Wheel Alignment in Austin, TX

Wheel alignment is done when brand-new tires are set up, and it can easily be checked with your regular tire rotation. Lamb’s Tire & Automotive offers quality, affordable auto repair services in Austin, TX .

Our wheel alignment services include:

  • An inspection to identify steering and suspension issues
  • Adjustments to toe, camber, or caster angles if necessary
  • A check to ensure your steering wheel is centered
  • A check of your suspension for signs of wear

Wheels must be lined up correctly to keep suitable control of your car. Wheels that are out of position could cause driving to become difficult in addition to causing uneven wear on the tires. When your wheels are properly lined up, your car will offer a smoother ride.

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Learn the Basics of Tire Alignment and Balance

Wheel alignment, as well as tire balancing and rotation, can expand the life of your tires and boost the total safety of your vehicle. An effectively aligned automobileWheel Alignment Special may enhance performance and increase fuel economy.

Many people mistake a car alignment with balancing tires. The two are different services. Wheel alignment refers to the position of the wheels relative to your car. Without the correct tire alignment, your car will get poor gas mileage, and the tires will wear unevenly. To ensure accuracy and speed, our mechanics at Lamb’s Tire & Automotive car alignment shop use the top wheel alignment equipment in the industry.

Wheel balancing refers to the distribution of weight around a revolving tire and wheel assembly. If the tire balance is uneven, it can lead to the premature wear of the tires, struts, shocks, and other steering and suspension components. Experts in the tire industry recommend wheel balancing every 6,000 miles—or whenever you purchase new tires or your tires are rotated. This can help prevent premature tread wear on the tires and expensive auto repairs in the future.

Camber, Caster, Toe, Shocks, and Struts

Below are the most important terms to know:

Camber

This is the angle of a tire’s wheel relative to the vertical of the vehicle. It is either referred to as a positive camber, which is when the tire tilts away from the center of the vehicle, or a negative camber, which is when the top of the tire tilts inward. The different tilts have their own unique effects on the car, so your preference may depend on how you want the vehicle to perform.

Caster

Manufacturers use caster to balance the effort it takes to steer the car, its stability at high speed, and its front-end cornering effectiveness. It doesn’t have much influence on the wear of the tires, but caster does affect the directional control of the steering.

Toe

Toe refers to how much the vehicle’s front and/or rear wheels are turned in or out from a straight-ahead position. Generally, the wheels on your car should be pointed directly ahead as you are driving. There are some benefits to the toe either being in or out based on the type of vehicle you drive.

Shocks

Shocks are hydraulic components designed to keep your ride as smooth as possible. Together, the springs and the shock assembly help minimize movement by absorbing the jolts that are natural when driving. Shocks also give the driver better control over the vehicle.

Struts

Not all cars have struts. Struts are weight-bearing parts that serve the same purpose as shocks. Struts consist of a spring and a shock absorber, which makes them much stronger than shocks alone. They also improve a vehicle’s steering and alignment.

You can use these common wheel alignment terms to find out if the tires on your car need to be balanced, aligned, or both.

Wheel Alignments in Austin, TX Protect the Life of Your Tires

Your wheels may have to be aligned if:

  •  You experience vibration when turning
  •  The steering wheel pulls to the left or right
  •  The steering wheel is not straight when driving on a straight roadway
  •  Your tire tread is wearing unevenly

A tire alignment check features:

  •  Assessment of the steering and suspension components
  •  Examination of the tires for size, inflation, and wear
  •  Comparison of your tire alignment to your car’s manufacturer guidelines

Lamb’s Tire & Automotive Offers Quality Car Alignments in Austin, TX

Our auto repair mechanics can also inspect your vehicle for steering and suspension concerns, as well as drive-line complications. Visit us to have our certified technicians provide you with a dependable wheel alignment. Call us soon to arrange your next wheel alignment in conjunction with your other auto repair services in Austin, TX . Lamb’s Tire & Automotive is thrilled to be your local auto repair center and provider of tires in Austin, TX.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Have your Wheel Alignment checked every other tire rotation and always when installing new tires. Wheel alignment sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker’s specification. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear, and to ensure that vehicle travel, is straight and true (without “pulling” to one side). Alignment angles can also be altered beyond the maker’s specifications to obtain a specific handling characteristic. Motorsport and off-road applications may call for angles to be adjusted well beyond “normal” for a variety of reasons.

