a very expensive machine. While a typical four-wheel alignment usually costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 to $150, a good alignment machine will run from $10,000 to $35,000 and often still requires the use of a pneumatic lift. Alignments are a task better left to the computer, and while it takes a trained technician to operate one and make adjustments, it’s about as far from an at-home DIY project as you can get.

The process begins with the mechanic using the alignment machine to compare the current state of your vehicle to the original factory specifications. They then make any necessary adjustments to the four suspension angles—camber, caster, toe, and thrust, referring to the alignment machine to see when each is brought within an acceptable range. Once the process is complete, they recalibrate the steering wheel to the center position before finally taking a short test drive where they can feel out any lingering issues. As long as the mechanic doesn’t run into any major obstacles, such as broken or worn-out components, the process should only take around an hour.

How Often?

Alignments can be all too easy to ignore—you’re never going to have a handy dashboard light pop on reminding you to get one, but that’s no excuse for neglecting the task altogether. The period between tire alignments can vary drastically based on a driver’s vehicle, driving habits, mileage, and road conditions. There’s really no easy one-size-fits-all answer to this particular question. That said, there are some useful guidelines that should provide a timetable to help you plan ahead.

Regardless of the vehicle, driving conditions, or the like, there’s one time you always need to spring for an alignment, and that’s when you’re getting new tires. Skipping an alignment during tire replacement will get your new treads off to a bad start as they’ll be prone to uneven wear and stress right from the get-go. Before long, these new tires will quickly start looking like the pair set you just replaced and will sink into all the same bad habits. Luckily most mechanics and tire shops tend to throw in an alignment as a free perk when you buy new tires, so there’s really no excuse to skip this vital aspect of vehicle maintenance.

Any big accident or an extended period of driving on excessively bumpy roads are two good occasions to consider advancing your alignment timetable. The impact of a major accident can have unforeseen consequences that extend far beyond a crumpled bumper or smashed headlight; the shock can easily knock a vehicle’s suspension out of alignment, especially in the area of the vehicle that took the brunt of the impact. A general vehicle check-up after a major accident is always a good idea and often necessary. Always make sure the alignment is addressed on any such occasion.

Short of a major accident or buying new tires, recommendations for the time between vehicle alignments vary widely. Some experts advocate getting a vehicle aligned every other oil change, between 10,000 to 14,000 miles, while others say every two to three years will suffice. Again, it all depends on driving conditions, frequency, and personal habits, so there’s really no one-size-fits-all answer here. That said, there are a few warning signs to look out for if you suspect you may be overdue for an alignment. These include uneven tread wear, a tendency for the vehicle to pull to the left or right while driving, a steering wheel that’s uncentered when driving in a straight line, and excessive steering wheel vibrations.

Need an Alignment? We Got You Covered

Have the Colorado roads taken their toll on your vehicle’s alignment? Stop by any of Faricy Chrysler Jeep locations today, and we’ll get you straightened out in no time. Our state-of-the-art service department is staffed by a team of friendly, knowledgeable mechanics who work hard to ensure you’re always just as satisfied with your vehicle as you were the day you drove it off the lot. With an expansive knowledge base and expertise that extends far beyond the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram models sold at the dealership, we’re ready to take on any challenge, from alignments, tire rotations, and oil changes up to complete transmission replacements.

We strive to offer a stress-free, comfortable experience for all of our customers, which is why we offer some of the best amenities, including free Wi-Fi, a kid’s play area, a quiet room, a free beverage and coffee bar, and complimentary snacks. Don’t have time to wait around? We offer rentals for longer jobs and an early-bird drop-off for busy commuters. Whether you need expert service at a fair price or are interested in exploring some of the exciting new offerings from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and more, stop by Faricy Chrysler Jeep today!