Does Your Car REALLY Need a Wheel Alignment? Everything You Need to Know about Car Alignments
Vložit
- čas přidán 15. 05. 2024
- A Master automobile technician and shop owner shares the truth about wheel alignments. What is a car alignment, When should you get one, What causes car pulls and more
TCCN Automotive Inc.
Toyota and Lexus Specialist Repair
Visit www.tccnautomotive.com to schedule your appointment today.
Check out the second channel :
/ @thecarcarenutreviews
Recommended Tools:
Basic Scan Tool amzn.to/3Jm6aom
Very good DIY Scan Tool amzn.to/3zF7dvH
Advanced Scan tool amzn.to/3q3L3QQ
Spill Free Coolant Replacement Funnel amzn.to/3uJfKxm
Sun roof drain cleaning tool amzn.to/3GMDlQ9
Good DIY Torque Wrench 1/2" amzn.to/3gE9bnw
Wireless Apple CarPlay for Toyota\Lexus amzn.to/3uKElSo
Very Good Triple Camera Borescope amzn.to/3MrgFs0
*as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow the channel on Social Media :
/ thecarcarenut
/ thecarcarenut
Check out the channel Merch store
/ @thecarcarenut
Make a one time donation to the channel:
www.paypal.me/CCNdonate
Check out the amazon store:
www.amazon.com/shop/thecarcarenut
*as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
#thecarcarenut #tccnautomotive #toyota #lexus
0:00 Intro
0:44 Car Alignment Basics
5:00 So Why Does My Car Pull?
9:53 Tires and Alignment Good Still Pulls?
13:44 When Should You Get An Alignment - Auta a dopravní prostředky
![tattoo printer tutorial[제품단순선물]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/g40_GwEJak0/mqdefault.jpg)
The world needs more mechanics like you.
Seriously! I love this channel!
A dealership tried to pull this with me a few months ago. I asked the service advisor why he felt I needed an alignment done and he said "it's standard after 20,000 miles." I decided on the spot that would be the first and last time I went to them for any kind of service. Glad to see your video confirms my suspicion -- thanks for these videos, they truly provide a great service for folks!
These Dealerships and Shops out here really gouge you and they have no conscience! They legally rob people without a gun..So disgusting.
It’s a quick $100, pure profit, non- inventory able item
I drove a 2006 Sonata over 12 years with no alignment
Caster is an angle dumb ass
@@juniormoore3953 - manufacturers need to bring back those cars! That was even before TPMS sensors were mandatory!
I did nothing but wheel alignment, brakes and suspension, for 25 years! Everything this man is saying is absolutely the truth!
Wow how engine not blow up from lack of oil?
@@efremendezthey worked in a shop and specialized, cmon man
@@efremendezyeah he means he worked in those areas, not that he did those for his car.
How many miles
You are one of the few mechanics not trying to sell unnecessary alignments. True honesty (especially with vehicles) is at a premium these days. Much appreciated.
Not only a mechanic, also a gentleman.
That would explain all the trouble I had last Tuesday with my shopping cart at Walmart.
Lo😂
Walmart has terrible carts. You have to test the one you get to make sure it will roll straight.😩
Time to change the wheels
Did you tell them to do an alignment on it
I find that sometimes a pull can be resolved by checking for uneven tire pressure...
I want add a pull can be caused by bad wheel bearings , dragging, stuck brake or tire tread separation
That’s right! I believe a very low pressure tire,can cause a small pull..correct tires pressures all around are just as important..
@@jimbo5635 Some tires can also cause the cause to wonder around when driving on grooved concrete freeways. When the Nissan 300ZX first came out and I had replaced the tires. One replacement set of Bridgestone tires made the wander a bit. It didn't happen when I eventually replaced them with Michelins. I would get that problem every so often as I had different cars and tires over the years.
@@jimbo5635 You just named every issue in my car 😅
so close to 1 million subs dude, this channel deserves it!
Something we can All get behind. Honesty and integrity is a rare commodity these days. I’m for supporting it.
Great info. I wish your shop was nearby. A competent trustworthy mechanic is hard to find.
But for that to be the case, you would have to be living in Chicago.
AMD, I don't think my car needs an alignment but I am really enjoying these little chats . 😁
@@Azaelult he seems to prefer it over Ahmed
As mentioned in this video, check your tire wear. My 2021 Camry hybrid LE (steel wheels 205/65 R16) is 302 K miles as of today and I'm shopping around for my 4th set of tires (yes 100K miles a set) , and I still driving on the same factory alignment.
