Steering problems

A man under a car checking for front end alignment symptoms

3 Front End Alignment Symptoms You Must Not Ignore

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How to notice alignment issues in a car truck or SUV

WARNING! Before you take your car to do an alignment, your front end must be checked for worn and or broken parts.

Front end alignment symptoms are not that hard to spot once you know exactly what you are looking for so today I am going to show you also how to notice alignment issues in your car.

Steering wheel feels loose

When a car needs alignment, you will feel a little extra steering wheel play because the degrees of the alignment specification is not where it is supposed to be to give to a tight steering wheel.

When your car gets aligned you will feel that the steering wheel has a lot less play and the car will react instantaneously to when you turn it left or right.

Tire wearing on the inside

If you see your tire wearing on the inside, there are two reasons why this is happening.

  1. You have broken or worn front end parts that need to be replaced. Get a qualified auto repair shop or mechanic to check your front end.
  2. Your car’s alignment is out. The alignment areas such as the camber and the toe being out of specification will cause you to see tire wearing on the inside.

Before replacing any more of your tires read these tire replacement tips. It is very important before you waste your hard-earned money.

The car wants to veer to the left or right

When your car veers to the left of right, there are two possible reasons why you could be experiencing this.

  1. The alignment is out of specification causing the car to veer in either direction.
  2. The car’s tire pressure is low in any one of the 4 tires.

The car will veer to the side with the least amount of air so pay attention to which side the car veers to and adjust the tire pressure as needed. Check your tire pressure before thinking that your car needs an alignment.

A car alignment test that I use to tell if I may need an alignment is to let go of the steering wheel and if it drives straight for 5 seconds without veering then I may not need an alignment.

This test only works if all of your tire pressure is adjusted to the correct psi.

 

 

 

 

white car driving on road 2 wheel vs 4 wheel alignment

2 Wheel vs 4 Wheel Alignment a Easy to Understand Explanation

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Most car owners are confused about why 2 wheel vs 4 wheel alignment is better. It is our duty today to make sure that from this day on you will no longer wonder if 2 wheel vs 4 wheel alignment is better.

By the way, if you’re thinking about getting any type of alignment you should get your front end checked before you waste your money trying to align a vehicle that is unfit for an alignment due to worn front end parts.

2 wheel alignment

A two wheel alignment is performed in the front of cars, trucks, and SUV’S. A two wheel alignment can include toe adjustment, caster adjustment, and a camber adjustment.

Is a two wheel alignment better? It’s not about it being better. A car, truck, or SUV may only have alignment adjustment only in the front end of the vehicle.

Some cars, trucks and SUV’s have a solid rear axle that doesn’t need an adjustment. the specification is built in from the car manufacturer.

4 wheel alignment

A four wheel alignment is performed on the front and back of some cars, trucks, and SUVs. A four wheel alignment includes Front, caster adjustment, front toe adjustment, rear toe adjustment, and rear camber adjustment.

Which is better 2 wheel alignment or 4 wheel alignment?

The question of which alignment is better can be answered two ways. Better for pockets expense wise the two wheel alignment is better. Better for the car they are both equally better, just one which is the 4 wheel alignment is more labor intensive being that the front and rear has to be adjusted.

Two wheel alignment cost

A two wheel alignment cost less than a four wheel alignment due to the fact that you are only aligning the front end of the vehicle.

A two wheel alignment can cost you anywhere from $45-60 and that’s on the basis of rim size of 14-18 inches.

The majority of all wheel alignments are priced by the size of the rim. The bigger the rim size the higher the cost.

Four wheel alignment cost

A 4 wheel alignment cost more than a two wheel alignment on the basis that you are performing an alignment on the front end and back end of the vehicle.

A 4 wheel alignment can cost you anywhere from $75-150.

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My Car Wobbles When I Accelerate

My Car Wobbles When I Accelerate | Here Are Possible Reasons Why

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When a customer says to me my car wobbles when I accelerate, there are a few possible reasons why this might be happening.

Possible reasons for the car to wobble while accelerating

  1. Worn front end parts I.E Bad wheel bearings 
  2. Separated tire belt  
  3. Bent or out of round rim

How do I know if I have a bad wheel bearing?

First, let us start off by educating you about what a wheel bearing is and what role it plays in a vehicle operation.

A wheel bearing can be found located behind the rotors or brake drum of every vehicle in the front and also the rear.

Wheel bearing in the rear of a vehicle.

Wheel bearing in the front of a vehicle.

The wheel bearings purpose is to allow the wheels to rotate with minimal function, and they also support the vehicle’s weight.

Wheel bearing symptoms

  1. growing noise/Groaning noise
  2. Abnormal tire wear
  3. Wobble while driving
  4. Trouble rolling the car

Risk of driving with a bad wheel bearing

  1. Run the risk of damaging the drive axle if wheel bearing locks up
  2. Run the risk of damaging the transmission if wheel bearing locks up
  3. Run the risk of having a crash, injury, and possible death due to uncontrollable steering from the wheel bearing separation.

How do I know if I have a separated tire belt?

A separated tire belt is dangerous and you should never drive your vehicle if you see signs of separation.

When a tire is separated it bulges on the interior of the tire as in the image below. Separation in a tire can also be found by performing a simple little inspection of the tire.

There are times when a tire is separated and it is not noticeable to the eye. So what you have to do is raise the vehicle of the floor and take your hand and rub it along the tire’s surface and spin the wheel at the same time.

Close your eyes block out everything else and become one with the tire, no seriously no joke. You’ll know the tire is separated trust me.

How to tell if have a bent or out of round rim on your vehicle

The best way to find out if your rim is bent is to take it to a shop that solely specializes in fixing and diagnosing this condition. In a nutshell, they’ll remove all 4 wheels and place them on a machine similar to a wheel balancer and spin the wheels various miles per hour.

How much does it cost to find out if my rims are bent?

It could cost you anywhere from $10-20 per wheel. Most shops will forget about the cost of the diagnosis if you do the job with them.

 

 

what is an alignment on a car

My Car Needs an Alignment | What Is a Car Alignment?

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Most people know that I know about cars, but they always seem to find a way to try and diagnose their car problems by saying and asking me indirect questions like my car needs an alignment.

I ask how do you know that your car needs an alignment? I get a blank steer, and then I get the next question. I am not a mechanic, by the way, what is a car alignment?

What is a car alignment?

Accurate car alignment is an important part of car maintenance in order to avoid excessive wear on the tires of your vehicle and various components of your car in general.

In simple terms, car alignment is the process of adjusting the wheels to manufacture wheel alignment specifications in degrees, so that the wheel can be in line with the body of the vehicle minimizing tire wear and increase driving stability while driving.

How much does wheel alignment cost?

Wheel alignment cost can vary depending on if you choose to do a two wheel alignment or a four wheel alignment.

Some cars only require a two wheel alignment because there is no adjustment at the rear wheels, meaning less work for the repair shop which then makes your alignment cost cheaper.

Most repair shops vary their alignment cost based on the rim size. Most may have a standard cost for rim sizes ranging from ’14inch rim-19 rim for a set price of about 50. Any rims ’20 inches and high can pay as much as $150-200 ouch!

  1. Two-wheel alignment cost

$20-$50

  1. Four wheel alignment cost

$75-$150

How do I know if my car needs an alignment?

Were you ever driving your car and noticed your steering wheel did not match the direction that the car was driving in? That’s on sure indication that your car needs an alignment.

wheel alignment symptoms

  • A vehicle pulling to the left or right.
  • Uneven or rapid tire wear.
  • Your steering wheel is crooked when driving straight.
  • Squealing tires.