Is a Wheel Alignment Necessary When Changing Tires?
3 Answers
Changing tires does not require a wheel alignment. Wheel alignment involves adjusting the geometric angles of the tires, steering, and suspension components to ensure proper contact between the tires and the ground, and it is a maintenance procedure. Steps for changing tires: 1. Use a jack to lift the vehicle to a certain height; 2. Remove the bolts and take off the tire; 3. Replace it with the spare and lower the jack. Situations that require a wheel alignment: 1. Replacement or repair of shock absorbers or the steering system; 2. Frequent driving over speed bumps at high speeds; 3. The vehicle has been involved in a collision or exhibits symptoms like drifting, reduced steering precision, or an off-center steering wheel; 4. The vehicle drifts while driving; 5. Noticeable wear on the car tires; 6. Replacement of chassis or suspension components.
After changing tires, it's not always necessary to get a wheel alignment. I've been driving for many years and have changed tires quite a few times. Whenever I get new tires, if the car drives normally—like the steering wheel isn't pulling to one side and the tire wear is even—I usually save some money and skip the alignment initially. But I keep an eye on it and get an alignment if I notice any handling issues after driving for a while. Alignment mainly adjusts the wheel angles to ensure they're parallel; otherwise, new tires wear out faster, have a shorter lifespan, and consume more fuel. Related to this, if you're replacing tires with the original factory specifications, alignment helps maintain performance and extend tire life. But if you've modified the suspension or are using tires of a different size, alignment becomes crucial. My experience tells me that preventive checks are much more cost-effective than repairs after the fact.
In repair shops, it's commonly seen that wheel alignment isn't an immediate necessity after tire replacement, as long as no chassis components were disturbed. Alignment adjusts wheel camber and toe-in parameters to ensure tires properly contact the road and maintain straight-line driving. If the suspension wasn't removed during tire change and the car shows no vibration or pulling issues, this step can be skipped. However, incorrect alignment may cause rapid inner or outer tire wear, affect steering precision and fuel efficiency, and increase driving noise. It's advisable to have technicians briefly check alignment data during tire changes, especially for high-speed driving, to prevent potential risks like uneven wear leading to blowouts.
