Alignment is the relationship between your wheels, the road and each other: camber, caster and toe. Get it wrong and you burn through a set of tires in a fraction of their expected life, waste fuel dragging the tires sideways, and lose stability in exactly the situations where you want it.
The important detail is sequence. An alignment performed on a vehicle with worn ball joints, tie rod ends or bushings will not hold, because the geometry moves as the loose components move. That is why we inspect first and align second.
What we handle
Pulling and off-center steering wheel
A vehicle that pulls or a wheel that sits crooked when driving straight is a geometry problem, a tire problem or a brake drag problem. We identify which.
Uneven and rapid tire wear
Inner-edge wear, feathering and one-side wear all have specific causes, and alignment corrects some of them but not all of them.
Inspection before adjustment
Tie rods, ball joints, bushings, wheel bearings and ride height are checked first, because worn parts make an alignment temporary.
After suspension or steering work
Replacing control arms, struts, tie rods or springs changes the geometry, so an alignment afterward is part of doing the job correctly.
What is included
- Pre-alignment inspection of steering and suspension components and tire condition
- Assessment of ride height and anything that would prevent a correct alignment
- A clear explanation of whether alignment will actually solve your symptom
- Recommendations for what to correct first if worn parts are found
What is not included
- Alignment on vehicles with worn components, until those are addressed
- Custom geometry setups for racing or heavily modified suspension
What affects the price
We do not publish flat prices, because quoting a repair before diagnosing it is how people get surprised on the invoice. These are the factors that move the number on this type of job:
- Two-wheel or four-wheel alignment
- Whether adjustment hardware is seized or corroded
- Whether the vehicle needs aftermarket adjustment provision because it has been lifted or has limited factory adjustment
- Any worn components that must be replaced before the alignment can hold
How the job runs
- 1
Describe the symptom
Pulling, crooked steering wheel, wander, or a wear pattern you have noticed on the tires.
- 2
Inspect the front end
Steering and suspension components, tire condition and pressures, ride height.
- 3
Address what is worn
If parts need replacing first, we tell you before spending your money on an alignment that will not last.
- 4
Align and verify
Geometry set to specification and confirmed with a road test.
Where we do this work
All work is performed at our shop at 690 6th Street, Prescott, AZ 86301, Mon - Fri: 7:30am - 5:00pm. Customers regularly drive in from Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt.