The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

Well I just replaced all 4 tires, should I get a 4 wheel alignment even though the car seems to drive straight just to ensure they wear evenly?

datzdaboi

Yes

frenchnew

What do the old tire look like?

Are they worn evenly across ?

I just had brand new tires on my 2005 installed at my dealer and the advisor did suggest an alignment but after inspection with the mechanic, none was required as the tires were worned evenly.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

There's the answer. If the tires that are being replaced were wearing fine across the tread and not uneven, no need for an alignment. Check the tires before purchase, and if an alignment is necessary, have one done before buying/having the new tires installed, unless you're purchasing the tires at a facility that is able to also do the alignment. You don't need to put new tires on before an alignment, as that will not change the suspension geometry.

mishar

Yes. Alignment should be checked even more often, but at least when you change tires. Even if old tires are evenly worn-out you don’t need that new ones show that alignment recently went off. Alignment is cheaper.

trancemission

well in my opinion if your car drives straight then why waste the money? If any of your camber or caster or toe is out then I have this feeling you would know.

meh, its your 80 bucks.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Sorry, but must repeat, why get an alignment if the previous tires are wearing correctly? Alignment won't just go out on it's own, unless you hit something or the suspension parts become worn. If the tires are fine, why pay the extra money and chance having some Bozo screw up the alignment?
On our Jeeps, I've had an alignment once in a total of 330,000 miles, and at that time they adjusted the toe incorrectly and I needed to readjust a week later. FYI-I've gotten 100,000 miles on each of the sets of Michelin LTX tires with no uneven wear.

Keep it simple and cost effective, no alignment unless it's needed!

mishar

Unless it’s needed…

How hard you have to hit something in order to spoil your alignment and how long all suspension parts can be in perfect condition? Do you need your new tires to give an answer to those questions, or it would be cheaper to check your alignment?

By the way, we are not talking about Jeep here, and I believe that no max performance tires will last 100 K. As a matter of fact you can kill them within months with wrong alignment.

Of course Bozo is not included.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

OK-How about our modified RX-7 Turbo we purchased new. It now has 187,000 miles and never had an alignment, and the Toyo tires (TS1)on the front are wearing evenly, but the rears don't last very long. Can't rotate as the rears are much larger. How about the wifes's 1993 Z-24 we purchased new years ago. Sold it with 172,000 miles and never an alignment.
Don't get an alignment unless it's needed.

mishar

And how do you know that it’s needed unless you check it?

trancemission

you would know because your car wouldnt track straight. believe me if any of the numbers are in the red bad enough for you to get an alignment you would know. Now if he is lowered and these are new wheels and tires, then yes I would. but for just new tires on a car thats been tracking fine to begin with? no way...

so are you saying that he should just spend 80 bucks for peace of mind?? sounds ridiculous if you ask me

unless hes got a wad of cash in his pocket I wouldnt do it. this is from a guy whose got like 6 alignments in about 8 months. that was trying to get my suspension all dialed it and having a constant pull to the right. well the last one was a funny attempt at me installing camber kit and driving it to the dealer with my steering wheel turned to the right.

but now that is all ok, I see no reason to get another one simply because I get new tires. just my opinion.....

mishar

No. It is for a peace of wallet. Especially if it is not too tick.

Let me put it this way. You put $1000 tires at risk in order to save $80 for alignment. You are lucky and everything is fine. Then with next set of tires too. And next, and next… You need to be lucky 13 times in order to brake even. Than, with your fourteenth set of tires you finally run out of luck and kill them in no time. To buy new ones you have to spend all money saved and to add $40 for an alignment. Now, you can say: who is going to change 13 sets of tires? But your lucky number can be two or three…

Regarding one knowing that his or hears alignment is off, no, most of people wouldn’t know before somebody tell them that their tires are wearing unevenly. You are one who did 6 alignments thinking that something is off and as far as I can see you know about cars. I would expect at least 6 opposite situations, that people need alignment and that they won’t do it.

By the way, this is from a guy who paid for his last alignment back there in 1989. Since than I am doing it myself. All you need is some knowledge, couple of wrenches and at least one good eye. But don’t try that at home. It can be costly.

