Wheel Alignment Services
Keeping your wheels properly aligned is important to the long-term maintenance of your vehicle. Accurate wheel alignment will provide maximum tire life, improved gas mileage and better vehicle handling. At Galaxy Auto Centers, we recommend to check your alignment whenever new tires are installed or steering and suspension work is being done. Please call us or schedule if you suspect that your wheels may be misaligned.
Wheel Alignment involves the adjustment of a series of angles that are designed into the steering and suspension systems of vehicles to keep the tire tread on the road surface in all steering situations. Correct wheel alignment allows the vehicle to go in the direction it is steered with little or no correction from the driver. Proper alignment will cause the steering wheel to return to center once a turn is completed. Camber, Caster, and Toe are the three most common adjustable angles checked with alignment equipment.
Common symptoms of improper wheel alignment
- Center bar of steering wheel is not centered.
- Vehicle drifts or pulls right or left when steering wheel is not held tightly
- Steering wheel does not return to center after completing a turn.
- Tires are wearing unevenly — more on the inside or outside.
Common causes of misalignment
- Running over anything that causes a hard jolt to the vehicle, such as a curb or pothole
- Wear on the springs that happens as a car ages
Front wheel vs. four-wheel alignment
Most rear wheel drive vehicles only require alignment adjustments on the front wheels, because the rear axle is fixed and not adjustable. However, the rear axle measurement should still be used as a reference. Most front wheel drive vehicles do have adjustable angles on the rear axle and should be modified for optimum tracking so the rear tires properly follow the front tires.
Galaxy Auto Centers has the latest computerized equipment and ASE certified technicians to perform wheel alignments on all foreign or domestic cars and light trucks.