I want to discount tire and gotta free Thai repair the other day. They used a gauge or a amp on the cell phone to measure the treadfrom each side of the tire and stuffit was kind of interesting
It really depends on the life the car has lived and the roads it drives on.
What,100k of driving a year? I am considering buying the same car, can you give me the pros and cons?
That is a ton of driving! My back hurts just thinking about 100K per year!!!
holy moly. at the rate you drive you'll easily hit 1 million miles in a few years. you should get on a news or post it somewhere at least, might be a world record
Just an fyi. Former tech. I dont know if all hunter alighment machines do this. I would see some "techs" change it manually on the computer and on the print out on the top it would say "modified". Thats how they would do some alignments when they didn't want to work on the vehicle. so just be on the look out when the service writer lets you know what was done.
The first time I had to do an alignment at the dealership, the alignment itself was fine but the steering wheel wasn't centered (off by less than a cm from the outer diameter of the steering wheel, but still noticeable for me). I also rotated my tires to rule out a tire issue. Even after 2 more visits they didn't think it was a problem. So in the end I decided to try adjusting the toe equally on each side a tiny bit, and after hours of trial and error I was able to get the steering wheel straight. Never felt so accomplished working on a car in my life, even for something so minor!
Come to think of it, there might have been a chance that i misinformed the dealership service advisor by saying it was a "pull". I definitely learned something new. Thanks for the videos as always!
Centering the steering wheel is of the utmost importance, they are supposed to take your car for a drive to make sure of that. I would have addressed it as soon as possible .
Your alignment was not complete-have them correct the steering wheel misalignment or take it somewhere else. Your signals will never correct properly and your steering angle sensor will always sense the vehicle being turned.
After my Forrester was struck behind the passenger rear wheel while parked by someone driving over 30mph it mas moved over 6 feet. I had to fight the driver's insurance to have a rear end alignment. The insurance company told me it was impossible to cause alignment issues. The repair shop found damaged parts, my muffler was damaged and I was told without the alignment my new tires would have been damaged and needing replacement within 6000 miles.
Thank you for confirming my thoughts on routine alignments. I routinely inspect my tires for wear pattern and maintain proper air pressure. My wife’s 2011 Camry has 90000 miles and never had an alignment. Tire wear is even and drives straight just like it did when new.
It goes without saying, but needs to be said: CORRECT tire pressure is a must first, the same PSI in both front tires, otherwise it will pull. Easy fix and diagnosis.
Roads are terrible in my area. I need an alignment every time after hitting a pothole hard enough.
Skipped it once and after 6 months noticed uneven wear on summer tires while switching to winter ones. Luckily, those are old enough and need replacement for the next season anyways.
Good video, but I feel you missed giving a pretty good tip: You can get an idea about toe-in issues by running your fingers across both the front wheel treads left to right and right to left. They should feel identical in both directions. If you feel a little bit of a sharp edge on the tread in one direction but not the other, then that tire has been getting "dragged" slightly sideways due to poor toe-in.
Man, if I was near you, I’d hug you 🙂 You can’t imagine how much your Scotty Kilmer like old school wisdom is appreciated. It becomes more and more rare these days to see professionals who prefer to both look at the big picture and dissect the issue to pinpoint the exact problem. Most people these days prefer to use “compartmentalised” thinking and offer you standard, “safe” answers. Keep up the good work, AMD!!!
I love the comment but let's not pull Scotty into this channel, lol
Nice comment until you compared him to Scotty Kilmer. So much nonsence comes out of Kilmer's mouth that divides Americans. You'll never get that from this channel. Thank the Lord ALL Americans are safe and respected here.
Don't compare this man to that Scotty kilmore click bait hack
I like ol Scotty 😂. He tells the truth about Toyota and other car brands. A bit over the top, perhaps, but he's ok😊
@MrLuigi-oi7gm I don’t see the contradiction between AMD and Scotty. Both great mechanics who are honest. The one difference is that Scotty has a longer life and professional experience and he can allow himself to speak his mind at times. AMD, on the other hand, prefers to play it safe and not to step on any toes. That’s all there’s to it as far as I can see.
