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Wheel Alignments...
What Even Are They?
Wheel Alignments are an often overlooked service essential to keep your vehicle running in tip top shape. When your vehicle was made, all wheel angles were optimally aligned. As you drive over imperfect roads, these angles are shifted and the wheels become misaligned. The goal of an alignment is to re-adjust the angles of your wheels to each other, and to the road.
Why Do I Need A Wheel Alignment?
Regular wheel alignments can improve fuel economy (misaligned tyres can decrease fuel mileage by up to 10% as the tyres drag rather than roll freely), improve handling, provide a smoother ride, ensure better vehicle safety and are essential for even tyre wear, which will give your tyres a longer life.
What Even Is A Wheel Alignment?
It is an adjustment of your suspension system (the parts that connect your wheels to your car). During a wheel alignment we first test drive the vehicle, we then place it on a special hoist and attach equipment to each wheel. The wheel alignment machine then uses lasers and cameras to pinpoint the current angle of the tyres (which affects how they contact with the road and behave over bumps, around corners). We then carry out adjustments to the vehicle suspension according to manufactures specification. Our mechanics always finish the job by taking the vehicle for a test drive and make sure it feels right too!
What Causes Misalignment?
As you drive across our New Zealand roads, all those pot holes, cracks, and debris slowly (or sometimes quickly!) cause your tyre angles to change. In cases where you go over large potholes, objects, or get into an accident - your suspension can get out of alignment among other possible damages to your vehicle's components.
How Do I Know If I Need A Wheel Alignment?
It is recommended to get a wheel alignment:
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When fitting new tyres
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Every 12 months (or every 10,000kms - whichever comes first)
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After the replacement of any steering or suspension parts
It is also recommended to get a wheel alignment if you've
noticed one or more of these:
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Uneven tread wear
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Vehicle pulling to the left or right
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Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight
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Steering wheel vibration
How Long Should The Wheel Alignment Last?
There is no magic number for how long your alignment will last. It comes down to how and where you drive your vehicle. Vehicles that have been driven hard over speed bumps or rough roads will have more frequent misalignments, while the alignments on car driven more conservatively should be less frequent, barring any incidents
Camber, Toe, Caster and Ride Height
When our technicians check your wheel alignment, we are mainly concerned with 4 things - Camber, Toe, Caster and Ride Height.
Camber - This is the inward or outward angle of the tyre when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Too much inward or outward tilt, also known as negative and positive camber, respectively, indicates improper alignment and will need to be adjusted. Worn bearings, ball joints, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment.
Toe
Distinct from camber alignment, toe alignment is the extent to which your tyres turn inward or outward when viewed from above. If that’s confusing, just stand up and look down at your feet. Angle them inward toward the center of your body. When the tyres on your car are angled the same way (remember, we’re thinking in terms of birds-eye-view), we call this toe-in alignment. Angle your feet outward and you have toe-out alignment. Both require adjustment.
Caster
Caster - Your caster angle helps balance steering, stability, and cornering. Specifically, it’s the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of your vehicle. If you have positive caster, the steering axis will tilt toward the driver. Negative caster, on the other hand, means the steering axis tilts toward the front of your vehicle.
Ride Height
Ride Height - Ride height is the distance between the vehicle's body and the road and is the starting point for all alignment measurements. If you customize your vehicle (raising or lowering the chassis), get your tyres aligned afterwards. The same rule applies when you change your tyre size
What Are Some Symptoms Of A Bad Wheel Alignment?
Often our mechanics will let you know you are due a wheel alignment. That is because they have felt the vehicle not quite right on a test drive or they have spotted one or more of the following on your car tyres:
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Feathering - tyres are feathered when the tread is smooth or worn down on one side and sharp on the other. This is usually a sign of improper alignment settings.
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Camber wear - This strain of tread wear means the inside or outside of the tread is significantly more worn than the center of the tread. Positive camber (tilting outward) is usually helpful to keep recreational vehicles stable, while negative camber (tilting inward) helps high-performance vehicles turn in. While some positive or negative camber is good, too much of either is bad.
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Heel and toe wear - Imagine your tread then zoom in. The individual sections are called tyre 'tread blocks'. When one side of a tread block appears to be wearing down faster than the other in your tyres rolling direction, its called heel and toe wheel. A symptom can be noise or vibration.
Is A Wheel Alignment The Same As Tyre Balance?
Many assume that wheel balancing and alignment are the same things. They're not. Tyre balancing ensures that weight is equally distributed around the tyre so it rotates evenly at higher speeds, while wheel alignment ensures that your tyres are correctly angled.
How Much Does A Wheel Alignment Cost?
$79 for a standard car or $99 for performance vehicle/ large vehicle/European vehicle or 4WD vehicle. Shim wheel alignments (mostly older vehicles) $POA
