Alignment & Balancing

Wheel Alignment Service

Driving without a proper wheel alignment not only costs money–it costs the safety of you and your passengers. Your gas mileage and tire life will decrease while the likelihood of tire blow-outs and accidents due to poor tire traction will increase.

You should get your car alignment checked at least once per year, after an accident, or when you clip a curb to ensure the longevity of your tires.

The Importance of Keeping Your Tires Aligned

Despite the name, tire and wheel alignments are not actually repairs to the wheel or tire themselves, but rather your car’s suspension–the system of springs, ball joints, and shocks connecting the tire and wheel assemblies to the body of your vehicle.

The suspension controls the way your tires make contact with the road and, in turn, how the steering wheel controls the tires. Although a wheel alignment service is a type of suspension maintenance, the easiest way to spot a problem with your alignment is by inspecting the tire and steering wheel.

During a routine front end alignment, the experienced technicians at Telle Tire & Auto Centers will use a top-of-the-line computerized alignment system to look for three things: camber, toe, and caster.

Positive & Negative Camber

Camber refers to the vertical tilt of your tires as viewed from the front or back of your car. Your tires can be tilted outward, away from your vehicle—called ”positive camber”—or inward, toward the center of your vehicle—called ”negative camber.” Vertical tilt, even by a fraction of a degree, can cause your tires to wear unevenly. For example, the outside of your tire might be barely worn, but the inside is worn.

Toe-in & Toe-out

Walk with your toes pointed in and look down. That’s what, from a bird’s eye view, tires with a toe-in alignment look like. Tires angled toward or away from each other—referred to as toe-in and toe-out respectively—will wear your treads unevenly and prematurely.

Positive & Negative Caster

Caster refers to the tilt of the steering axis as viewed from the side of your car. If the axis at the top of the tire points toward the back of your car, it is called positive caster. Negative caster is when the axis leans toward the front of your car. Caster, when in proper alignment, ensures that your car stays straight when you take your hands off the wheel. It also is why your wheel returns to the straight position after a turn. If you have to turn your wheel to the right or left in order to drive straight, it is likely that your caster is out of alignment.

Tire Balancing Service

Regular wheel balancing service can save your tires from uneven wear and premature failure. When your tires are installed, your technician will ensure the weight of your tire is balanced, or distributed evenly.

As you drive, though, the weight distribution of your tire system may change. The distribution change will often manifest itself as a vibration or uneven tread wear, which happens because imbalanced tires will wobble slightly on the axle. This wobbling is often imperceptible until you reach a speed of 50-70 mph.

Signs You’re Due for Wheel Balancing Service

It can be difficult to notice wheel balancing problems before they escalate into tire damage. But, if you notice the two following signs, it’s probably time to have your car looked at.

Your Steering Wheel or Seats are Shaking

If you notice your steering wheel or seats begin to vibrate when you reach 50-70 mph, it is likely that your tires are imbalanced. Wheel vibrations usually point to uneven weight distribution on your front wheels, while seat vibrations mean uneven weight distribution in your rear wheels.

You Notice Erratic Tread Wear Patterns

There are actually many causes of uneven tread wear—wheel balancing problems are just one possible cause. Still, erratic tread wear problems point to underlying tire or suspension problems. The professional mechanics at Telle Tire & Auto Centers will be able to accurately diagnose the underlying problem of your tread wear problem.

When you bring your car into the nearest Telle Tire & Auto Center, we’ll first determine the underlying problem and then fix it at its source. If wheel or tire balance is the problem, we’ll counteract the “heavy” spots of your tire by attaching measured lead weights on the opposite side. We can determine exactly how much weight is required to balance your tire system by using a state-of-the-art balancing machine.

Why Choose Telle for Your Wheel Alignment & Tire Balancing Service?

At Telle Tire & Auto Centers, we’ve been serving the automotive repair needs of drivers for over 83 years. Our work is done right the first time, and will protect you against what lies on the road ahead. Our ASE-certified technicians provide trusted excellence built on generations of long-term relationships and proven excellence.