Do You Need an Alignment? -EricTheCarGuy
Вставка
- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- I had recently done a bunch of suspension work and put new tires on my Acura Vigor. Because of that, I decided to make this video about alignments. I get a lot of questions about when to align a vehicle, especially with my strut replacement videos. I hope this video address those questions.
Remember, vibrations aren't normally caused by issues with your alignment. If your vehicle pulls to one side, or you have issues with tire wear, then you likely have an alignment issue. Also remember there can be no play in the suspension when doing an alignment. So if you have loose suspension parts, address those before you do an alignment. If your vehicle has been in a collision, no matter how minor, you might want to have your alignment checked. Lastly, if you're getting new tires, get an alignment to go with them. It's your best investment, might as well protect it.
Thanks for watching!
Discussion about this video: www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/1...
The best place for answers to your automotive questions: www.ericthecarguy.com
Astro Pneumatic Tire Gauge Inflator: www.jbtoolsales.com/astro-pneu...
Related videos
The Most Important Purchase for your Vehicle: • The Most Important Pur...
Inspecting Your Vehicle After a Collision: • Inspecting Collision D...
Vigor Suspension Work: • Acura Vigor / Honda Ac...
How To Replace Struts (Part 1): • How to Replace Front S...
How To Replace Struts (Part 2): • How to Replace Front S...
2002 Cavalier Power Steering Rack Replacement (Part 1): • 2002 Cavalier Power St...
2002 Cavalier Power Steering Rack Replacement (Part 1): • 2002 Cavalier Power St...
Toyota 4Runner Power Steering Rack Replacement (Full): • Toyota 4 Runner Power ...
How To Find Suspension Noises: • How To Find Suspension...
How To Safely Lift and Support Your Vehicle: • How To Safely Lift and...
Useful articles.
Engine overheat: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/what...
No start problems: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
Idle issues: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
Performance issues: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
Diagnosing Noises: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/diag...
Diagnosing Vibrations: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/dete...
Electrical Problems: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
Brake Issues: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
Transmission issues: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
HVAC problems: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solv...
Buying a Used Car: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/what...
Leaks: www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/find...
MPG: ericthecarguy.com/faq/finding-...
The best place for answers to your automotive questions: www.ericthecarguy.com
Social Network Links
Facebook: EricTheCarGu...
Twitter: / ericthecarguy
Google+: plus.google.com/1001951801966...
Instagram: / ericthecarguy
Information on Premium Membership: www.ericthecarguy.com/premium...
Stay Dirty
ETCG
Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy. - Розваги
That Acura was a sweet spot in Honda's design history.
Not only do you put out good and informative content, but your fans are also helpful in the comment section. That's one thing I love about this channel. Helpful people that post useful information, you are appreciated
As always, concise, with enough detail and great explanations to show the importance of each condition/adjustment. Extremely well organized. Dang dude, mechanic shops could use this video to explain the need for alignments. They should be thanking you in bunches. Great job!
You are a credit to your industry Eric. I only wish that other people who look after vehicles were as knowledgeable and honest.
What I like about Eric is that not only he is experienced, he doesn't try to screw you over. He takes pride of his work and often deviates from manufacturer recommended instruction while understanding what he does. Some mechanics who closely follow the manufacturer's instructions but don't understand why they do it are equally as likely to screw up your car as those who are just terrible mechanics to begin with.
Eric, that's a good tip regarding different caster adjustments. However, when we do alignments, we take into consideration the customer's driving habits, i.e. do they do more city or highway driving. A car driven mostly in the city will get a difference of between 1/2 to one degree between sides. We generally will keep the caster settings on a highway-driven vehicle the same for both sides. Our theory there is that the customer will be driving in different lanes on a highway, so keeping them equal works out. Also, a shout out to you for suggesting four wheel alignments. That's all we do, and sometimes they uncover worn parts in the rear of the vehicle that wouldn't be caught with a two wheel alignment.
