If I get new tires, do I need to get an alignment as well?

Answer 1

NO. Alignments are not a scheduled maintenance item for your car like fluid and filter changes and tune ups etc. Many cars never need a wheel alignment during the life of the car unless you've had an accident or other damage (potholes, curbs etc) to the wheels. If your car pulls to the right or left while driving on a flat road or in the middle of a crowned road, then you may have a tire problem or need an alignment. Rotate the tires from front to back to see if the car still pulls to the right or left and if so, you should have your wheel alignment checked. The shop technician can check your alignment without having to make any adjustments which should cost less than actually having to make changes to the alignment. So ask him what the cost for an alignment check is if it turns out that you don't need an alignment. If your present tire tread hasn't been wearing uniformly across the tire, that is another sign you may have an alignment problem which generally affects only the front tire wear. Tire balance is important too, so if your car and steering wheel shakes more and more the faster you go, have your tires rebalanced. This is usually a free service from many tire dealers like price clubs etc. Some tire centers even do free alignment checks.

PS, Fuel Injection service cleaning is another example like wheel alignments that is not a required maintenance item. Check your car manufacturer's scheduled maintenance items and you typically won't see them listed. You might actually be worse off having your car aligned or fuel injectors cleaned if the technician's training or equipment ends up misaligning or damaging your car. These are both money-making services the repair shops like to perform because many times they may not be needed and it just makes you "feel good" that you took good care of your car.

Answer 2

Do you NEED an alignment?

No.

Is it a good idea?

Absolutely.

Wheel alignment can change just through the normal wear and tear of driving - it does not require an accident, worn out parts or any of that. About 2/3 of the vehicles whose alignment we check in my shop have an alignment that is out of factory spec - so much for the idea that some cars never need an alignment in their lifetime!

An out-of-spec alignment can cause premature and uneven tire wear. Not a good thing of you just plopped down 5, 6 or $700 on a new set of hoops. A bad alignment can also impact gas mileage as it takes more effort for the car to roll down the road if things are not lined up correctly. Since the tolerance on most modern cars is often as little as a tenth of a degree, a bad alignment is not necessarily something you are going to be able to see or feel. Most cars that have an out-of-spec alignment do not pull for example.

So short answer, yes, it is a good idea to have the alignment done.

Answer 3

Absolutely! If you are investing hundreds of dollars into new tires you will want them to last as long as possible. It's not required though, but you may find that the tires will wear the tread and lesson the life of the tire if you don't get the alingmnet. Balancing and aligning tires should even make the vehicle drive better at higher speeds.

Answer 4

If you would like to protect your investment for warranty purposes, it is BEST to get an alignment. If you do not get an alignment and you have other front end problems your tires will develop a wear pattern (that cannot be changed). The front end alignment procedure will detect front end problems (bad tie rod ends, link pins, bushings, ball joints etc). Also, for best tire tread wear you should have your tires rotated every other oil change. Check for proper tire pressure on a REGULAR basis.

Answer 5

If your old tires are wearing even then I'd say no. But tires cost a lot of money and you want to protect your investment. I have a vehicle with 182,000 miles on it and only aligned one time due to an accident. Most of the miles are highway miles and I'm sure if more were on rough roads them an alignment more often would be necessary. To answer your question, it wouldn't hurt.

Answer 6

Yes, all tires are different and each one needs to be balanced and aligned to your car. Most places make alignments part of the new tire service. Although not necessary, it is better for your tires and your mileage.

Answer 7

First check the air pressure in your tires. if one or more of your tires is low then fill them & recheck to see if it's still pulling. if it isn't then problem solved for free (or 25/50/75 cent) air. you can hit a pot hole or a bump in the road just right and knock your car out of alignment even if you just had the car aligned. if the treads are alright on your tires then they won't be for long if your car is out of alignment. take your car back to the garage who rotated your tires & let them know what the problem is. If they just aligned your car then they may be able to realign it for free or a reduced cost. having the car realigned is cheaper than buying new tires.

Answer 8

It's a good idea. If your wheels are not aligned, you will ruin a good set of new tires in just a few thousand miles.

Answer 9

I would recommend it. You just invested all this money in new tires, you do not want them to wear prematurely.

Answer 10

itll depend, if there being replaced due to abnormal wear such as bald one side of thire,but tread on the other then yes.if theyre being replaced because theyre worn out,with no abnormal wear pattern,then no