This is a GOOD guy! I wish he could be my mechanic. I would not ask him ANY questions and allow him to maintain my vehicles and feel so comfortable. Good Bless You Car Care Nut 💙
All four original tires (General Tires) on my new 2005 Camry LE started wearing on the outer portions of the treads. The door jam sticker stated a really low PSI for the ties...I think it was 26PSI. I thought that was too low so I ran the tires at 32 PSI, then 35, then 37. No matter what I did the outer edges of all four tires were wearing first...even after rotations. There was no tire pull and I had the alignment done. Many opinions later a foreman of a tire chain speculated that the side belts of the tires were not properly supporting the tire. After the tires were replaced with another brand...problem solved and gone! Go figure! BTW...my 2020 Camry LE came with Bridgestone Tires...no problems...smooth as silk.
Thank you for this informative video. Most car owners especially this new generation doesn't know about this. Like my daughter who brought her car to the dealership for an oil change and telling her the car needs an alignment every 30,000miles. Glad that I always give her tips and videos of yours and she knew how to avoid this kind of marketing by the dealership. Salute to your channel!
Been driving more many decades. I always learn something new when I watch your videos. In this case, several new things. Thanks
Always such quality info. Helped me dispel some myths I’d had about alignments. Hearing it’s not a maintenance item makes me feel better.
I love watching these videos to support AMD the way he supports us all by making them!
Man I am so grateful for you making this kind of content available for everyone. Good video
Keep up the good work, much appreciated by all viewers.
Absolutely love your videos. So informative and I appreciate your unbiased and honest opinions.
This is the best explanation I ever heard on this topic! Very well done and helpful - thank you!
We have a 2016 Tacoma we bought new, and a Lexus RX350 we bought new in 2017. I had been thinking that we may need to get alignment due to new tires and ago. But both drive beautifully and no evidence of abnormal wear. Thank you for this video!
The most intelligent discussion on wheel alignment ever! Thank you, sir.
Here in Malaysia, people around me advise to do alignments every 3 months, and it helps to make the tires wear out more evenly. Also, if we're working in the e-hailing sector, every driver is required by the government to enter an official car health test every year. And one of the things they test us on is the alignment, where the tires go on a huge treadmill and gets tested. And i've failed the whole course many times just because of this one alignment test.
Best video on wheel alignment I’ve seen on CZcams. I’ve seen a lot of them and this covers everything ❤
Good morning…looking forward to my maintenance appointment in March!
So glad you mentioned the road crown. Its amazing how many people go for a alignment because of that. Its also amazing how many alignment shops don't bother with centering the wheel.
I have been my own mechanic for the last 15 years (mostly Toyotas) and I wish I had AMD when I started. Most things he teaches here cost me lots of time and money over the years. Best wishes AMD you are the best!
This is an amazing amount of great information. I'd only add one thing I was taught by a long-time mechanic as he described negative caster. He basically said "that's the front wheel on a shopping cart". Be safe.
Thank you for your hard work delivering these educational videos.
Love all your videos!!!!!!!!!!! Always looking for the next one. Thank You for all the valuable information
Thank you for your advices , one of best channels at this time...✌️
Thanks for the information this will save me a lot of money. I just got a new set of tires today and declined the alignment and now I'm super glad I did. The other tires had worn beautifully.
God bless you Brother, and thank you for all that you do for us car people! ❤
You are the most qualified and honest mechanic on youtube!! I do not trust my dealership.
Love your channel, keep up the good work.
Thank you for explaining tire alignment and going over the different scenarios. I'd always heard about the suggestion of getting one done when buying new tires but that makes perfect sense and saves some money by inspecting the old tires for abnormal wear to determine whether one is needed or not.
It’s unfortunate that some auto repair places are still giving the industry a BAD name…..
Thank you Car Care Nut !
Can’t thank you enough for this video! I learned a lot and this will help me make more informed decisions when bringing my car in for routine service.
Excellent explanation on tire basics, a lot of us get this very wrong because we've been handed the wrong information down from generations.
I now understand the distinction 👍
I have a 2012 Lexus ES350 and it's like one of those boats you described perfectly but it never had an alignment issue. Just replaced the tires on it and after balancing the wheels the car drives like it always did. No alignments necessary. The only time I would consider one is if the wheel pulls to one side agressively or if I notice the tires not wearing out evenly. That hasn't happened yet and the car's 12 years old.Thank you for making awesome videos.