+Rickyboy707 Thanks very much for your input. I like your ideas of taking driving habits into consideration.
@@ericthecarguy question I have lifted truck and The mechanic shop did the alignment last week the truck is fine don’t pull to rigor left and steering wheel is center , but my wheel is out I can see , the toe is out , maybe haft inch or more , the shops say is ok … that is normal ?
Thank you, Eric, for arming this ol' grandma with the information for my tire appointment in the morning. I know there's something wrong as my tires have worn terribly on the inside front of both and they only have 15,000 miles on them. The pair cost me at 500, so I thought I did a good buy for good tires. Back to the place I bought them in the morning so they can explain to me why they wore this way. I have your information tucked in my memory bank so I know what to ask and understand. I appreciate you taking the time to provide this great video!
Every alignment shop around owes you atleast $5 for the improved customers you just gave them. Thanks Eric!
Great job on explaining the whole thing in the simplest and clearest way possible that even the people who don't know anything about cars would understand.
Thanks Mr Eric. My wheel is now pulling to the right. I just got newly used tires. I'll get my alignment done soon.
First time I write a comment on one of your videos (and watched many) but just wanted to say that they are always great with very interesting (and down to earth) information.And most importantly, you know your stuff! Thank you.
Thanks for mentioning about getting an alignment after tires have been replaced which is a no brainer. A lot of people will get tires done somewhere else cheaper and log 200 miles before going to a shop that can do alignments. They are dumbfounded when the car still pulls after an alignment...not realizing that the recently new tires are improperly worn causing the pull. The tire wear would be so minute that you wouldn't know until you cross rotated the tires. Mix matched tire brands on the same axle can cause a pull as well.
This is a fantastic video, cleared up all the fuzziness i had in alignment terms and meanings! now i actually know what bad toe adjustments can cause! thanks eric, you the man!
One thing about straight steering wheels and drifting - the road is generally designed to slope down to the outside for drainage, so you will be steering slightly towards the centre to keep the car straight. It will also slowly move to the outside if you let the steering wheel go, because it returns to centre but due to the slope in the road you will drift towards the outside. You then have to judge if it is within normal operation or not..
I did the front end in my 98 Cherokee (hurts my pride not to say XJ so “Cherokee XJ”) minus ball joints and the steering wheel rests around 10.5 o’clock and my alignment appointment is coming up. I haven’t driven it way too much with it out of wack but fortunately the tires on it are bad anyways. My first two tires are arriving the day after my appointment. I’m excited to have her much closer to being ready.
Everybody needs an alignment. Chaotic good is my personal favorite. Ba-dum-bum. Very informative stuff, as usual, especially the explanation of caster.
THANK YOU ERIC. ...THEEE MOST BY FAR BEST LESSON LEARNED!!! ...SINCE THE LOSS OF MY HUSBAND. ..UR SUCH A BLESSING !!! GOD BLESS YOU !!!
Thanks again Eric! Very informative! I love your videos! You are talented really and I will say it anytime! Before I do any work on any of our vehicles, I always have to check your videos!! Very sharp information and important is what you say professionally!! Keep it UP and Stay Dirty!
We had a guy in town, an oldtimer really, like 80 yo. He was the best one to go for an alignment. He would use a string/rope with a ballast and this oldschool wooden ruler to measure camber. Then he would measure toe with this sliding bar-like tool.
If the job wasnt good.... it must have been you holding the steering wheel off center. Anyway, even if you did, he would fix it up again, free of charge. And the best part... he was dirt cheap. Being in central europe the prices are different, but he was like 10$.
He was so awesome, he would look at a car and say like "I aint touching it, get new bushings/wishbones or I cant set it properly".
Never had an alignment that good since he passed away, even with all these fancy laser tools nobody knows how to use... That grampa knew his stuff.
