Is a Wheel Alignment Necessary When Replacing All 4 Tires?
2 Answers
Here are the criteria to determine whether a wheel alignment is needed after replacing all 4 tires: 1. Tire wear: Check if the old tires showed signs of uneven wear or cupping before replacement. If so, a wheel alignment adjustment is required. 2. Vehicle pulling: Determine if the vehicle exhibited pulling to one side prior to tire replacement. If yes, a wheel alignment is necessary. 3. If neither of these conditions occurred, there's no need to adjust the wheel alignment after tire replacement. Wheel alignment procedure: Drive the vehicle onto specialized alignment equipment and secure the tires using dedicated instruments. Connect to the computer system to read wheel alignment data. If discrepancies are found, adjustments should be made accordingly.
As an experienced driver with over a decade behind the wheel, I believe getting a wheel alignment when replacing all four tires is actually quite cost-effective. While alignment isn't mandatory when simply changing tires, skipping this step may lead to premature uneven wear on your new tires - just like my last experience where problems emerged after only a few thousand kilometers, ultimately costing more for another set of new tires. Alignment primarily adjusts tire angles and suspension systems to ensure proper parallelism and perpendicularity, which is crucial for safe driving and extending tire lifespan, while also saving some fuel costs. The service typically costs between 200-800 RMB, significantly cheaper than the tires themselves. Especially if your vehicle frequently travels on rough roads or has a collision history, alignment can prevent major repairs down the road. Overall, regular maintenance keeps your car running more steadily - safety should always come first.
