When to check alignment
Yes, those never-ending potholes and bumpy railroad crossings are seriously annoying. But they, along with more severe circumstances like a car accident, can knock your vehicle out of alignment. So, be sure to have your alignment checked if :
You’ve hit something substantial
You see a wear pattern developing on the shoulders (outer edges) of the tires
You notice a difference in your vehicle’s handling
Frequently asked questions
BFGoodrich answers your most asked questions.
FAQ
It adjusts three suspension angles so your tires meet the road at the correct angle. Caster is the forward or backward slope of a line drawn through the upper and lower steering pivot points, viewed from the side. Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel viewed from the front. Toe is the difference in distance between the front and rear of the tires viewed from above.
Drive on a straight flat road with little crosswind and briefly ease your grip on the wheel. If the vehicle drifts consistently to one side, alignment is a likely cause. Other signs are a steering wheel that sits off-centre when driving straight, a wheel that does not return easily after a turn, and wear developing on one shoulder of a tire.
No. Alignment requires specialized equipment to measure caster, camber, and toe to within fractions of a degree, and adjustments are made at suspension components that need to be set precisely. This is a shop job. What you can do yourself is recognize the symptoms early and get it checked before the misalignment ruins a set of tires.
At least once a year, and after any hard pothole or curb impact. Canadian roads produce a lot of those, particularly in spring after the freeze and thaw cycle breaks up pavement. Also check whenever you fit new tires, so you are not scrubbing tread off a brand new set from the first kilometre.
It is strongly recommended. New tires on a misaligned vehicle develop uneven wear immediately, costing you thousands of kilometres of tread life on a set you just paid for. The cost of the alignment check is small relative to the tires and it protects that investment from the start.
Yes. Misalignment reduces steering precision and stability, which matters most in an emergency manoeuvre and even more on snow and ice. It also scrubs tread away faster, and a tire that reaches its wear limit early has less grip in wet and winter conditions. If alignment is significantly off, the vehicle is not safe to drive until corrected.
Related pages
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TIRE ROTATION
Rotating your tires is not a gimmick. Tires wear at different rates depending on position, and moving them on schedule spreads that wear across all four instead of destroying two. Rotate every 10,000 to 12,000 km, or as your owner's manual specifies. The correct pattern depends on your drivetrain and whether your tires are directional, so confirm both before you start.View more -
TIRE BALANCE
Tire balancing is pretty much what it sounds like. It compensates for the weight of the tire and wheel assembly after the tire is mounted. A wheel is out of balance when one area is heavier or lighter than the rest. That causes bouncing or wobbling, which can decrease treadwear, increase vibration and cause stress on your vehicle. The cure? Correction weights are added to counterbalance the tires.View more -
HOW TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
Tires can lose up to 1 psi every month even with no puncture, and cold Canadian weather drops it further. Check all four plus the spare once a month or before any long trip. Buy a trusted gauge, check cold before driving or at least three hours after, press the gauge onto the valve stem, and compare against the sticker inside your driver's door. Never use the sidewall number as your target.View more -
TIRE CARE
Nothing makes a vehicle look better than a clean set of tires and wheels, but the wrong cleaner costs you more than it saves. Many wheel cleaners contain harsh acids, alkalis, and detergents that damage wheels and paint. Use acid-free products only. In Canada there is a second reason to keep tires clean: road salt and brine accelerate rubber degradation and corrode wheels and valve stems.View more -
TIRE INSPECTOR TOOL
The quarter test is the fastest tread check in Canada and it costs nothing. Insert a Canadian quarter into a main groove with the caribou's nose pointing down. If the tread covers the nose, you have useful depth left. If the nose is fully visible, your tread is low and replacement should be planned now. Check several grooves across each tire, because wear is rarely even.View more