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Wheel Alignment in Chillicothe, Ohio, at Hometown Chillicothe

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Wheel alignment is an often neglected service. Who’s to blame if your car still drives mostly normally? Even still, this is surprising given the massive cost savings it can produce from preventing the need for a brand-new set of tires. It’s also a relatively simple job too. There’s no reason not to get wheel alignment service when you need it. Read below for the need-to-know details regarding wheel alignment and save your hard-earned cash!

Why Wheel Alignment is Important

The most important reason to get wheel alignment service is to save you money in the long term. By getting your car’s wheels aligned, you’re ensuring that the vehicle sits down evenly on the tires, which, over time, prevents uneven wear. Even if the rest of your tires are pristine, if one part is stripped down and lacks tread, it’s time for a new set of tires. For this reason, having your car’s wheels aligned can also improve the safety and handling of your vehicle.

When You Should Get Wheel Alignment

A great rule of thumb for wheel alignment is to get wheel alignment service every other oil change. Because every car and every type of oil needs a different amount of time between oil changes, this time may vary – so, if you’d prefer, the metric every 5,000-10,000 miles also works. Either way, this means about once per year for most drivers.

However, if you notice that your tires are beginning to wear unevenly, wearing unusually quickly in some areas, a noisy steering system, or the vehicle pulling to one side, it’s time to move the timeline up and get a tire rotation sooner rather than later.

The Wheel Alignment Process

A wheel alignment is a relatively straightforward process to understand. Having a better idea of how it works can help you not only better understand your labor costs but also give you more insight into how to figure out if you need one based on the way your car drives. Below are typical parts of a tire rotation process.

Test Drive the Car

This can be used as a diagnostic test to determine how to tune the car properly to make it drive straight and have the tires wear evenly.

Lift the Car

Wheel alignments are when the service technician fine-tunes the angle of the wheels. Naturally, this can’t be done with the weight of the car sitting on them. Your service technician will use a lift to get the car in the air to do the work.

Check the Tire Pressure

Proper tire pressure is important to ensure everything in the wheel alignment process is accurate. Fine adjustments may need to be made to make this happen.

Use a Wheel Alignment Machine

Your service technician will use a special machine to make sure the wheels are angled correctly. This process involves making fine adjustments to the angle of the wheels and using the machine to provide feedback.

Cost of Wheel Alignment

Without the addition of extra parts, you’re only paying for labor when you’re getting your wheels aligned. However, the costs are different depending on how many wheels you’re getting aligned. It’s reasonably priced either way. A good range for getting all four wheels aligned is between $100-$170. It’s even less to just get the front two wheels aligned – usually between $50-$75.

Questions to Ask Your Service Technician

It’s important to go with what your service technician recommends when it comes to how many wheels to get aligned, but make sure to ask how they came to this decision. This can help you feel better about the price you paid for the repair.

It’s important to be as detailed as possible with your service technician regarding the things that brought you in for wheel alignment in the first place. While this is less of an issue if you’re getting your car in for your yearly alignment, if you had problems, the details you noticed can make the service technician’s job much easier and more effective.

Signs of a Quality Wheel Alignment

It may not be immediately apparent that you have a good wheel alignment, especially if you have been going yearly and just went for your other yearly tune-up. However, if you notice your tires’ wear has slowed down and there are no longer weird issues while turning, that’s a sign that you had an excellent wheel alignment.

Shoddy wheel alignments can happen with unscrupulous service shops, unlike Hometown Chillicothe’s service center. If you still notice the issues that you brought your vehicle in for, or if you notice these issues growing worse over time, there’s a solid chance that you had a shoddy repair.

Caring for Your Vehicle After Wheel Alignment

Like going to the doctor’s office or the dentist, the best way to prevent future problems with your car’s wheel alignment is to have them aligned regularly. This preventative maintenance strategy saves you big money in the long run by putting up a small amount up-front. By doing this, you’re preventing further damage to your vehicle that can lead to more expensive repairs. Always be on the lookout for the signs of wheel misalignment that can lead to needing a new set of tires way too soon.

Contact Our Service Department in Chillicothe, Ohio

Hometown Chillicothe is the place to go for all your auto care needs. Our expert service technicians are here to make sure you get back on the road and don’t have to come back to the shop anytime soon. Whether you’re here to purchase a vehicle or for service, we’ll treat you with the same level of respect and dignity while we provide you with excellent service. When you’re ready, it’s easy to schedule service online. You can also call us at 380-219-9549 or drop by when we’re open to set something up. We hope your car drives smoothly for the long haul, but when you do need repairs, we’re glad to help at Hometown Chillicothe.