And he used to curse a lot, like "who the hell effed your suspension like that" when you just got new tie rods or something at a different shop.... or.... "gdmn those bstrds who put this bolt here, and not there, to hell with engineers"... Used to comment a lot on cars too, like my Lancia Delta I used to have... "Uhmmm, Lancia... Thats an italian stuff, like Lamborghini(which he used to say lambor-J-ini, with a J)...
Funny guy, I miss going to his shop for an alignment.
I love old timers like that. Those are the kind of people I trust, rather than going to a shop. That's sad that he passed, but it sounds like he helped a lot of people in his day. Good on him
He is a good candidate to test my new Zombie toxin on. We need people like this back in the world.
Always best when It`s not just a job for the person.Usually It`s just a job with younger guys.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THIS OLD"TURD"!
I love reading little life stories like this from people in UA-cam comments. Never ceases to amaze me that these letters and words on an immobile, glowing screen in front of me can represent actual people out there in the world, people/places/occasions/happenings that I never would've known even existed before, let alone ever cross paths with, yet in just a couple short paragraphs, I get transported to that "world" and get to know some person/place/event, in this case, as if I was one of this guy's customers, myself.
Very well told and written.
I had a mechanic, just recently, do a 4 wheel alignment and my car does indeed track straight down the road but my steering wheel is a little off to the left. My feeling is I should go to a different mechanic and have it redone.
Up to you, some can be off a bit but it nice when it fixed, my foster dad has his slightly off but as he knows of it he adapts how he using the car so it not matter to him, personally I prefer if wheel is straight with wheels
Another great video by Eric...Some mechanics opens and tightens bolts whereas others inspire.# much love for you and your channel...
The best car alignment video I’ve ever seen online. Your video (You) make UA-cam look good . Thank you so very much for your time spent
Last summer I did a ton of work to my 87 S10. Did a full stainless steel bake line / hose kit, all new brake components, all 4 front control arms with ball joints, steering knuckles, steering box, everything in the front end; Pitman arm, idler arm, center drag, tie rods and sleeves, even installed a sway bar where there was none before, coil springs, and shocks on all 4 corners. Then I took it down to get an alignment and 4 new tires. The guy actually said that for having done all that work it wasn't too far out, but man it drives good now. My grandmom bought the truck brand new in August of 86, I've owned it since 02, yeah I dropped a lot of money into a 29 year old truck, but it's one that I know the history of.
if you need to add or sub shims 2.8 no problem 4.3 you better have long sleeve shirt and up to date first aid kit ready
thank you Eric. This is the most informative video I've ever seen about alignments. I learned alot. Good Job
+Michael Smith Ditto!
get over it snow flake
As always, VERY well done and many thanks for taking the time to make the vid. Just the explanation I needed in order to determine where to start with my suspension issues. Thank you for educating me in order to save me from getting mislead, ripped off -or both!
thanks eric. i just got promoted to wheel aligner at my tyre shop, this helped refresh my memory from my trade certificate training.
Tire pressures make a world of difference, when I bought my car it pulled to one side and I discovered that the right front tire was over inflated.
Thanks Eric, your the most informative guy on UA-cam. Top video
I thought I knew about wheel alignment, but I learnt so much from this. A fantastic tutorial on how things REALLY work. Thank you
Thank you for educating us on this.
Hey ERic very helpful video. I have owned an 05' civic for about half year now and the steering pulls left pretty much and when i take left turns the steering wheel stays at 90 degrees left and won't self - center (or at least close to the center, there is a deadzone where there is no feedback at all within those 90 degrees left to center). While taking right turns it behaves normally like it should. The steering wheel also points a bit to the right when driving straight. I didn't take it for alignement because i assumed there is something broken. I have told my mechanic recently to check for something broken when he lifted it to change Co2 sensor, and he didn't find anything wrong at the control arms and the steering rack at the bottom. Also reason something must be broken or out of place is because it makes a bumping noise when i drive through holes and pumps and especially while braking through them. The noise is coming from the left front wheel (from driver's view). I also hear the tires at times screaming a bit, I believe that the angle is changing, and also the offset of the steering wheel in a straight line. What do you think are the possible reasons?
