How do I know my cars front end is out of line and the mechnic isn't trying to take my money?

Answer 1

Uneven tire wear is a clue; vibration as you drive in the steering, the wheel twisting off of a straight line are a couple of clues.

Answer 2

Your alignment can be out of factory spec and you would have no way of knowing it.m The vehicle may not pull at all (they usually don't with a bad alignment) or have any other symptoms. The tolerances between "in" and "out" can also be quite small. I aligned a car today where the allowable tolerance on the toe angle (how much the tires point in or out from straight ahead) was only 0.04-degrees either side! That's minute.

On our alignment machine the printer shows each wheel position in a box and lists what the factor specification is for each angle, what angles were actually recorded by the equipment and, once we are done, what the angles were when we are finished. Anything outside of factory spec shows up in red. To help explain it to customers we have a small model car which allows us to move the wheels at different angles so customers can visualize what we are talking about.

Answer 3

Basically either your front tires are wearing uneven or your front end shakes at certain speeds. Take a close look at your front tires. If the tire tread on 1 tire looks thin on 1 side and thick in the middle and the other side, then its wearing uneven. The amount of air in the tire can also cause this type of problem so be sure the tire pressure is correct (it will tell you on the side of the tire what it should be). After the car is alighned, ask them to put the rear tires on the front and the front tires on the rear. Then you can tell if the tires continue to wear uneven and take take the car back if necessary. A good rule is "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

Answer 4

It's easy to find out. First, look at your front tires. If you notice that the inside 1 inch (or outside 1 inch) of your tires always wears out before the rest of the tire does, that means your tires are out of alignment.

Also, when you are driving at a safe speed (25 MPH or so) in a low traffic area on a straight, level street, take your hands off the steering wheel for 2 or 3 seconds. If your car drifts either to the left or right even slightly then either your tires are out of alignment or something in your steering is out of adjustment.

Answer 5

One quick way to check is when coming to a stop on a straight road way, and all is safe to do so, remove your hands from the steering wheel as you apply the brakes, if the vehicle veers to one side, then you are in need of an alignment. This will only show you that you REALLY need an alignment, not just an adjustment.

If you can't trust your mechanic, change to one you can. You should be able to trust the mechanic like you trust your doctor.

Answer 6

the signs are pulling to one side while driving or braking ( sometimes you only notice when the road is crowned or over bumps ) or uneven tire wear on the front tires ( one side of the tire shows more wear than the other )

all cars are out of line after a few potholes the question is - is it bad enough to get it fixed

AND MOST IMPORTANT the mechanic is using a machine to check the car against the factory specs that are programed in
ASK TO SEE THE PRINTOUT

Answer 7

Go out for a test drive in a parking lot. Drive at a steady pace (10-20mph) and let go of the steering wheel. If the car veers right or left then the car needs an alignment. (Be sure to grab the wheel if the car goes out of control...and beware of curbs!)

Answer 8

it truly isn't any longer about guidelines - it truly is about lives! the advice from protection experts and the yank Academy of Pediatrics is to rearface (RF) to the bounds of the seat that's 30-35lbs on all seats offered contained in the US. my own daughter rode RF till she replaced into 2 years, 9 months and he or she were given very on the point of the 33 lb weight reduce on her Britax Marathons. I grew to change into her lower back RF at 3 years because she lost some weight. She complained the entire time she replaced into FF about having nowhere to positioned her ft. She loves RF. I somewhat have blanketed various hyperlinks with large images and video clips of what takes position to little ones’s necks at the same time as they're FF in a crash. maximum individuals are in contact about their youngster's legs being scrunched or damaged in a crash. there is honestly no evidence that shows a baby's legs are in risk and that i'd a lot particularly deal with a damaged leg, than a damaged neck.

Answer 9

Go to a large empty parking lot. Line your car up with a line on the ground and drive forward, release the steering wheel. Your car should go relatively straight, however all cars have a slight pull to one side or the other.

Answer 10

Get down on the ground in front of the car. Take a look to see if the wheels are exactly straight. Also, look at the wear on the front tires. If they are bald on any of the edges, it is out of line.