How Much Does a Wheel Alignment Cost?
If you have a car, you’ve probably asked yourself once or twice about how much a car’s wheel alignment costs.
When it comes to wheel alignments, as with many other services and products, there are a lot of things to take into account to figure out the exact cost and if you want it to be cheap and within professional standards, you have to be very careful when making a choice.
After a good alignment, you will notice an improvement in the performance of your car, also avoiding many inconveniences and future costs that might not be covered by your car insurance.
What is a wheel alignment?
Although people call it either a tire alignment or a wheel alignment, this process will involve adjusting the suspension of your car. Alignments are used to correct the angle at which the tires touch the surface of the road. It is done to help your wheels touch the ground evenly when you drive. This fix will not only extend the life of your tires but will also make the handling of your car a lot easier.
Driving over a pothole, hitting the curb, or any other jostles or jars of the vehicle when driving can affect your car’s wheel alignment. Even if you are a great driver and avoid most obstacles, you should know that the usual tire wear and tear will also cause a slight misalignment in time for all vehicles.
How Much Does a Wheel Alignment Cost?
Most drivers will pay an average cost of $100 to $350 for a wheel alignment for all four tires. This will depend on several factors, including the type of alignment you need, your location, the company you choose to work with, and any discounts you might get your hands on.
Factors that will impact the cost of tire alignment
Location
When trying to find out the cost of a car alignment, the first thing you need to consider is your location. As with many other things, some states have a way more expensive cost of living, which reflects in the cost of a wheel alignment as well, while others are cheaper to live in.
For example, in Louisiana, you will get this type of service done for around $100, but this price could double if you do it in Michigan. More expensive states might have prices of $300 or more.
The Type Of Alignment You Need
There isn’t just one type of car wheel alignment. In fact, there are a few different types you can opt for; like a front-end alignment or one done for the rear wheels, which are only done on two wheels, or a four-wheel alignment, which will be done on both the rear wheels and the front wheels of your car.
This is What Other People Pay For Wheel Balancing
When you opt for the front/end-wheel alignment (you will get this service done for either the front wheels or the end ones) you will spend around half of the price of a full wheel alignment.
Try to get your hands on coupons or discounts, but be sure to check whether the alignment service is provided within the discount or promotion.
The Company You Choose
The price can greatly differ from one company to another and from one repair shop to another, so if you look around carefully enough you might end up finding a place with very low prices for this type of service.
If you opt for a regular repair shop, you will spend less for the same features, but opting for a prime quality company, although more costly, could ensure that this service is done in a more professional way.
There will be technicians charging $300-$300 for this job, but do expect to find places where you will only be charged $100 to $170.
Discounts
A great tip that will bring the final cost of a car alignment to even lower numbers is to look for discounts, promotions, or coupons, provided by dealers, companies, or other third parties.
For A Complete Car Tune-Up, You Will Spend This Much
A good coupon could bring the final cost below $50, while a great coupon could even give you a car alignment for free, so be sure you are thorough while checking for promotions.
Great to know! Tire balancing and wheel alignment are two very different repairs, although they are recommended as complementary jobs. The tires will be balanced as a way of distributing the weight of the vehicle evenly across all of its tires. When you have your tires balanced you will also ensure even tread wear, which translates into an extended tire life.
When do you need a wheel alignment?
Most people won’t even think about having their wheels aligned until they notice severe problems. This happens mainly because cars can still be driven even if they have poor alignment. Below you will find some of the most common signs that your wheels need to be aligned:
- Uneven wear on the tread of your tires
- Vibrations felt in the steering wheel
- When you drive straight, the steering wheel will look off-center
-
Letting go of the steering wheel will make your vehicle pull in one direction
Of course, these issues aren’t exclusive to wheels being unaligned and something else might cause any of the symptoms. This is why you should first take your car to get an alignment check when you notice it has these issues.
You should also consider a wheel alignment when purchasing new tires
Tips for maintaining good vehicle alignment
Stay away from roads that are poorly maintained. Although depending on where you are going, this might not be possible every time, it is still a good idea to stick to well-maintained roads as much as you can. Staying away from bumpy streets and potholes will help you prevent alignment issues.
Keep your tire pressure in check. The height of the vehicle can be messed up if the air pressure isn’t the same between tires, which will impact the car’s alignment. Your car might also pull in one direction when the tires are underinflated. It will be easier to keep the wheels properly aligned if your tires are inflated correctly.
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