Thumbs down? Some people hate puppies too. This guy does a great job. Think about doing such a video yourself & speaking as flawlessly as this guy. He did a good job.
Thanks! I was in Jersey over holiday leave (Camden to be exact) and ran my Focus through pothole after pothole, terrible place to drive it was. Now I have a drift going to the right a lot so I know an alignment is necessary indeed.
One of the best videos you have ever done, so informative. I learnt something today!
You are really helping us get the most out of our cars bro. Thanks for sharing
This is a great vid man, thanks for putting the time in to get it up. Have to replace the Upper Control Arm on my 2011 Crown Vic P7B so going to have to get the alignment tweaked afterwards.
Very useful information. I have come to the conclusion that the place I have been taking my car to would benefit from learning this as opposed to making excuses without answers.
Thanks Eric. That is an excellent video and for the first time ever I now understand how alignments work! Well done!
Eric if you replace a bushing do you still need an alignment?
My 86 Accord with Michelin Green Energy tires got 100,000 miles out of one set. That Honda rode perfectly forever. Sometimes a suspension problem can't be detected at the wheel. You'll find out when it's too late. If you're riding expensive tires, I'd be safe and get it checked. My shop doesn't charge full rate if no adjustment are required. I love good tires...can't explain.
eric how bout a video about scalloped tires I see those a lot & always get asked about why this happens
thank you. God bless you. keep it up. you are helping a lot of people all around the world
Have alignment issues in the wife's 00 Honda Odyssey, took it to Honda for an alignment which was bout $90 and da guy told me wed got it the straightest we can where it won't damage your tires. maybe four months later all my tires worn out in the inner side which made horrible shacking on my steering wheel due to how severe they'd got worn out, to the point where I'd lost all my tire warranty as well.
I should have known better since this is Eric TheCarGuy, but was totally expecting a relatively dumbed-down video from the title. Great explanation of the topic, as usual.
Nice video Eric I just got an alignment yesterday along with 2 new front tyres as they were both scrubbing because of too much toe out and driving the car for too long with the vehicle out of alignment.
You know a person has achieved a certain degree of success when the legal disclaimers come out to play. Congratulations Eric. Really. No sarcasm intended or implied
Eric, two things I would like to mention for this video. First is that tires also play a huge role with pulling/drifting issues. In my experience, pulling issues are more often than not caused by tires issues than alignment issues.. Bald, separated, old/worn-out/cracked, and cupped tires can all cause pulling issues. Secondly, I do not necessarily agree with your assessment of "tight front end parts" being essential for an alignment. If the front end has just a hair amount of movement, a legitimate shop will let it slide rather than sell a $75 tie rod, or $100+ wheel bearing/ball joint, not including labor, before doing an alignment service. That is almost the same idea as performing an alignment because the toe was out .05 degrees, which in reality is 1/4 turn of a wrench for $80. Not logical, in my opinion. I understand the concept of having a "tight front end" before doing an alignment, but there is a big difference between something that has movement of 1/10 v 4/10 v 8/10 and on the verge of falling out Keep in mind, some suspension/steering designs are built to have a small amount of play (tapered wheel bearings), especially with rubber bushings that will move if one has a large enough pry bar when testing it. Other than that, great video!
Great video Eric, very educational. Keep up the good work man!
Hi Eric,
I have a 1997 Honda Prelude, Las Vegas.
I have a lifetime alignment at FireStone.
I have also tried paying for an alignment with a reputable shop called "Samurai Motors" in Las Vegas.
