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Jun 17, 2021

Your vehicle’s suspension can get misaligned over time due to treading over imperfections on the road or from an impact such as driving over a pothole. When this happens, your vehicle will pull to one side on the roadway or one or more tire’s treads may wear out unevenly. If you ignore the problem, the alignment can get worse and affect your vehicle’s safety and handling dynamics. Continue reading to learn about wheel alignments and how to do them. If you’re still having trouble, schedule a service appointment with Tom Kadlec Kia today!

 

how to do a wheel alignment

How Wheel Alignment Works

A wheel alignment is when you adjust your wheels’ angles so they are all equally parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. The purpose of alignment is to prolong the life of your car’s tires and ensure that it drives as straight as possible. The typical alignment issues that need preventing, and the typical way to align the wheels, depend on whether your vehicle has a front-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive system.

If the front wheels are not aligned, your car may veer to the right. Front-wheel alignment involves adjusting the suspension of the caster, camber, and toe. This process ensures the tires and the road have the correct angle of contact. As a result, your car becomes more stable on the road, and the tires less likely to experience wear and tear.

How to Do a Wheel Alignment With a Tape Measure

You can use a tape measure and pins to get the toe during a wheel alignment. Here is how to do it.
  1. Get in the car and ensure the steering wheel is straight. Pick a spot on the tire.
  2. Drive your car to a level parking space and ensuring the steering wheel is straight.
  3. Ensure the car is loaded or someone is at the driver’s seat.
  4. Get two pins and stick them to each of the front tires at a constant height above the ground.
  5. Have your friend hold one end of the tap against the tire starting at one pin as you stand on the other side of the card.
  6. Pull the tape so there’s no slack and then measure to the other pin. Roll the car forward till the pins stick out at the front end of your tires and at height H. Again, measure the distance between the pins. The difference you’ll get between the measurements is the toe.

How to Do a Wheel Alignment With a String

Using a simple string line to perform a wheel alignment of your vehicle may seem rudimentary, but it does work. Even elite motorsport technicians still use this method regularly.  Make sure your car sits on level ground so that your wheel’s suspensions are the same. Have someone hold the steering wheel straight and centered.

With the vehicle on flat ground, get two long rods, one longer than your car’s width. One sits at the front of the vehicle and the other behind it. Set up the rods at axle height. You will need a few stands and a clamp to this job.

Next, run the string line on either side of your car between these rods. For these to stay parallel to your car, you will do some measuring, adjusting, and re-measuring until they set in the right position.

Measure the distance from the axle hub center to the string, and then adjust the string until the distance between the string line and the hub are similar for both the front wheel and the rear ones.

With the string parallel with your vehicle, it’s time to measure and adjust the toe as required. To measure your toe, take measurements from the front of your rim to the string line, and then write the number down. You’ll also have to measure from the rear of the rim to the string. 

To determine the toe in or toe out, subtract the front measurement from the rear measurement. For example, if the front measurement is 55mm and the rear is 50mm, you will have a +10mm or -10mm toe in.

How to Check Wheel Alignment at Home

Using a tape measure or string, you can do a full and complete wheel alignment at home. This includes:

  • Castor: the slope of your steering axis, which you can determine by drawing a vertical line through the upper and lower ball joint.
  • Camber: the vertical angle that your tires are tilted, either in or out.
  • Toe: The extent to which the wheels point inwards towards your vehicle’s centerline or outwards and away from it.

During wheel alignment, it’s crucial for the caster and camber to be adjusted to the desired settings. This adjustment will impact the toe.

Is There a Difference Between Front-wheel Alignment and Four-wheel Alignment?

The front-end alignment is done on the front axle only and isn’t regarded as comprehensive of a service, as it doesn’t ensure both the front and rear tires are perfectly lined up. On the other hand, four-wheel alignment combines both the front-end and thrust-angle alignment as well as the adjustment of the angle of the rear axles. All-wheel-drive vehicles and vehicles with front-wheel-drive with independent rear suspensions usually undergo this type of alignment.

The type of vehicle you own and your driving habits will determine how often you should go for a tire alignment. Mechanics generally recommend that you should have your car’s wheels aligned every two to three years. Just to be safe, open up the owner’s manual. If there’s no mention of a particular schedule, take your car to the service center for tire alignment checkup once a year at least.

Some situations may require that you perform wheel alignment on a frequent basis. Performance-oriented cars and vehicles with wider tires will need a regular wheel alignment. Also, consider going for a wheel alignment whenever you get a new set of tires.

Checking your Kia’s alignment ensures your tires last longer and the steering handles better.  While it’s possible to do a DIY alignment at home, it’s best to have a mechanic do it for you at a service center near you. You can do the wheel alignment separately or as part of your annual tire care service and vehicle maintenance at Tom Kadlec Kia.