Please 🙏🏻 show us your newest LS project!!!! The suspense is killing me! 😊
This video is gold. Best explanation ever
Another correctly done video with spot on recommendations. I would say here in chicago land there are more bumps
than in beautiful florida that may increase rate that toe would go out a bit but recommendations are still spot on.
13:59 absolutely bombastic editing and i love it. That edit helps AMD call into question what must me hundreds of millions of dollars in business in such a clear way. Also, something i dont know you guys have mentioned is how we (in Canada and other Km Using countries) get the same recommendations as you but in KILOMETERES. Oil change recommended every 5 k KM. I love your northern perspective; understanding road salt and rust; might be a topic to touch on breefly; not just that there is a conversion to be done (obvious) but the suggestions for maintaining your car in northern climates that cycle between boiling summers and fridged winters
this is the best alignment video i scene yet. Very informative.
Your knowledge is second to none,the thing as simple as wheel alignment "that's what people think" should be mith broken, bless you I've learnt.
im glad this was made into a video, becasue it goes to show. my dads old 98 civic only had an alignment 2 times over 15 year period. I would say its needed after a longer period of time like every 4-6 years because of pot holes, or wore out struts etc. its rarely needed. Now I off-road in my tacoma and I do my own alignments with my set up, and it does change a from a 0.5-1.0 degree difference from my last alignment., mostly in my camber which makes more sense with all the rocks and drops plus my lift, wheels and tires, heavier set ups will wear the vehicles alignment more than stock set ups. great video too
Great information as always AMD. Thanks for sharing with us.
My tires are wearing normally, and an alignment was pitched to me this upcoming spring. Thanks AMD
Very informative. I love this channel so much! First action I take when I sense there may be something abnormal with my steering ; check the air pressure in all tires first! If any tires are down on air, add air and then test drive again. Have yourself a wonderful day!
Great information! Thank you for the detailed explanation and honest assessment of alignment issues.
BROTHER 💪🏼
YOU
ARE
THE
MAN! 🫵🏼
Thank You 🙏🏼
For your channel 👀
I have learned so much from your channel about my Toyota Camry 2012
Wishing You Nothing But The Best! Because Only The Best Will Do For "U"🫵🏼
God Bless 🤞🏼
Great info!! This guy speaks the truth! What an awesome channel!! Love your content! Thanks.
Really like listening to your automotive knowledge.
Thank you for some backing up to what I have always said. You do an alignment if needed not as a maintenance item. People always looked at me funny when I said that. If nothing is wrong what are you fixing besides nothing. Love the channel. Thank you for tips as always.
I had a subframe deadset kit installed on my GTI. It replaced the factory subframe bolts with higher quality bolts with locking collars. This resulted in the caster correct to near identical in the front wheels. Routine alignment is well worth the cost.
Thanks for the video, good basic info for car owners that saves us cash. I think I have a good mechanic, my car was pulling a little and I told him I wanted an alignment.. He told me probably not? He rotated the tires for free and told me the car was fine. No more pulling.
I agree with you 💯 percent about the back especially you have a solid axle how it goes off line.
May God Bless You! I just found your channel and I wish I would have found this a long time ago.
I do mine and a rotation every 10,000kms. For $69 it's cheap peace of mind and aids tyre longevity. I usually get close to 80,000kms out of a set.
Thank you for your honest and thorough videos! Would love to see a video on the 2024 Tacoma to get your thoughts on its build quality and what we can expect for the 2025 4Runner. This is my #1 go to channel for everything Toyota so thank you
I used to align every year, and before any long distance trip; after the pandemic and economic circumstances I could not afford to do it as often and on every trip I felt discomfort from the rupture of habit of doing it. Thank you sir for this info!
Pleasant surprise when you see a new video upload.
Another really great video. I rate it second from the masters best👍
Awesome video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such an understandable way.
Great easy to understand video..tyvm for your work in putting these videos together.
Toyota dealerships service departments must really be hating you.
You provide honest information and education. Thank you for your channel.
Just today, my local dealer tried to pull this stunt on me. Said there was a slow leak in one tire that was not repairable and quoted me a price for a new set of four tires, and of course, a price with the recommended wheel alignment. Even with their buy three and get one free, the price was several hundred dollars more than the local Discount Tires store or Costco. (p.s. They would not rotate the tires on the right side of the car, electing to keep the slow leak tire on the rear. Guess they didn't think I would ever check my tire pressure or notice the TPMS light.)