The Toes are greened out as close to or at 0.0 degrees
Caster is all even (Radius Rod Bushings Brand New)
However, my steering wheel and car tends to pull at an 11 o'clock angle everytime i let go of the steering wheel, whether the car is slow, or whether im on the freeway going fast. It pulls left wherever I am.
Camber: I am lowered on function form Type 1 coilovers. I have left the camber natural on moog control arms. I doubt this will affect pull...
I have no uneven tirewear whatsoever. And i have rotate all 4 tires in different patterns just to check.
I have also tried stock rims with different tires.
I have also tried civic si rims with different tires.
PSI 35 all around.
Still Pulls left....
Additionally, the steering wheel feels lighter rotating to the left.
While it feels a little bit heavier rotating to the right.
Moog Upper Control Arms
Moog Tie Rods
Moog Sway Bar Links
Have not changed Lower Control Arms
Have not touched wheel hubs (although its intact and no play)
New Brake + Rotors (back in 2019)
What is your opinion?
Thanks man!
I need help on doing a fwd transmission swap from automatic to manual. could you help some how?
I do alignments for a living. You should never have someone in the car unless weight is supposed to be in the car. The machine takes into account someone sitting in the drivers seat. So if someone is sitting in a car that does not require added weight for the alignment, it will affect the new alignment. Other than this issue, you are pretty spot on for the rest of the video.
This is the best video I've seen on getting an alignment. Thanks!
Thanks Erik for the alignment video. Very well done, throughly explained, awesome !! 😀
why do ppl dislike this? i really want to know..if i can like eric's vids twice i would he is veeery knowledgeable and helped me learn a ton more on what i already know
This was a great explanation.
Excellent explanation. So easy to understand and great stuff to gain knowledge. I am having exactly this issue when my steering wheel is sitting right at the centre, my car is drifting towards left, and I have to constantly adjust the steering to keep the car in straight line. Its time for alignment.. :-)
Thanks Eric for another high value, clear and complete video !!
Hey Eric my car, a 71 VW Fastback, has a caster pre-set from the factory and isn’t adjustable. Having said that the car is scary at freeway speeds of 70mph and above. The steering just feels light and unsafe. The car is slightly lowered up front, maybe an 1”+ but not much more. I threw 200lbs of sand in the trunk up front and feel it might have been a little better but I want to lose the sand!! Thanks for your help man!!
Very good video! Still going strong Eric
Hi, Eric:
What does it mean when one gets an alignment and the steering wheel is now no longer level? It may not be totally level, but it is off enough to be noticeable and it drives me nuts knowing it is off driving down the road (no pun intended). Thank you for your videos
hey ericthecarguy, my first car was an acura vigor and i loved it, always had in mind to pick one up again someday. my question to you is there a way to get a little more power out of the engine, not to be incredibly fast but just a bit more. I only know basics about cars and was just wandering if it is worth pursuing? thanks :)
When your motive power professor puts this on in class to help explain alignments!! Haha your the man Eric
Thank you for the film, very informative. Those adjusting bolts, are they same for every car, or they
can be at different locations? How to find them? When I changed outer tie rods I noticed that the #/s
of turns for the driver and passenger sides are slightly different (like on passenger side I counted
20, while on the driver it was only 18-1/2 turns). When I put new ones I did like 20 and 19 turns
respectively. But probably I could do both same (19 or 20) and then after the alignment everything
would be perfectly symmetric. If you just replace the knuckle on one side, do you need to do
alignment?
I recently got an alignment done on my 2011 Acura MDX. It's by no means a light vehicle and have only owned it for a year.
My steering wheel became slightly uncentered, and the car was leaning to the right when going down a straight road.
After the alignment was done, I am noticing that my steering wheel is slightly just tilted to the left, but the car tracks straight. I have to keep my hands in the wrong position just just to keep the car straight. Luckily dealer work is guaranteed so they will fix if something is off. They said the car tracks straight but the steering wheel feels off, but they say its straight.
Thank you sir!!!!
I just raised some trouble at my dealership cause my car SLIGHTLY drifts to the right and after 3 ailments they said to take it to another shop for 2nd opinion lol
I did not know how in depth a aliment was.
I want to install a camber kit so my rear alignment can be adjusted to account for the stiffer struts. Wonder if since its on the rack if I should go ahead and replace all the bolts and bushings. . .
really good video, wondering how camber is affected if front wheel drive, thinking there would be a difference?
happy you said this people come to me all the time saying they aint paying me anything for the alignment due to frozen parts that should be replaced but had no info of this is even possible and would need more parts to have it completed. 9:53
Should you do a 4 wheel align on a 1969 Mustang?! and other classic cars as well?
In the UK, most tyre places are absolutely incapable of doing it right. Ended up using trigonometry and string lines. Perfect every time now!
I had new tires put on in December 2016, then I had an alignment about a week after. This month (April 2017) my car is swaying while driving. I am straining my neck while driving almost everyday to keep my car straight because I have to grab hold of the steering wheel. I had a 27 point inspection done, which turned out well, then I went back yesterday, and the new tires had bubbles in the seams. Discount Tires said that it is just the seam and that is normal, but my car has never driven like that before. I had new tires put on, and the car feels smoother, yet when I got on the freeway, it was still swaying slightly. I have driven on the same Interstate for almost 5 years now. I am getting another alignment inspection elsewhere.
why is it that when i get my car aligned at the shop, they can never put all the measurements to 0 degrees? the guy even told me that brand new cars don't have 0 degree alignment. to get that you have to have after market suspension parts. that doesn't sound right.
Nice video Eric! Lots of great information. What's a thrust angle?
After replacing shocks and struts. Do you need an alignment?
I changed my outer tie rod ends and now my tires squeek when driving.
You have such an extensive knowledge sir. Good work
So where do you recommend lifting/supporting a unibody vehicle then if the pinch welds are all jacked up? Yes I'm mostly asking about the rear, but the front would be good knowledge too. In front i lift from center tow hook just to the side of the front engine mount. It flexes the subframe quite a bit though, not sure how I feel about it.
You answered all the questions on my mind about this topic
A great way to explain caster is in the example of rake in the front wheel. Of a motorcycle. True, shopping carts work, but add confusion in what is typically "good" for an application. Because you steer the chassis of a cart and the wheels' steering angles are neither directly controlled and operate separate from one another, they require negative caster. Whereas automotive applications are the opposite in nearly every way.
Thank you for the mechanics lesson, didn't know much of this. Saved on my Playlist 4WD/AWD
I recently replaced the Shocks/Struts on my 01 Honda Odyssey (horrible sway bar link design, and far too much spring height BTW), and the car was definitely out of alignment after I was done.
Thank you so much for your help now I have a question I did the alignment when I'm driving on the highway cruise control 70 miles the car take straight for about 8 to 10 seconds and then start pulling little to the right hand side and then more more more to the point that I passed two more rails on the highway is this normal
Whew !! ,,,
That was ALOT of good info .
I needed 2 , #2 pencils ,,,
a notebook ,,, and a lunch
break in the middle before
wrapping up this class .
ha ha ... 😊 ,👍 , ✌️ .
How deep into suspension repair will you go before you say an alignment is required.?E-46 (3 series) BMW's showed early lower ball joint looseness. The ball joint was part of the lower control arm. After checking the alignment on some cars after lower control arm replacement I decided it was not necessary to do an alignment every time you replaced lower control arms. We talked about this at manufactures school. Some guys said they always did an alignment some guys said never. Our instructor was neutral. One funny thing. I mentioned to my friends at my old Tucson BMW Dealership how we were doing so many E-46 control arms because of worn ball joints, they said they did few if any. The Dealership I was working at was in Milwaukee. Something was taking out these ball joints early in Milwaukee, maybe the salt on the roads in the winter (I can't remember if they salted or used cinder).
