4 wheel alignment - 2009 Ford Flex FWD

[KGMtech]

My wife's Flex is wearing the inside edge of the LR tire. I've made an appointment for 4W alignment, but right now the snow tires are on the Flex. The snows are a -1 package, ie the rims are 17" alloys and the regular summer tires are on 18".

The current snows are on their last season, so I have no problem leaving them on for the alignment service, but is there going to be any issue with doing an alignment with the -1" rims & snows versus the regular 18" factory alloys?

Car has not been in any accident, but my wife has done some 'soft-roading' last December and collected about 30 pounds of red clay mud on the underside of the car - I suspect some details were omitted to protect the guilty

Thanks again for your input

 

[pb]

I'm guessing the "summer" set are in the better condition? if so i would wait till you swap them back on and schedule the alignment.

 

[KGMtech]

Summers are much newer, but I did see the signs of inside wear on the LR summer tire last fall when I changed over. I figured the snows were on their way out anyhow, so if the inside edge got bald on the old LR snow...no big deal. I don't like spending money on an alignment before the winter is over - Murphy's law would prevail and she'd hit a curb in the snow...

 

[Ethan1]

Put the best tires on when you go for the 4WA

 

[silveravant]

I really don't think that the tires have any thing to do with alignment. Just make sure that the inflation is correct. The angles are measured from the wheels, as long as the tires are close to each other in diameter should make no difference.