How Long Does An Alignment Take
Despite what many people think, alignment is not a difficult job. If you are someone who has always wanted to learn how to do your own car work or just want to save some money on the cost of getting your car’s alignment done at a mechanic, this article is for you.
In this article, I will teach you how to do everything from jacking up your car, getting the proper measurements done and what to do after the alignment. So let’s get started!
What Is Alignment Procedure
The main goal of a regular alignment is to make sure the tires lie perpendicular to the ground and are running in a straight line with one another. This means that the front end should be pulled to 1 side or other, while the rear wheels should remain unpulled. The exact angles will vary from car model to car model, but you should always follow your car’s manual for those details.
Tires Alignment is also known as ‘tire rotation.’
You must measure the angles of your wheels. Otherwise, if you do something wrong, it will be impossible to correct it.
How Long Does Your Tire Alignment Take
Four-Wheel Alignment
The most comprehensive type of tire alignment, usually performed at dealerships, involves all four wheels. If you are not sure if your car needs it, you should always ask for an inspection to make sure.
Most cars can be aligned using the Four-Wheel Alignment method, and there are several benefits for doing so:
Benefits
It gives your steering wheel a straighter look. It ensures that your tires are wearing evenly. It can help you save some money on fuel.
Don’t let the last reason sway your decision, though. If you have your alignment checked regularly, it should not be a problem.
Also, if you are doing this yourself, I recommend that you jack up the car on both sides of the front end and measure the angles. Some vehicles have the front end divided into two separate parts, and that can be very confusing.
Alignment Angle Measurement
If you want to perform a Four-Wheel Alignment, you will need an angle finder or a protractor so you can read those angles and adjust them appropriately.
If your car is equipped with an electronic system to measure these angles, it will be much easier as it takes all the guesswork out of this process.
You should look for the ‘Z’ marking on your tires if they came with directional treads (usually found on front-wheel-drive cars). This is the zero-degree angle that will tell you where to position your vehicle.
On a tire with a directional tread, there should be an arrow indicating how the tires are meant to run.
Front-Wheel Drive Vehicles
When dealing with Front Wheel Drive vehicles, you should always jack up the car on both sides and measure the angles at all four wheels.
If you are dealing with a Rear Wheel Drive vehicle, only jack up one side of it and measure that angle.
Once you have performed your measurements, make sure to place the protractor where the tire meets the ground so you can check for poor tire angles.
If the angle falls under 1 degree, it is considered to be within tolerances. Anything over 1 degree will require adjustments for the tires to run straight.
Two-Wheel Alignment
The two-wheel alignment is usually performed on the rear end of a car. There are two benefits to doing it like that:
It is an excellent way to test your Four-Wheel Alignment if you have already measured the angles using a protractor. It makes life much easier when just one person is working on it
A Lot Of People Make This Mistake!
When performing a Two-Wheel Alignment, you need to ensure that all four wheels are off the ground. If not, your measurements will be wrong, and it will end up affecting the tires’ alignment as well.
In this type of alignment, there is no need to measure anything as you can simply adjust the rear-end of the car with your hands.
Measure The Angle
If you are performing a Two-Wheel Alignment, you need to ensure that all four wheels are off the ground. If not, your measurements will be wrong, and it will end up affecting the tires’ alignment as well.
There is no need for measuring in this type of alignment, as you can simply adjust the rear-end of the car with your hands.
Toe-n-Go Alignment
If you’ve spent enough time around cars, the chances are that at some point in your life, you’re going to need to perform a two-wheel alignment. Sure, there might be someone around who can help out, but if not, here’s how it’s done:
This type of alignment only affects the rear tire, so it should be pretty straightforward.
You’re going to need a couple of tools for the job:
A chisel A tire iron or screwdriver An adjustable wrench or pliers A jack, two jack stands, and safety bars if you don’t feel comfortable working under the car
Start by removing your rear wheels so you can get at your tires quickly. Then use your pliers, wrench, or screwdriver to remove the bolts that hold your brake drums in place.
Remove The Drums
Start by removing your rear wheels so you can get at your tires quickly. Then use your pliers, wrench, or screwdriver to remove the bolts that hold your brake drums in place.
Once you have removed both halves of your brake drums, all you have to do is use the adjusting bolt on the axle or any other screw that you can find in there. It will be near where the rubber boot attaches to the wheel.
Then simply turn the bolt clockwise until it becomes too tight for you to tighten it anymore. The idea is that once all four wheels are on the ground, the back end of your car has already been turned in a clockwise direction.
