What causes bad car wheel alignment?

Question

What causes a bad wheel alignment? Hard steering? Bad tires? If i were to get my wheel aligned, and i didnt change my worn tires to new ones, will it misalign my alignment after its been aligned?

So getting an alignment is useless if I'm going to install new tires 2 weeks after alignment?

Answer 1

If you have an older model car and any of the front end parts are worn or need replacing, the front end will not stay in line. Most alignment shops will tell you if you need anything replaced under the car before doing an alignment. The tires being worn can make a car feel like it's out of line when it's not, but it is always a good idea to either replace worn front tires or at least put the better of the four on the front to give you better handling and control.

Answer 2

It cannot hurt to measure and adjust. anytime.

if you are going to do both, it is cost effective to set the alignment angles after changes are made.

What you do not want, and should not be attempted, is using alignment angles to cover up a problem.
It is often requested by people thinking short sighted.
But then the problem changes, and now the deliberate adjustment shows up as a new problem, see?

Aligning can mean to point it straight and measure.
Then turn it to look straight and reevaluate.
That, to you, gives you a straight wheel to look at.
But it is not affecting the tire lean or suspension parts being
in the optimum relationship.
That's why the angles exist to correct bias, install a bias, and stand the wheels up within tolerance.
It always depends what it is, what you do to it, for it, and about it.

If you want it to drive different, explain the trouble you experience.
if it can be corrected before measurements are taken, you spend smart money.
If you have a suspension that is reactive to its settings and is adjustable, then attention can be directed to that adjustment
taking all your maintenance, parts replacement, or tire issues into account in the correct order.

For example, type A suspension, like say a camaro made before mac pherson struts,
Your roads in your area may demand a caster bias.
Your tires may have a radial pull or lead.
You would move tires around and road test.
You would be sure all those joints and bushings were good, those spring heights were acceptable.
Then the road test just prior to adjustment tells the tech what it feels like.
Then he can interpret the readings and add or remove shims to compensate. Then set the toe.
That car requires that attention to detail. others have their own attributes.
Stating rules about it is not advised because how they drive makes action to take different from one to the next and one year to the next.
Then design changes change what you know, and what you need to learn for each new thing you experience.

This is why they need a big fancy looking machine to remove human error, document it, and remind people of tolerance and specs.

a front end man can correct it with a mag head and a tape and some turn plates on a level surface if he's worth his Snap-ons.
They do it at the track for race applications every Sunday but require much more savvy and they use scales for the corner weights.

Be glad you don't have to drive where they drive at those speeds for an afternoon.
But they can trust a farm boy with a million dollar wheel alignment.

Answer 3

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RE:
What causes bad car wheel alignment?
What causes a bad wheel alignment? Hard steering? Bad tires? If i were to get my wheel aligned, and i didnt change my worn tires to new ones, will it misalign my alignment after its been aligned?

Answer 4

Bad alignment is caused by wearing/worn componants or impact. If you were to align a car with bad tires, the alignment would be relative to the bad tires so, in a sense, it would be off if you got new tires. The best bet for alignments is to have new tires (or at least evenly worn) installed and THEN do the alignment. and evenly worn is not worn out.

Answer 5

Wheel alignment can go out of specs. by wear on
suspencion parts (ball joints control arm bushings...)
,steering part (tie rod ends ,idler arms ,rack&pinion , drag link,...)
or bent frame or any parts. (towing while tied to the wrong part. potholes, wreck ...)
a wreck in the rear can effect the front alignment. on the newer cars the rear is also aligned.


You can align the tires with old tires , they are usually done at the same time.

Answer 6

If you don't change the tires, they will wear and pull differently, but alignment can be from driving up a curb, or sliding into one in winter. Hard driving can work it out too. If you take it in to get done, the shop *should* check the ball joints and your steering to eliminate them as a cause for your bad alignment to begin with. Hope that helps

Answer 7

Every day driving, going over bumps (especially when not slowing down) .
and there is a special case for the FWD cars : turning your steering wheel to the maximum will ruin most of the front suspension parts.

about worn tires : if its badly worn out it will accelerate the miss alignment .

Answer 8

it's just normal wear and tear to the car.

wait until you have your tires replaced before you have them aligned and balanced. It'll save you some money.

Answer 9

the steering components wear out, also, hitting speed bumps too hard, or pot holes or banging into the concrete car stops. As for the worn tire question, nope.

Answer 10

Hard turns can put enormous strain on front end components