I drive 30K miles a year and rotate my tires every 6K miles or so. When should I do my first alignment? About how often should I need to have an alignment done after that?

 

you'll want to pay attention to how your tires wear.
rotating them every 6k miles is great practice because one can spot funny wear quickly.

alignments are expensive and i wouldnt want to do one just because.
so, if your wheels display a funny/uneven wear pattern, it might be time for an alignment.

p.s. the correct way to do a tire rotation is bring the front wheels back, and criss cross the rear wheels to the front.
this will ensure proper wear between all 4 tires.


edit* usually, alignment can get out of spec by hitting things. so, as long as you stay out of curbs, potholes, etc..the car should track straight for a long while.

 

Thanks! I don't rotate my tires myself and the shop I use suggests a rotation every time I bring the car in. I know they're just trying to make $$$ off me!

 

not quite!
if they're rotating them every 6k, they are performing basic maintenance.

be chummy with them and ask them to help you spot funny/irregular wear.

 

Or if the road surfaces in your area tend to be uneven, like lots of bumps on the road, raised or lowered manhole covers, etc. I love driving in Arizona as all the main roads are in great condition and the cars there should only need alignment every 10-12K miles. But periodic inspection of the tires, as previously recommended is good advice.

 

Observe for symptoms such as the aforementioned tire wear patterns. Or if the car pulls to one side, that's also an indication an alignment might be needed.

Some just do an alignment every time they purchase new tires, which is not unreasonable.

 

If you're ever in the southern Connecticut area, we just invested in a Hunter HawkEye alignment rack, Hunter Roadforce balancer, and Hunter Auto34 mount and balance machine.

And as others have said, look for uneven wear, that's an indicator you need an alignment.