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Car Alignment Questions and Answers

This category contains featured questions as examples. They relate to most vehicles.

Question: 1997 Acura-3.5 RL 3.5 V6_mileage: 143,000. I just changed my tires and have to get both my front upper right and left control arms changed.  Should I wait till this is done to get a wheel alignment or can I do the alignment before the control arms are changed? 

Answer:  Sometimes replacement parts change the alignment slightly.  All of the front end components should be replaced first and then have the wheels aligned.

Question: 1996 Nissan Maxima 3.0 DOHC mileage: 55,000. I recently hit the curb pretty hard with the car. The tire didn't blow but it was enough to knock the car out of alignment. I took the car in for an alignment and they cannot seem to get it right. From what little knowledge I have on this subject I understand that there is only a camber and toe adjustment on the car. The car normally pulls slightly to the right and when I hit the gas, it really pulls to the right. The mechanic, according to the alignment machine, got the car at L .10 and R .10 for a total of .20 toe. Do you think that going a little more toe out will solve the problem or do you think it's something else?

Answer: Try rotating the tires front to back. Some tires can make a car pull to one side or the other. We have solved more pulling problems when the car has already been aligned by rotating the tires.

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Question: 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette Premiere V6 mileage: 29,000. Both my brother and I have 1999 Olds Silhouette Premiere Vans. He lives in Virginia and I live in Florida. His Olds mechanic told him his rear tires had some cupping and it is happening because a rear-end alignment has NOT been performed. My mechanic today said I have some cupping in my rear tires but they are wearing evenly. He said our model only has a front-end alignment- NO REAR-END ALIGNMENT. I'm completely confused. I didn't think a rear-end alignment was necessary unless it has 4 wheel drive or AWD. Our vans do have traction control but I don't see how that would matter.

Answer: Yes, the cupping condition you describe is caused by weak/worn rear shocks. The tire is not controlled properly so it starts to bounce slightly causing the cup or scallop.

Question: 2000 Chevy Silverado ext cab Z71 5.3 L mileage: 21,000. Since new, my truck pulls slightly to the right. Despite alignments, tire rotations, and swapping tires side to side, the problem persists. There was a slight improvement the last time the front tires were swapped left to right, right to left. The dealer does not have an answer. They told me this is not an uncommon problem, but the dealers rarely will solve the problem. I checked the Internet, and there are a number of other Silverado owners with the same problem that goes undiagnosed and uncorrected. What do you think may be the problem, and what do you recommend?

Answer: All vehicles are designed to veer slightly to the right when hands are taken off the steering wheel to prevent head-on collisions should someone fall a sleep while driving. Assuming your truck pulls more than just slightly to the right, you probably need to have some work done on the front end. This involves removing the upper control arms and slotting the mounting holes to accomplish wheel alignment adjustment.

Question: 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager mileage: 55,000. Steering wheel vibration at 70 mph. Brought the van in 3 times for wheel balancing but vibration still exists when I reach 70. Last time in for balancing they told me that they saw some tire feathering and that perhaps I needed new struts and shocks. Is this possible with only 55,000 carefully driven miles?

Answer: Try rotating the tires front to back. You could have a tire that has a problem that you can only feel with weight on it. If the problem goes to the rear, replace tires.

Question: 1999 Honda Accord mileage: 48,000. Six months ago, my Service Center replaced the front struts on my '99 Accord. They did not say that a wheel alignment was necessary at that time. I now have to replace front tires that have only 7500 miles on them because the inner tread wear was so bad that the steel belts wore through the rubber. I purchased tires and asked for the wheel alignment. Now they tell me there is no adjustment for this particular problem and suggest I rotate tires frequently. I don't believe this can be true, it sound ridiculous to me. I think maybe they used the wrong struts or something else is wrong. Can this be right?

Answer: The wheels can be aligned on your car. The problem you are experiencing is probably toe in or toe out condition. A toe in or toe out condition can be easily reset.

Question: 1998 Honda Accord  mileage: 80,000. Dear Bob and Ken, Let me begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoy your website! It's #1 on my list! I searched through your previous car questions/answers but was unable to find the answer to mine. I still have the stock rims and just got a new set of Toyo Proxis H4 205/60/15 put on them. My problem is that my car pulls gradually to the right and I must compensate to stay on the road by turning my wheel about 10-15 degrees counterclockwise while driving. I have had the car aligned TWICE and it still has not fixed the problem. I have been told that all my front-end components are in good shape (i.e. ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar bushings etc.). Can the shop just simply adjust the alignment to compensate for this or will it throw the car out of true alignment? What could be the problems and possible remedies? I understand that you are best so any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated! Thank you and keep up the good work! Eric

Answer: Try rotating the tires front to back. If problem goes away replace rear tires they are defective.

Question: 1996 Lincoln Continental mileage: 86,000. The car needs a rear-end alignment. Is this possible on this type of Continental? It is a front-wheel drive. Thank you for your advice. 

Answer: Yes, it is possible to align the rear wheels. Most alignment shops have the equipment for four-wheel alignment.

Question: 2001 Lincoln Continental  mileage: 14,000.  Please help! My brother-in-law recently had a wheel alignment done on his 2001 Lincoln Continental at the Lincoln dealership where he bought the car new.   When he got home, he looked under the hood and discovered that they had drilled through the spot welding and removed the circular plate on the top of the driver's side shock support.  They then did the alignment and bolted the plate back on.  When he confronted them about it, they said it had to be done.   I'd never heard of this before.  My question is: did this in fact have to be done in order to do the alignment?  This car is virtually new, with only 14,000 miles.  Now I feel the car will be less structurally sound.  And if it didn't need to be done, what action can he take (if any) to rectify the situation?  Thanks! 

Answer: We are not surprised that the shock support had to be drilled out and bolted back in place to do a proper wheel alignment.  The reason for this is that the car manufacturers no longer have adjustable front-end alignment options.   When performed correctly, it will not affect the structural strength of your car.

Question: 1999 dodge/caravan 3.3 mileage: 120,000.  How do I straighten out my wheel alignment?

Answer: This is not something you can do yourself; it takes technical equipment, which wheel alignment shops have.  Check with friends and neighbors to find a knowledgeable service center.

Question: 1998 Chrysler New Yorker mileage: 85,000.  Get noticeable front "wheel wobble" after backing car down home driveway ramp to street where front wheels "bounce" in gutter while turned. "Straightens out" after one or two blocks.  Mechanics can't "see" anything, did brakes, checked 6,000 mi. tires. 

Answer: From the problem you describe, you probably have some worn front-end components, i.e. lower ball joints or tie rod ends.  An alignment service center should be able to check out your car and find the problem.

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