It’s usually a good idea to set your adjusters somewhere between 2 and 4 turns out from their initial position. Remember that you will have to tighten them up once all four wheels have been replaced!
What Can Make A Tire Alignment Take Longer
One of the biggest problems with performing a tire alignment is that you’re working under the car. As I said before, it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing!
Having A Good Partner
Another thing that makes this job take longer is dealing with your partner asking questions or wanting to help you. It’s better to have someone around that can hold your tools or do something else.
Before working on each tire, remember to check the tires’ air pressure because it will affect how long it takes you to perform a tire alignment.
If you want it done quickly, make sure both of your rear wheels are off the ground. Then simply adjust the rear-end of the car with your hands until they are straight.
When setting up for a two-wheel alignment, it’s essential to ensure that all four wheels are off the ground. If not, your measurements will be wrong, and it will end up affecting the tires’ alignment as well.
Different Types Of Vehicles can Take Longer to Align
The most significant effect on how long an alignment will take is undoubtedly the type of vehicle being worked on. For example, a sport-utility car needs a more complicated alignment because of the additional weight in its suspension.
More oversized heavy vehicles take longer because they have more severe suspensions and much larger dimensions than smaller cars. Also, front-wheel-drive vehicles will usually take much longer to align than the rear-wheel or four-wheel drive ones.
When performing a tire alignment on any vehicle, it’s essential to evenly weight the car distributed between all four wheels. If you’re working on something really heavy and one wheel is touching the ground, you will probably need to use ramps or a jack stand to get that wheel up higher than the others.
What Can Affect Tire Alignment
One thing that can affect how well your alignment turns out is the quality of the tire you’re using. If you want to ensure that you get the best possible results, use high-quality tires like Bridgestone or Firestone.
The first thing that can affect your tire alignment is your speedometer cable being off a little bit. Maybe it wasn’t calibrated right when your car was assembled, or perhaps it had some sort of accident. Either way, it can affect your tire alignment if the cable isn’t in good condition.
If you’re driving down the road and suddenly feeling that something is wrong with how your vehicle is moving, you better check to make sure that everything’s alright with your tires. If they are out of balance, it can affect the feel of your ride and make it seem not so smooth.
Why Tire Alignment Is Important
Your car’s alignment is critical because the tire’s tread should be kept in good condition for as long as possible. If someone doesn’t take care of their vehicle by getting a regular alignment, the tires will wear out much sooner than they would otherwise.
When a tire is wearing out, the tread will start to curl over to one side or another making it dangerous because you lose your grip on the road when driving. In some extreme cases where someone has neglected their alignment for a long time, they might notice that the tires are starting to wear down in the center!
A car’s alignment is essential for several reasons. First, it affects how well your car turns and stops. Driving with a tire that has incorrect measurements can affect how it performs in both these areas tremendously.
When you’re going down the road and all of a sudden have to make a turn or stop fast, having bad tires can be dangerous, especially if you’re not prepared for it.
Your car’s alignment is critical because the tires’ tread should be kept in good condition for as long as possible. If someone doesn’t take care of their vehicle by getting a regular alignment, the tires will wear out much sooner than they would otherwise.
When a tire is wearing out, the tread will start to curl over to one side or another making it dangerous because you lose your grip on the road when driving. In some extreme cases where someone has neglected their alignment for a long time, they might notice that the tires are starting to wear down in the center!
Conclusion
If you’re planning on getting a tire alignment for your car, make sure that you pick the right shop to go to. It’s essential to go somewhere with experienced mechanics who can accurately adjust your tires’ measurements properly.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! If there’s something about the process you don’t understand, then ask the mechanic, and they should clarify it for you. If there’s a specific aspect of your car’s alignment that you want them to check on, then let them know so they can get started looking for any problems.
FAQ’s
Q. How often should I get my tires aligned?
A. This depends on how well your alignment is in the first place and what you’re driving like. If your car isn’t in perfect condition, then it’s advisable to go back in sooner than if your alignment is good with no problems whatsoever.
Often people will find that they don’t need to go back in far enough because the problems will just come right back after getting it done.
If you notice that your tires are wearing down faster than usual, then the problem might have something to do with how your alignment is looking.
Q. How much does a tire alignment cost?
A. Typically, the costs of getting a tire alignment done will vary from place to place. However, on average, expect to pay somewhere around $50 for this process if you get it done at an auto repair shop like NTB.
When you get your tires aligned and suddenly notice that your car is driving better than before, this might indicate that you got a lousy alignment early, and having the measurements fixed made a real difference in how your car feels.