Jeep Alignment

What Is an Alignment?

An alignment can have different names. You may have heard of it as a tire alignment or a wheel alignment. These are all basically the same thing. At some point, your Jeep’s wheels are not all pointed in the same direction. This can cause it to pull to one side when you drive, shake and shimmy when you hit the brakes, and cause the tires to become unevenly worn. This can be caused by usual wear and tear over time. It can also happen as a result of hitting potholes and ruts in the road. You also may cause your Jeep to go out of alignment by cutting a turn too close and tapping the curb. In addition, a front-end collision can cause your Jeep to go out of alignment. In order to get it back to driving optimally, you need to bring it to our service center to get it aligned.

Even though this procedure is often called a wheel alignment, it actually involves more than just working on your Jeep’s wheels. The process involves all four wheels, as well as the front and rear suspension systems. The technician will check three different things on your Jeep. The camber is the angle of the front wheels on your Jeep, while the caster is the way the wheels point when viewed from the side of your vehicle. The toe is the tilt of your Jeep’s wheels when viewed from above the vehicle. Finally, the thrust is the angle of the rear axle in relation to the front axle, a crucial area in four-wheel drive Jeeps. The technician will make sure the camber, caster, and toe are adjusted on each wheel and that the thrust is correct on your Jeep so that it will perform correctly. Our service center has specialized equipment that can measure alignment to within fractions of a degree.

How Long Does an Alignment Take?

Jeep alignments should take no more than an hour under normal circumstances. If the wheels and axles on your Jeep are not too badly out of alignment, our technician should be able to make the necessary adjustments to the camber, caster, and toe on the wheels, and check the axle thrust in a very efficient and effective manner. This is why you can wait in our lounge for a short time period in most cases.

However, if your Jeep has been out of alignment for a significant period of time, or if there is damage that has been caused by having your wheels and axles out of alignment, then the procedure may be more involved. This can necessitate adjustments to the suspension system and axles that may require a few more hours to correct.

Whatever the circumstances, our staff will keep you informed of the process and give you an accurate prediction of the time our technician will need to have your Jeep properly aligned. If you need to leave your Jeep overnight, we can arrange for a loaner vehicle, depending on availability. Nevertheless, in general, the entire alignment process should take a very short period of time.

What Happens If You Don’t Get an Alignment?

Driving a Jeep that is not properly aligned can cause a number of problems. First, you are going to go through your set of tires a lot more quickly than you will if you have your wheels and axles properly aligned. This is because poor alignment causes greater and uneven wear on your tires. When you compare the cost of a new set of tires to that of an alignment, you can see why it pays to bring your Jeep in for an alignment at the first sign of trouble.

Wheels that are not properly aligned also require a greater stopping distance. This can have two major effects. First, it will put greater wear and tear on your brakes, so you may need to get the pads replaced on your Jeep’s brakes sooner than you were hoping for. Second, having a greater stopping distance reduces your ability to avoid a collision. If someone stops short in front of your Jeep, you may not have the distance to brake properly on a set of misaligned wheels.

You are also going to see the impact on your fuel economy. Driving without proper alignment is less efficient, making your Jeep’s engine work harder. Finally, over time, not having a properly aligned Jeep will start to impact many of the working parts of your vehicle. You can begin to damage the axles, suspension, and brakes to the point where they need to be repaired or replaced. This is something that can be easily avoided by having your Jeep’s alignment checked and adjusted regularly when you stop in at The Faricy Boys.

Why Should You Get Your Alignment Done at The Faricy Boys?

If you have ever heard the phrase, “don’t try this at home,” then you should consider this when contemplating a Jeep alignment. In general, an alignment is a very precise repair where fractions of an inch can make the difference between optimal performance and trouble. This is especially so with Jeeps.

At The Faricy Boys, we have expert technicians who have the proper training and equipment to repair everything possible on a Jeep. Unlike most other passenger vehicles, the Jeep features a specialized suspension system with an advanced four-wheel drivetrain. This often involves features like transfer cases, locking differentials, and beadlock wheels. Your average service station might be able to do an adequate alignment job on a standard SUV or sedan, but they probably don’t have the full range of tools, training, and equipment to get the job done right when it comes to a Jeep.

We have over 75 years of experience serving drivers in Colorado. Over that time, our service center has developed an expertise in Jeep maintenance and repair that is second to none. We have seen it all and use that experience every day to make sure that our Jeep customers get the top service they require for their vehicles. This is especially so with alignments on Jeeps, which require a specialized set of equipment and know-how that we are proud to share with you. When you bring your Jeep to The Faricy Boys, you have the peace of mind that your alignment will be done right.

Come and Get an Alignment Done Today