In the past, as with body-on-frame vehicles and those having non-independent rear suspensions, front-end alignment was usually all you needed to have you on the straight and narrow again. With today’s unibody designs and multilink independent rear suspensions, four-wheel alignment is recommended to have all tires working together and tracking in the same direction.

Depending on the adjustments available on your vehicle, alignment is a procedure that involves adjusting the camber, the outward or inward tilt of the tires when view head-on; caster, a front or rear tilt when viewed from the side; and toe, which way your tires are pointed when viewed from above. Toe-in means they are pointed inward, toe-out means they are turning away from each other.

Tire alignment services require specialized equipment and trained technicians. It requires the proper tools to diagnose, repair, replace and properly align your vehicle. It’s not an easy fix like changing your motor oil and should be done by a dealership or repair shop.

While they check alignment, consult with them on wheel balancing, as well. Vibrations can crop up from an out of balance tire, which in turn causes excessive tire wear. With so many components responsible for specific causes and subsequent affects, it’s a good idea to have all these exams and services performed at the same time.