A camera unit (sometimes called a “head”) is attached to a specially designed clamp which holds on to a wheel. There are usually four camera units in a wheel alignment system (a camera unit for each wheel). The camera units communicate their physical positioning with respect to other camera units to a central computer which calculates and displays how much the camber, toe and caster are misaligned.

Often with alignment equipment, these “heads” can be a large precision reflector. In this case, the alignment “tower” contains the cameras as well as arrays of LEDs. This system flashes one array of LEDs for each reflector whilst a camera centrally located in the LED array “looks for” an image of the reflectors patterned face. These cameras perform the same function as the other style of alignment equipment, yet alleviate numerous issues prone to relocating a heavy precision camera assembly on each vehicle serviced.

Primary Angles

The primary angles are the basic angle alignment of the wheels relative to each other and to the car body. These adjustments are the camber, caster and toe. On some cars, not all of these can be adjusted on every wheel.

These three parameters can be further categorized into front and rear, so summarily the parameters are:

Front: Caster (right& left)

  • Front: Camber (right & left)
  • Front: Toe (left, right & total)
  • Rear: Camber (left & right)
  • Rear: Toe (left, right & total)
  • Rear: Thrust angle

Secondary Angles

The secondary angles include numerous other adjustments, such as:

    SAI (left & right)

  • Included angle (left & right)
  • Toe out on turns (left & right)
  • Maximum Turns (left & right)
  • Toe curve change (left & right)
  • Track width difference
  • Wheelbase difference
  • Front ride height (left & right)
  • Rear ride height (left & right)
  • Frame angle

Setback (front & rear) is often referred as a wheel alignment angle. However setback simply exists because of the measuring system and does not have any specification from car manufacturers.

If you experience any of the following situations, set an appointment at Lamb’s Tire & Automotive for a tire alignment: 

  • After a hard impact with a curb or pothole
  • If you go off-roading frequently 
  • When tires are showing uneven wear
  • Anytime you lower or lift your vehicle
  • When steering or suspension parts are replaced
  • If your vehicle drifts or pulls to one side
  • If the steering wheel is off-center when you’re pointing straight
  • After an accident

No. It doesn’t matter if the car is 4WD, rear-wheel drive, or front-wheel drive, all four wheels can be aligned on most cars. Vehicles should get a four-wheel alignment because the rear could be out of alignment, which would cause uneven tire wear on the front.

Yes. There’s less rolling resistance when your wheels are properly aligned. This means the tires experience less friction. Wheel alignment will improve fuel efficiency. 

Lamb’s Tire wheel alignments include a tire inspection, steering and suspension inspection, tire pressure check and adjustment, car alignment angle measurement and adjustment, test drive, and a printed report showing the before and after measurements. 

One sign of misalignment is a steering wheel that is off-center. A tire alignment can often restore the steering wheel to a centered position. Also, when alignment angles are outside the vehicle’s original specifications, steering can feel slightly loose. This condition can be corrected by a wheel alignment. 

But if there is significantly more steering wheel movement than normal, there may be worn steering or suspension parts. In this case, the pre-alignment inspection will identify the loose parts. You will then discuss the recommended repairs with the service staff before any work is done.

There is no easy answer to this. Some new car warranties provide bumper-to-bumper coverage, but this often doesn’t include wheel alignment. Most limited or extended warranties don’t either, as they consider this service a “wear and tear” item. Check your owner’s manual and the terms of your warranty to determine the specifics of your coverage.

This is another service that varies depending on the vehicle type, shop, region, and type of alignment. Ask your Lamb’s service staff for a quote before beginning the work. And remember that a reputable shop like Lamb’s Tire & Automotive only charges for work that is needed once the job begins. 

Yes! Lamb’s offers coupons and specials every day on many services. See our specials here and check back often.

Not at all. If you can, make an appointment ahead of time so we are expecting you. We offer a concierge service to drop you off at home or at work, within three miles of our shop. Your day can continue as planned while we work on your car! Set this up when you make an appointment, or talk to our friendly service staff.

Wheel Alignment Tip
Have your Wheel Alignment checked every other tire rotation and always when installing new tires. Wheel alignment sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance.
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