What Happens During a Vehicle Alignment Appointment

Apr 22, 2025

Today on Classic’s latest Gearhead Guru Guide installment, we’re breaking down the ins-and-outs of the Alignment process, and why it’s a vital part of regular service maintenance appointments. Learn when to perform a tire rotation, when to have your wheels balanced, and what parts of the vehicle will be inspected during an alignment appointment. It’s all right here on today’s blog!

What should I be doing regularly to maintain proper alignment and wheel care?

You should be having your tires rotated regularly to ensure even tread wear. In general, it’s recommended to rotate your tires with each oil change or at minimum every other oil change, which on average is about every 3,000 to 7,000 miles. You’ll want to balance your wheels every 15,000 miles or so.Your driving style, driving habits, and road conditions all affect wear and tear on the tires, and by rotating you’re extending the life of your tires and ensuring even wear.

During appointments, your mechanic will also inspect the condition of your tires and let you know if they notice uneven wear and tear, as this may be an alignment issue. Your vehicle will occasionally need a realignment to ensure your tires and wheels are adjusted in the right direction to prevent excessive wear or damage. A misaligned vehicle may have poor tire wear, improper handling, decreased fuel efficiency, and the vehicle may become harder to control thus increasing the risk of accidents.

What types of alignments are there for vehicles?

There are three regular types of alignments available – front-end alignment, thrust alignment, and four-wheel alignment. Your vehicle’s suspension determines which kind of alignment your service technician will perform. Let’s break it down for each type so you can better understand what your mechanic will be completing during your appointment.

A front-end alignment is the most basic type of alignment, and makes adjustments to the front axle.

A thrust alignment is a combination of a front-end alignment and a thrust alignment. It makes sure all four wheels are squared with one another and level.

Four-Wheel alignments combine some parts of front-end and thrust alignment, along with making sure the rear axle is in the proper position. This will typically apply to 4WD, AWD, and FWD vehicles which have adjustable rear suspension.

What areas of the vehicle are adjusted during an alignment?

Camber – This is the vertical angle (inward or outward) of the tires when examining the vehicle head on. It’s common for most vehicles to have a slight negative camber, as this aids in stability.

Caster – This is the forward or backward angle of the steering axis, and is viewed from the side profile of the vehicle. This helps your vehicle maintain a straight course of driving, and assists with the steering wheel returning to center after turning.

Thrust – This is a measurement of comparison between the rear axle direction and the centerline of the vehicle. It also helps examine the wheelbase and ensures the front and rear axles will be parallel to one another.

Toe – This is the angle at which the tires turn in or out when the vehicle is viewed from above. Ensuring a proper toe is crucial to ensure even wear so you can get the max mileage out of the tires.

Your mechanic may also check the steering components to ensure they are in good condition, as well as all of the suspension components.

What Happens During an Alignment appointment at the service center?

Your service technician or mechanic will take the vehicle for a short test drive to best assess what is going on with your vehicle. Once they’ve diagnosed the issue, they’ll raise the car on a lift and check your tires as well as the suspension for any faults. They will let you know what parts, if any, are broken or have intense wear-and-tear and need replacing, and once they’ve been swapped for new parts, they’ll begin with the alignment process.

The alignment process begins with checking each tire pressure, and adjusting as needed to reach proper pressure (manufacturer recommendations.) Following that, the vehicle will be connected to the alignment machine, and the mechanic will use a computer to adjust the suspension according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

After the alignment process is complete, your vehicle will make sure the steering wheel is centered, and then take the vehicle out for a test drive to ensure the alignment process is complete. If any adjustments are needed, they’ll repeat the process until all is in alignment.