Wheel Alignment and Balancing
The cheapest thing you can do to make a set of tyres last longer is stop the car pulling and get the steering wheel sitting straight again.
ALIGNMENT
What a Wheel Alignment Actually Does
Your wheels are supposed to sit at very precise angles relative to the road and to each other. Hit a pothole, clip a kerb, drive enough gravel, fit a lift kit or simply cover enough kilometres, and those angles drift out of specification.
When they do, your tyres are dragged sideways every metre you drive. It feels like a car that wanders, pulls to one side, or has a steering wheel sitting off-centre, and it looks like tyres worn out on one edge months before they should be.
The Three Angles We Set
| TOE | Whether the wheels point slightly inward or outward when viewed from above. The angle is most likely to be out, and the one that scrubs tyres fastest, even a small toe error can destroy a set of tyres. |
|---|---|
| CAMBER | The inward or outward lean of the wheel viewed from the front. Too much negative camber wears the inside edge; too much positive wears the outside. |
| CASTER | The forward or backwards tilt of the steering axis. Controls straight-line stability and how well the steering self-centres after a corner. |
When You Should Get an Alignment
- Whenever you fit new tyres — protecting a new set is the whole point.
- After any suspension or steering work — shocks, springs, bushes, tie rods, ball joints.
- After fitting a lift kit or lowering a vehicle — this one is not optional.
- If the car pulls to one side on a flat road.
- If you can see uneven wear on the tyre edges.
- Alignment vs balancing — they are different jobs.
Alignment vs Balancing — They Are Different Jobs
Wheel Alignment
Adjusts the suspension angles so the wheels point where they should. Fixes pulling, wandering, off-centre steering and uneven wear across the tread.
Wheel Balancing
Adds small weights to the rim so the wheel and tyre assembly spins without vibration. Fixes shaking through the steering wheel or seat at highway speed.
You can need one, the other, or both. We will tell you which.
Fitting New Tyres?
Ask us about doing an alignment at the same time. It is far cheaper than replacing tyres you have scrubbed out early, and everything is already off the ground.
Lifted Your 4x4?
Changing ride height changes every suspension angle on the vehicle. A lift without an alignment is the fastest way to ruin a brand new set of all-terrains. Book it in with the lift, not six months later.
Wheel Alignment
Adjusts the suspension angles so the wheels point where they should. Fixes pulling, wandering, off-centre steering and uneven wear across the tread.
Wheel Balancing
Adds small weights to the rim so the wheel and tyre assembly spins without vibration. Fixes shaking through the steering wheel or seat at highway speed.
Alignment vs Balancing — They Are Different Jobs
You can need one, the other, or both. We will tell you which.
READING YOUR TYRES
What the Wear Pattern Is Telling You
Not sure what you are looking at? Take a photo and bring it in, or just drive in, we will look at it for you.
| WHAT YOU SEE | LIKELY CAUSE | FIX |
|---|---|---|
| Worn on both outer edges, good in the middle | Chronic under-inflation | Correct pressures and check monthly. |
| Worn in the middle, good on the edges | Over-inflation | Set to the placard pressure |
| Worn on one edge only | Camber or toe out of specification | Wheel alignment |
| Feathered—sharp on one side of each tread block | Toe error | Wheel alignment |
| Cupped or scalloped patches around the tyre | Worn shocks or unbalanced wheels | Suspension inspection and balancing |
| Flat spot in one place | Heavy braking or a locked wheel | Replace the tyre; check brakes and ABS. |
Alignment Questions
How long does an alignment take?
Typically around an hour for a straightforward vehicle. Older or heavily modified vehicles with seized adjusters can take longer, we will tell you if we run into that rather than surprise you at the counter.
Do you do four-wheel alignments?
Yes. On most modern vehicles all four wheels are measured, because rear axle angles affect how the vehicle tracks just as much as the front. Some older vehicles with a solid rear axle only need the front adjusted.
My steering wheel is crooked, but the car drives straight. Does that matter?
Yes. It usually means the toe is set incorrectly on each side, they are cancelling each other out for straight-line travel, but the tyres are still being scrubbed. An alignment straightens the wheel and stops the wear.
Can you align a lifted 4x4?
Yes, and it is important. Lift kits change camber and caster significantly, and some vehicles need adjustable components to bring them back into specification. We will tell you what your vehicle needs.
Book a Wheel Alignment
Especially worth doing when you fit new tyres. Call the workshop and we will find you a time.