Great video from a guy who use to mount, balance and align cars. I enjoyed the video with the comprehensive approach to validate the need of an alignment. One other case of pulling the car to one side of the road is the brake system on the front of the car. Disc brakes on certain vehicles have a possibility of dragging on one side of the vehicle more than the other side. Brake calipers of not maintained properly when changing pads will have a habit of not allowing proper movement of the pads clamping down and releasing from the rotors. The guide pins on the calipers, if not cleaned and greased properly will drag the car off center track. In fact with extreme cases the caliper won't release enough so the rotor the pads wear uneven or fail prematurely. The most extreme case I witnessed a caliper catch fire. Through my experience, before the alignment, I always check the wear of the tires and the brake pads and complete the test ride, if possible with the customer.
I just had a 4 wheel alignment done on my 2004 Oldsmobile Alero FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER and jesus christ THE CAR GOES STRAIGHT WHEN I LET GO OF THE WHEEL NOW. IT'S CRAZY. and I replaced the front suspension AND NOW THE CAR FEELS LITERALLY NEW.
Thanks , I already knew this about alignments. But this is great too warn others about the alignment scams.
1 Million Subscribers.... Wow, that's some Achievement... You so very well deserve it... I Love watching your videos.. God Bless You and your family .... Cheers from Melbourne, Australia...👍👍😊😊
Sir
I wish I would have watched this video before I got my tires and they said yes oh new tires you need an alignment and I agreed even though there was nothing wrong with my alignment thanks for your insight it's an awesome video
Thank you for making understanding aligment
This man speaks the TRUTH.
Another valuable video. Thank you very much. I love to follow your channel.
You have to be one of the best mechanics ever!! I’m a gear head and love cars. I agree that Toyota makes some of the best cars ever built
I had a 1993 Toyota pickup with 286,000 miles when I sold it. I never had any alignment issues. Tires life was great.
My car just turned 10 years old. It's never had an alignment, but all my tires wear equally. Rear tires aren't worn in the middle. Front tires aren't worn on the sides. I try not to hit potholes, that might bend parts.
A lot of times when you replace bad parts. You don’t need an alignment anymore more.
Still have my 1996 Camry, bought new. Never had a wheel alignment. Never have had any front end work needed done.
Very well done and you did it where everything made sense...God Bless
Car care nut guy is so honest. This is the kind of mechanic everyone needs to find.
🤔🤔🤔
Great video as always, thank you!
Those chain shops that sell lifetime alignment are only lifetime as long as you don't change or install something new. Unless they installed the new parts (struts, tie rod, etc).
I got new tires, the tire shop owner says 'u want an alignment', I say 'no thanks the tires wore evenly', he said 'your new tires won't have a warranty if u don't get an alignment', I said 'GOOD' 😂
Lol stick it to the man
Thank you for your Honesty and knowledge..
Excellent common sense advice as always ❤️
Always good information. Thank You!
I live in Michigan, we are the land of pot holes, usually can avoid them if on a secondary road, but sometimes on freeway driving they come so fast can’t react fast enough and hit it, thats the only reason I get a alignment yearly
Here too, stiff suspension on my truck and rough roads mean I have it checked yearly and always corrected.
Keeping those adjusters clean from rust makes repairs possible.
Love your channel! God bless you too!
Back when I worked at an NTB, we would have customers come to have their tires rotated and balanced or have an alignment. Ten minutes later, they would be back at the shop saying their car was "still shaking" or was "still pulling". If they told us this in the first place, a proper diag could have been performed the first time around. Always tell the person behind the counter if your car is having an issue. It saves everyone lots of time.
Many non-car people don’t know how to describe the issue. Not their fault, they just know something is off. A good mechanic or service tech can ask a series of questions and gather information required for a correct diagnosis.
Great overview of tire alignment
Thank you. Excellent advice!
Thank you. This way a great topic to cover.
In my career, I found pull to be 95% tire-related. AMD, I know that you are very knowledgeble and honest. I did have a pull, or more correctly a bump-steer because the factory incorrectly installed the spring shims on a 2003 Camry XLE purchased new, binding the strut bearings, which caused the twist on the springs to steer the car left on bumps.
I absolutely love how you “Teach and Educate” your listeners. Thank you, thank you and thank you. BTW, you are part of my “Three Amigos” I subscribe to. Car Care Nut, Toyota Maintenance and Scotty Kilmer. 😂
One of the best on wheel alignment I have ever heard. Thanks AMD