Your suspension has a difficult job, and it can’t do it correctly if the wheels are out of alignment. Considering how inexpensive it is to get a wheel alignment and balance, Earnhardt Lexus service technicians definitely encourage you to be safe rather than sorry.

What Is Wheel Alignment?

When your vehicle was made, the wheels were adjusted to track in a straight line with the car. This ensures that your tires roll in tandem. Over time, bumps and bounces can throw them off track. Then the wheels are pulling against the suspension and steering. This is subtle for a long time before people realize that it is harming their driving safety, their tires and/or their suspension and steering.

Using a combination of advanced equipment and skill, an Earnhardt Lexus technician can get the wheels to track straight again. This can correct and prevent bigger problems as you will see from these questions and answers about wheel alignment.

Six Questions And Answers About Car Wheel Alignment

1. How Often Should You Have A Wheel Alignment?

Your owner’s manual can tell you how often a wheel alignment is needed, but here are some simple questions that can point you in the right direction. Your Earnhardt Lexus service technician keeps a log on every service item that we perform. If you aren’t sure when you had your last alignment, call our service center to find out.

2. How Does Wheel Alignment Affect Steering?

Your steering won’t be right if alignment is off. If there’s no traffic around you, you can test for a pull by taking your hands off the wheel. Poor alignment can cause an accident by delaying steering response. Your Lexus technician can evaluate both steering and alignment, unlike some drive-through alignment shops. The faster the problem is corrected, the less damage it can do to your power steering system.

3. How Does Wheel Alignment Affect Your Tires?

If your tires aren’t rolling flat, then they are getting damaged unnecessarily. They may be splayed out or bowed in. This is another case where the faster you get an alignment, the less expensive the damage will be. You will be able to keep your tires longer if the alignment is correct. Your service technician may use your damaged tires to diagnose wheel alignment problems. Before you buy new tires, make sure to have your tires checked by our service department. Alignment may be necessary or you may ruin your next set of tires very quickly and unnecessarily.

4. How Can A Minor Accident Affect Wheel Alignment?

Let’s suppose you hit a stationary object and jar the vehicle. Or, you hit another car but the damage is light. In either case, you may have knocked the vehicle out of alignment. It is important to have your wheels checked by a qualified mechanic to see if the accident has caused damage that you can’t see. Obviously if you have had a major accident, you should have a professional wheel alignment before you resume driving the vehicle.

5. Does Bad Wheel Alignment Hurt Front Tires More Than Rear Tires?

Yes. The front tires tend to have more problems with alignment. They take the lead every day and endure more of the punishment that the road has to offer. However, rear tires may also get out of alignment for the reasons mentioned here.

6. Why Choose An Auto Dealership For Wheel Alignment?

Each suspension type requires a specific process. A wishbone suspension will be handled differently from a four-wheel suspension Front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive will need to be factored into the alignment. This is why the best alignments are done by service departments with highly trained mechanics. At Earnhardt Lexus service department, our technicians have been trained to handle Lexus and many other brands in an expert fashion. Since our techs know much more than tires and alignments, they can see problems that tire/alignment-only technicians simply won’t recognize.

Wheel Alignment Checklist

Now that you know more, please reach out to our service department for more information. This website makes it easy to schedule an appointment. online now. Of course, you are welcome to call during service hours.