Tire Balance vs. Alignment: Which One Do You Need?
Both tire balancing and alignment support a smoother ride, but they're different services. Learn the difference and signs you might need one over the other.
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Without a proper wheel alignment, your fuel economy, tire life and the overall performance of your vehicle can suffer. Firestone Complete Auto Care recommends that a car's wheel alignment be checked every 6,000 miles / 6 months.
At Firestone, we perform more than 9,000 wheel alignments daily. We use computerized wheel alignment technology to ensure our camber, caster, toe and thrust angle measurements are extremely precise and accurate.
Come into your local Firestone Complete Auto Care to have your wheel alignment checked. If our professional automotive technicians find that you are in need of further wheel alignment services, we offer two options.
During a standard wheel alignment service, a technician will inspect and/or adjust your vehicle's:
Camber, caster and toe angles (when applicable)
Front and rear steering
Suspension system
Tire wear and tire condition
Tire air pressure
Print out before and after wheel alignment specifications
The auto technician will then align and road test the vehicle. All standard wheel alignment services come with a 12-month / 12,000-mile limited warranty.
With a lifetime wheel alignment service, drivers receive alignments free of charge every 6 months or 6,000 miles for as long as they own the vehicle. Talk to an automotive technician at your local Firestone Complete Auto Care for complete terms and conditions.
Many modern vehicles are equipped with Safety Systems such as Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) and/or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Sensors, cameras, sonars and radars that help your vehicle detect other vehicles, pedestrians and markings on the road can rely on proper alignment to function accurately. If your car manufacturer requires the recalibrations of features associated with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems as part of the alignment service, a Safety Systems Alignment will be required to recalibrate cameras, sensors and radars along with a test drive to ensure these systems are working properly.
Find out more about if your vehicle needs a Safety Systems Alignment.
*Most of our locations are equipped with the latest technology to perform many Safety System Alignments but capability varies per location.
Wheel alignment and tire balancing are both essential to maintain a smooth ride, but they are different services with different purposes. Wheel alignment corrects misaligned angles and keeps your car from veering to one side or another, while tire balancing corrects any imbalance of weight on the wheel and tire assembly.
Unbalanced tires can cause excessive tire wear and damage to suspension. If you notice a vibration in your steering wheel, floorboard, or seat, that’s a tell-tale sign that your tires need to be re-balanced. A loss of wheel weight caused by hitting a speed bump, deep pothole or curb at a higher speed can also cause unbalanced tires.
During a tire balance service, your tires and wheels are mounted onto a tire balancing machine. The machine spins the tire and wheel assembly to measure the imbalance, and a technician will install the correct amount of wheel weights to achieve a properly balanced wheel and tire assembly. Often, wheel balancing and wheel alignment happen during the same visit.
Both tire balancing and alignment support a smoother ride, but they're different services. Learn the difference and signs you might need one over the other.
Discover the top causes for a misaligned steering wheel and the possible solutions. Learn how suspension and tires may be to blame and how to fix them.
Does your car need a wheel alignment? Learn what a wheel alignment is and how to tell it’s time for a wheel alignment service from Firestone Complete Auto Care.