Do you need to get an alignment every time you buy new tires?

No. If the wear on the front tires you are replacing is even across the entire tread. If rear tires are worn more in the center or on the sides, you still don’t need an alignment but need to watch the air pressure more closely. (The proper inflation is on your car’s doorpost, or glove compartment lid, or in the owner’s manual, and IS NOT the MAXIMUM INFLATION value on the tire itself!)

How much does it cost?

$100.00…no thanks!

On a rear wheel drive vehicle, the main reasons for getting an alignment are unusual tire wear or the steering pulls to the right or left. On a front wheel drive vehicle, the drive train can contribute to the same symptoms.

If you got near the advertised mileage out of the tires, I wouldn’t buy an alignment. You should ask the tire salesman why he is recommending an alignment.

It’s been many years since I was in the tire business, but back then, we didn’t consider alignments to be routine maintenance. We did them when there was an obvious problem.

I agree, you don’t need it. It’s really only something that needs to get done if you are wearing out tires because of poor alignment or your car pulls in one direction.

You should only need this for the reasons already given: “you have a problem”. Have you been in a collision at any time in this vehicle? Have you run hard into a curb at some point? Is there any wheel damage on the vehicle? Does the vehicle move crabwise in some way? (You wouldn’t necessarily notice this yourself, but I’ve seen wrecks-in-motion from behind that make four separate tire tracks, one for each wheel. Commercial passenger vehicles shouldn’t do that.)

I’m not going to automatically assume that you’re being ripped off here, but this is where my supposition lies.

None of those…didn’t get the alignment.

I agree with everyone above. My husband often puts on new tires himself and he is not aligning them.

We get the same story every time we go in for tires either from the dealer or local tire company; usually something along the lines of “We strongly suggest you get an alignment every time you change all four tires”. When you ask why you are told that it is something the factory (if you are at the dealer) or the tire manufacturer recommends.

I have had a Honda Fit for just under five years, it has 81,500 miles on it, has been through three sets of 60k rated tires and needs a fourth set at this time. It has been aligned twice, once because of a bad jarring pothole hit, and once after the third set of tires were put on. The tires are rotated approximately every 8k miles (we do it when we change the oil). The tires show even but excessive wear each time they need changing. They are, once again, recommending an alignment even though it does not appear to need one. When asked if it would extend the wear life of the tire all the salesman could do was shrug and say that it “couldn’t hurt”.

First and foremost, you have to find a shop you can trust. When replacing tires, it’s a good idea to have the alignment checked and the front end inspected. A good shop will do this automatically with no charge. If there are problems, the mechanic should walk you under the car while it is up on the rack and point them out to you. If you pull into a shop for tires and the salesman suggests an alignment before checking your car, back out of the place like it’s on fire.

Wheel alignment…

Important stuff.

Yes, you want to deal with a shop you trust. First and foremost you want to use a shop that uses the latest high tech equipment. The latest equipment uses technologies that were not available years before. It doesn’t matter if your car predates this equipment. A more precise alignment will benefit any car. Yes, I see that some are balking at a $100 alignment. Expensive, high tech equipment has to eventually pay for itself.

“Checking” alignment:

If you put a vehicle on the rack to check the alignment the equipment and the tech’s time is already in use. You might as well have the car aligned by that point. Alignment equipment will show very clearly and precisely if any suspension components are damaged or worn.

Different cars have more or fewer alignment parameters. The alignments are camber, caster and toe.

Older and more high tech cars usually have all three of these available adjustments. Many just have toe adjustability. Some cars, such as the E30 BMW have no available adjustment at the rear.

Alignment and tire wear:

Yes, most motorists are primarily concerned with tire life. There are other, more important reasons to have a correct factory spec, or driver preferred alignment. Incorrect toe chews up tires faster than anything else. Most cars have a degree of negative camber for improved cornering. Negative camber means the inside of the tire is pressed into the pavement more than the outside. This will cause the inside edge to wear faster than the outside but improves cornering by causing the tire to “lean” into a corner similar to how a motorcyclist leans a bike in a turn.

Modern cars have suspension designs that actually manipulate camber under cornering and camber and toe under braking. These technologies improve cornering and straight line stability under braking. At uniform speed and in a straight line these angles return to their less aggressive settings to improve tire life.