01tl4tl

The only way to really know whats happening with the tires and how they contact the ground is pyrometer readings across the face of the tread after some hot laps
Uneven temps tell the truth- so unless you have infra-red vision, looking at the tires is not a reliable judge of alignment

With potholes and freeway construction and wearing of the shocks- alignment with new tires is the best money you can spend-
When buying everything together, the shop should do it for much less the 80 bucks- many will do a check for free- its all lasers and computers now.
My local place does alignment included with every 4 tire purchase- they dont want you to have problems or blame the tires for any probs

Wheel Works does a FREE laser check and then if out of spec you can do the align, its already on the rack set to go

Spend a few $ now and have peace of mind

I wont rotate the tires without taking them in for balance- and yes I take all 4 off and
put them in the truck- I trust no-one near my very expensive brake rotors!

mishar

I agree with that. It may be easier to do that after some fast highway driving and serious braking before measuring temperatures. It should be easy to do with one of those laser temperature gadgets. They are quite accurate. I have to try that.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Depending on the configuration of the track, not all tires will be the same temperature after a hard run, nor will they be the same temp across the tread, and the hotter tire temp, or variation doesn't necessarily mean the vehicle is out of alignment.

If you can't tell by looking at the wear pattern of the tires that the vehicle needs an alignment, I guess you had better get an alignment every 6 months to be sure.

mishar

You are right about tire temperatures after hot lap on a track. But if you drive fast on a highway and break before measuring you should get very similar temperatures across the tire width. They should be corresponding to the wear and can be useful in timely detecting wrong alignment.

I don’t see the point in going to extremes with alignment. Once every new set of tires would be quite fine.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I agree that an alignment with new tires can't hurt anything, unless the alignment equipment is out of spec, which most might not believe could happen. Over my years I've had alignments done at various facilities and found two shops where the machines were not set properly. Just one example. I had a Seville and a Buick done at the same facility within a few days of one another and within 3 months, both vehicles experienced left front tire wear on the outside. Took the Buick back, put it up on the rack, and it showed that the settings were perfect. Took it to the owners other facility and the camber was out of spec and had to be reset. Found the same problem with wheel balancing equipment over the years.

I know it's unusual, but it does happen, and once again this is why I'm a firm believer in that if the tires that are being replaced show no uneven wear, don't get and alignment.

trancemission

I did six alignments because I put springs and shocks on. Then a camber kit. My car kept settling. Plus I had a constant pull to the right that we finally figured out it was the tires. I could also tell by looking at the back wheels that my camber was way negative. which in some cases isnt all that bad. But it just took a while for me to get it right.

If I got new tires for a stock TL that had been driving perfectly the entire time i had the tires on them, then put a set of the same size tires on and drive the car to find its still driving perfectly straight? I dont need peace of wallet after that. To me its just common sense not to spend the money.. But like I said, if hes got 80 bucks then spend it, its his money. Acura has the Hunter machine. That does a pretty good job......

ccanders80

just to let all of you know, I am having a HUGE problem with Acura now....see if any of you can figure it out.....

First, I get new tires and rims for my 05 TL.....I get bigger rims, but smaller tires...obviously keeping my overall diameter same to keep with specs....all of a sudden my car pulls to right all the time...get it checked by acura and they say its my tires....alignment shows all is aligned correctly (except for the mysterious toe which is out EVERY time I go there--does it on its own I guess)-----

then I take it to Tire Kingdom and their CPU shows my alignment is off, in some places more than 1.5 degrees!...which they say is unadjustable even with a camber kit, and my frame must be bent???....

so go back to acura and they put on OEM acura tires and rims and let me test drive...car is fine...but with my rims and tires it pulls right (even with new tires repalced since thought old ones were defective--so this is with 8 diff tires!).....so it must be rims right? or for some reason TL's do not like aftermarket rims? please somebody bless me with their knowledge....

ccanders80

oh yeah...I did go WIDER in tire...but that shouldnt matter much right? I have a 235 now in width...forgot what OEM was?

frenchnew

So exactly the same size as original 235/45-17

mishar

More information might help:

- Where OEM tires all seasons or high performance summer?
- What are the specs of your new rims (width, offset)?
- Are they aligning rears too?
- Is your ride lowered?

Will Y.

Make sure your tire pressures are properly adjusted to spec cold, and check to make sure all the tires and rims are the proper size (really!).
It sounds like either a bent rim or defective tire otherwise. Try switching the new tires front to rear-- that may isolate the problem tire/wheel combo if the steering improves when a bad tire/rim is sent to the back. A tire shop should be able to diagnose bent rim or bad tire (or both).