I've watched plenty of your videos .....Your a good guy Eric!Thanks and keep up the good work !
One gripe I have about some shops that do alignments, though; I've had a couple that were too lazy to center the steering wheel before performing the alignment. The end result was a vehicle that drove straight with the steering wheel left or right of center.
Alignments are one of those things that need to be taught properly the first time. I saw so many lube techs getting their first real taste starting alignments and did nothing more than "toe and go" not knowing to check other angles and suspension wear and as you mentioned, not center of the steering wheel. It's like mending a broken bone without having is straight first.
Just had one done on my Mondeo. Turns out the arse was crabbing slightly, had a few degrees toe in on the left side, and a couple degrees toe out on the right side. I honestly couldn't feel it at all, the car still handled fairly well, just had a slight left hand pull. Although the arse nearly snapped around on me getting onto the motorway one wet morning, which NEVER happens
Great video eric! Love your channel, keep it up! 👍🏼
Wonderfull explanation! And I was wondering why my car drifts more left on the left leaning roads than drifts right on the right leaning roads. It's beacause it's by design, because there are more right leaning roads if we drive in the right than left leaning roads and thus less effort is to prevent drift if alignment is adjusted for that.
The steering wheel is centered when driving straight.
You EricTheCarGuy are THE BEST , thanks for such a great explanation
One thing not mentioned is the wheel bearing; If it goes bad it's usually one side's toe which will change while steering. This usually makes the car feel like it's trying to follow on one side, which usually is the side where the wheel bearing is bad. (since there's play in the bearing the wheel tries to follow the last direction or momentum of rotation)
He's right about some cars call for weights in the car before alignment. My BMW calls for 150 lbs. in each front seat, 150 lbs in the CENTER of the back seat, 65 lbs. in the center of the trunk, & a full tank of gas. Since it's mostly just me driving it, & those weights are supposed to be people & golf bags, I park my 190 lbs. in the seat with a full tank when aligning. Done.
Great advice. A ton of help. Thanks! Really appreciate these videos.
Hi! @Eric!
Thanks for all of your videos. I have a Q: does changing the rear lower arm (part no. 52340-SJA-000) of an 2006 Acura RL will improve the negative camber in the rear wheels? There’s no evident problem there. The only thing is the abnormal wear of the inner part of the rear wheels. Everything seems to be in good condition; no sounds, no movement, no broken parts…etc. It have been aligned, but no specific recommendations were discussed. There is also very few videos about RL’s.
Regards from Puerto Rico 🤟🏽✌🏽
I've had terrible luck with alignments. I've had two cars aligned at two different shops over the past year and both times, they didn't center the steering rack before performing the alignment. I don't have time to go back and fight with them to correct it on their dime. The printouts were perfect but the steering wheel is cocked.
I just had both sides control arm, upper and lower balljoints, pitman arm, driverside axle, new tires and alignment. My suv still pulls to left slightly and my wheel is off from center. It also makes a creaking noise going over bumps. Is it possible for alignment shims to have fallen out and make that noise?
Yeah toe will cause feathering of the tire. Seen this a lot when I was working at Discount Tire co.
Does a difference of .4 degrees make my truck pull right? I have 3.9 on the left and 3.5 on the right.
Question: I have a dodge neon that is overheating but when I try to fill it with anti frezze it just flows through and starts pouring out a hose that is located right in front of the passenger side of the car and have no idea why. if I could get some pointers that would be awesome. cool vids by the way helpful!
Thank you for mentioning the vibrations. Probably 8 of 10 people that come into my work that want a alignment other than the fact they bought new tires is a vibration. And the worst part about it is that the tech I work with and I both explain to the service writers religiously that alignments do not cause vibrations. I guess that's what happens when you work for such money hungry people sadly
+tylerbabesh Check the comments. There's a ton of people insisting on the same. It's a very common misconception. Thanks for the comment.