How Often Should You Align Your Tires?
Regular vehicle alignments, or more accurately – regular 4-wheel computerized alignments, are a necessary part of maintaining your vehicle. Wheel alignments impact everything from fuel economy, to vehicle handling, tire life, and even to the safety specifications intended by Honda. After all, your tires are the only part of your vehicle that is in actual contact with the road, and so when your tires are out of alignment, it affects the entire vehicle.
Camber
If you look at your tires head-on from the front, camber is the outward or inward tilt to the top of the tire. Too much in either direction increases tire wear and puts stress on a number of suspension components.
Caster
This one is a bit harder to visualize, but is still important. Caster is the angle of the steering axis relative to the front tires. This is important for handling, especially high-speed handling.
Toe
The name toe is also the best way to describe what it refers to. If your tires were your feet, the toe angle would relate to which way your toes are pointed. “Toe In” means the tires are pointed toward each other, with your heels farther apart. “Toe Out:” means they are pointed away from each other, with your heels closer together.
When Should You Get A Tire Alignment?
There are a few different factors that go into this, but as a baseline, it’s recommended that you get an alignment once a year, or about every 10,000 to 12,000 miles. It’s very possible that you’ll need it sooner if you regularly drive on roads with a lot of potholes, or if you hit a curb. Fortunately, there are often warning signs when you need an alignment sooner, such as the following:
- Off-center steering wheel when driving in a straight line
- Vehicle pulling to the left or right
- Steering wheel vibration
- Uneven tire wear
How Long Does It Take To Align Tires?
There is no one answer for this question, but roughly speaking, it can take between 20 minutes and an hour to complete an alignment. It is highly recommended that you budget more than an hour for your alignment, as there are various admin tasks that will also need to be completed.
Tire Alignments At Honda East Cincinnati
Tire alignments require sophisticated equipment and skilled technicians, it’s not something you would trust to just anyone. Honda East Cincinnati has the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, as well as the highly skilled technicians, to make sure your tire alignment is done quickly and correctly.