should i get wheel alignment?

[Robertslowpoke]

Good morning!! Snow tomorrow!! put snows on daughter's car.

I have 2008 Cadillac DTS, 33,000 original miles. just got new tires, drives better!

i am quite careful with tires, kept pressure correct, and rotated tires.

question:
should i get wheel alignment? does my car have rear alignment? i am no expert, but i think the car drives straight.

how much would it cost?

best

bob

and thanks for ALL your help over the months.

 

[NateDN10]

If the car tracks straight on the highway with your hand off the steering wheel, and if your tires are wearing evenly, you probably don't need an alignment.

If you want to make absolutely sure, some shops will do an alignment check for free.

 

[Robertslowpoke]

THANK YOU!!!!!! i may say that rotating the tires really seemed to help! i gave the old ones to my friend. they looked good.

bob

 

[The Critic]

Sears offers a free, no obligation alignment check in their service drive area. With the new Hunter setup it takes at most 2 min. Check with your store to see if they offer that service.

 

[dparm]

For $80 or whatever, I would get it. Worst thing that happens is the car was already in spec and you get peace of mind.

 

[ctrcbob]

If you are going to get an alignment, I would rather you get it at a dealer, not at a tire dealer. Even "free check" will end up costing you.

Example: A couple years ago, I purchased four new tires. The tire dealer then puts car on their alignment machine. They said they do this with all tire purchases, and it won't cost me anything. Well, they come back and tell me that my wheels are out of alignment and they can do the alignment right then and there (for a fee). Had no strange wear on the old tires, so as not to argue with them, I told them that I did not have time at the moment and would contact them soon. The next day, I drove to my car dealer and had them do an alignment check at no cost. Alignment was perfect! The tire dealer just wanted to squeeze a few more dollars out of me.

 

[Gokhan]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke
Good morning!! Snow tomorrow!! put snows on daughter's car.

I have 2008 Cadillac DTS, 33,000 original miles. just got new tires, drives better!

i am quite careful with tires, kept pressure correct, and rotated tires.

question:
should i get wheel alignment? does my car have rear alignment? i am no expert, but i think the car drives straight.

how much would it cost?

best

bob

and thanks for ALL your help over the months.

Yes, wheel alignment is absolutely crucial. It has little to do with the car going straight or not. Most cars will need the following adjustments at the least:

Front toe
Front camber
Rear toe
Rear camber

If the alignment is not good, tires may not wear evenly and you will have many handling problems, such as the car not handling well at the curves, poor steering response, in addition to possibly not going straight as you mentioned.

Your best option is to get a lifetime alignment at a good shop. It costs about twice as much as once-only alignment. Then you can have a four-wheel alignment every year free of charge and keep your car's handling and tire wear in top shape.

Get a lifetime alignment and have it done every year.

 

[Gokhan]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke
does my car have rear alignment?

To add to my previous post, yes, the alignment of the rear wheels is even more important than the front wheels with regard to handling of the car. Rear toe is a crucial adjustment for crisp handling.

For about $170, you should be able to get lifetime alignment and then not worry about paying for the alignment as long as you own your car. It also comes handy whenever axle, steering, or suspension repair work is done on the car and the alignment is then definitely needed.

 

[951Indy]

I wouldn't worry about it. I recently replaced Walmart Tiger Paws that had 120K miles of trouble free service and even wear. 230,000 miles without an alignment. Having said that, I did have it aligned at 235K due to new struts, tie rod ends, control arms, etc. We'll see how the new tires hold up.

 

[Jeff_in_VABch]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
If the car tracks straight on the highway with your hand off the steering wheel, and if your tires are wearing evenly, you probably don't need an alignment.

If you want to make absolutely sure, some shops will do an alignment check for free.


+1

Base it mostly on the tire tread wear pattern. If, they look good, leave it alone. Generally, you dont want most shops monkeying around with the alignment unless you have a pretty clear issue.

Until you have worn tire rod ends or other parts, you dont need to align it. And as the parts wear, the toe goes from negative to near 0 which reduces drag & tire wear at the expense of less on-center feel.

 

[PopPop]

I don't agree with this post at all. Very few alignment machines are calibrated and even fewer techs actually know how to use them.

If your tires are evenly worn on all corners and the steering doesn't lead right or left and you haven't experienced any recent damage, you'll be better off leaving it alone. Just hand the tech $50 and aske them not to touch it!

Every auto I've ever owned, after getting the initial alignment correct (difficult with the non calibrated equipment) no futher alignment was required for 150K, at which I sell the vehicle.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Don't waste your time with the free check. All it takes is a hundredth of a degree to be "out of spec," and nine times out of ten they will tell you that an alignment is needed. Just another way to make a few more bucks, which auto repair shops (especially the chains) are notorious for.