When you think of your car’s safety features, don’t stop with brakes, traction control, and air bags. Wheels and tires play an important role, too! They help the car drive straight, turn corners, and stop reliably. To help achieve optimal performance, it’s important to have the wheels properly aligned.
WHAT’S THE COST OF WHEEL ALIGNMENT?
The national average for a complete wheel alignment service is between $50 to $168. Although, cost can vary depending on the service provider and the type of alignment.
Wheel alignment should be performed once a year, but it may be required more frequently, depending on your driving style and where you drive. Potholes, gravel, and off-roading can all be hard on your alignment. If you have questions about how often your car’s wheels require alignment, or when your next service should take place, just contact your local Jiffy Lube®. A trained technician will be ready to help.
LET’S TALK TIRE ALIGNMENT
This is the process of adjusting a car’s steering and suspension, making sure that the tires are connecting with the road surface at the proper angles.
Alignment also ensures that the car steers, rides, and handles as the manufacturer intended.
FACTORS THAT CAN IMPACT THE COST OF WHEEL ALIGNMENT
How much you pay for a wheel alignment can ride on the following factors:
The number of wheels
A front-end alignment (or two wheel alignment), which involves only the front two wheels, typically costs anywhere from $50 to $75. While a four wheel alignment costs more, usually $100 to $168.
Type of car
You may find that the answer to “how much is a wheel alignment” is higher for luxury cars. That’s because some vehicles require specialized equipment or have engineering designs that make the job more difficult and time consuming.
Additional services
While performing the alignment, the technician may find that more work — like tire balancing or car suspension repairs — is needed. Local labor costs and rates can also vary by city, state, provider, and technician.
DOES THE COST OF WHEEL ALIGNMENT SEEM EXPENSIVE?
Look at it this way: spending $100 or so on properly aligned tires may save you much more in costly repairs. That’s right: skipping this service could cause your tires, steering, and suspension to wear out prematurely. Improperly aligned tires can also result in reduced fuel economy, and who wants to pay more at the pump?
WHAT HAPPENS DURING ALIGNMENT?
To determine if you need a wheel alignment, the technician will take your car for a test drive to check for signs of alignment problems, such as:
- Shaking steering wheel
- Car shaking when driving
- Vehicle veers to the left or right when the steering wheel is in a resting position
Using an alignment machine and performing a visual inspection, the technician will then analyze the steering angles at three checkpoints.
Caster
This is the angle created by drawing an imaginary line between the steering mechanism’s upper and lower ball joints and affects the car’s steering so that it stays at the proper height and has more stability at higher speeds.
Camber
This is the angle between the horizontal road and the vertical tire. It determines how much of the tire tread meets the road and can impact how the tires wear.
Toe
This is the angle (or distance) between the leading edge of the tires and affects the wear of the tires and stability when turning.
The technician then compares the recorded angles with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
With the help of the alignment machine, the technician adjusts the caster, camber, and toe as needed until they are within the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended ranges.
Lastly, the car is taken on a final test drive to verify that the new adjustments are accurate and have corrected any pre-repair conditions.
WHY DOES AN ALIGNMENT MATTER?
There are several benefits to properly aligned tires, here’s what you should know.
- It helps your vehicle maintain better contact with the road’s surface, which extends tire life and improves traction on slick roads.
- It reduces tire rolling resistance and better absorbs road shock, resulting in improved gas mileage and a smoother ride on paved surfaces.
- And, during the alignment, your mechanic may discover worn steering and suspension parts, which provides an opportunity to service them before they turn into a costly or dangerous mechanical problem.
So now you know, having properly aligned tires can save you time, provide a smoother ride, and help keep you safer on the road.