The idea of a fresh alignment with a set of new tires:

Quality tires are a miracle of engineering and are not cheap. An alignment is an insurance that one of your nice new tires is not being presented to the asphalt at the incorrect angle from mile one. An alignment also shows that parts of the car are not worn or damaged. An alignment means that the car is tracking the road straight and cornering is as immediate and precise as the factory intended. Do it, really.

Rotation:

Tire rotation does reduce wear but comes at a price. Front and rear wheels are usually angled differently. This means that a tire performing service at the rear will need time to scrub in to work optimally at the front. During this wear in time the tires are not performing at maximum. Some rear drive cars cannot be rotated as the rears are wider than the fronts. I do not rotate so that the fronts and rears can do their individual jobs best at all times. Yes, this does mean I buy tires more often. If you rotate, reduce scrub in time by doing it often.

It makes me sad to see how many people assume the purpose of tire shops and dealer service departments is to rip you off.

Yes, we want to put food on our tables but we also want you to be safe. We want you to get the most satisfaction possible out of ownership and use of your vehicle.

Edit:

I read that you are buying the tires two at a time. I would recommend that you get the second pair as soon a possible, and wait to get the alignment then. But again, only if there is not going to be a long period of time pass between the two purchases.

It would be best to replace all four at the same time unless one or two tires are damaged or excessively worn.

@SecondHandStoke Thanks for the input of someone who deals with it on a daily basis and is able to provide a different and knowledgeable perspective. I have learned something new today.

It is unfortunate that tire dealers have such a negative reputation but I bet everyone here could provide a story of a bad experience with the tire industry. I do notice that everyone says if you can find someone who is trustworthy stick with them so there is at least the perception that there are good people out there, you just have to search for them.

@rojo

Vehicle operation isn’t cheap, and your safety is priceless.

Finding a trustworthy and competent dealer or service department is critical and can take time.

Experiment with taking the car in for a small problem. Get a feel for the technician and service advisor. Good ones know how to explain the problem and repair in language you can understand. The staff should be reasonably well spoken, clean, patient and professional.

I would strongly recommend that you take your car to a dealer service department or shop that specializes in your make of car. Never take it to a one size fits all place such as Pep Boys or Jiffy Lube. They do not have the specific knowledge or factory parts for your car.

When sold Honda/Acuras I saw the service department replacing expensive oil pans constantly.

The Honda oil drain relies on a soft aluminum washer that deforms under low tension and acts like a gasket. Jiffy Lube does not have these. JL would use an ordinary washer, then overtighten the drain bolt to get a seal. The delicate aluminum threads in the pan would be stripped resulting in costly damage.

The above is a perfect example of the sort of problems such kinds of shops create.

@SecondHandStoke Yeah man, your answer is true and honest. I can tell you though that the most notorious rip-off artists in my town are unfortunately tire shops. I’d name names but you probably already know from the above answer who I’m talking about. Aside from mounting and balancing tires I do most routine maintenance myself. Any real heavy work goes to a local dealer I have trusted for decades. If you are having your car worked on by kids you could imagine working at taco bell you’re in for some butt hurt as they usually don’t even know what a torque wrench is.

At the risk of being moderated for spam I am going to recommend Tirerack.com.

I have used them for my last 4 tire purchases and won’t be looking back.

Tirerack’s site is the very definition of comprehensive. Their selection is massive.

Tirerack mounts every tire on vehicles and tests them on their own purpose built track, then their conclusions are posted.

Far more importantly, each tire model is accompanied by reviews by people that have bought and run the tire in the real world. I avoided what would have been a HUGE disappointment based on a detailed assessment by a citizen reviewer. The conclusion: Michelin makes a fantastic product (I use their line topping models on my bicycle) but the model I was considering for my car had less than brilliant turn-in response (for my particular application).

Tirerack keeps things simple by allowing you to enter your car’s make and model. The compatible examples from their inventory then show in a list.

Tires are delivered insane fast. (Mine have always arrived the following day).

If you enter your zip code a list of Tirerack approved shops is shown. The tires can be delivered there. Mounting and balancing usually does not take long. (though like most car service items, mounting is not something you want to rush). Mounting of some sizes and models is challenging. Personally I’ve enjoyed having sweet new tires delivered to my wife’s company mail room.

Tire models will cost less than if bought from a retailer. Mounting and balancing is a charge set by the shop.

That’s exactly what I do.