Wheel Alignment
Also called wheel setting or tracking
Alignment sets the angles at which the wheels meet the road. Potholes, kerb strikes and hard speed bumps knock these angles out, which makes the car pull, leaves the steering wheel off centre, and scrubs tread off the edge of a tyre within a few thousand kilometres. Alignment does not fix vibration at speed, which is a balancing problem, and it cannot correct angles held out by worn suspension joints.
Signs you need this
- Car drifts to one side on a level, straight road
- Steering wheel sits crooked while driving straight
- Tread worn off the inner or outer edge of one tyre
- Steering feels heavier or vaguer after hitting a pothole
- New tyres wearing out faster than expected
Not all of these have to be present, and one of them on its own can mean something else entirely. That is what the diagnosis is for.
What the job includes
- Checking tyre pressures and condition before measuring anything
- Inspecting tie rods, ball joints and bushes for play that would invalidate the setting
- Measuring the current angles against the manufacturer's figures
- Adjusting the angles that are adjustable on your car
- A before and after printout and a road test on a straight stretch
How we do it
Check the basics
Pressures and tyre condition are corrected first, because an under-inflated tyre gives a false alignment reading.
Inspect the joints
Worn tie rod ends, ball joints or bushes are found now, since alignment will not hold on loose components.
Measure and adjust
Current angles are measured against the manufacturer's figures and the adjustable ones are brought back into range.
Road test and print
We drive a straight stretch to confirm the steering sits central, and hand you the before and after readings.
How we work
The same on every job, which is why we can write it down.
Diagnosis before quote
We find the fault first. A price given over the phone for a noise nobody has heard is a guess.
The price is agreed first
You approve the work and the cost before a spanner is picked up. Extra work means another call.
Parts you can check
We tell you whether a part is genuine, OEM, aftermarket or used, and what each one costs.
Old parts returned
Ask and we will hand back whatever we replaced. It is the simplest proof that the job was done.
Book wheel alignment
Fill this in and a person will call you back to confirm the time and the price. Only your name and one way to reach you are required.
You send this
Takes a minute. No payment, no obligation.
We call you
To confirm the car, the time and the location.
Tell us the car and the symptom
We will arrange a mechanic at your location, or a slot at the nearest workshop. No payment until the price is agreed.