Do I need an Alignment?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 26,345
Likes: 231
From: SoCal
Do I need an Alignment?
I am going to wider wheels 18x9.5 front and 18x10.5 rear. Just had Hotchkiss sways intalled. Also will be adding Erradispeed rotors when the wheel go on.
Do I need a wheel alignment with all this??
Thanks
Do I need a wheel alignment with all this??
Thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,710
Likes: 2
From: Southern California
Probably not. Unless you have clumsy brutes working on your new car, the suspension won't be yanked or banged enough to put it out of alignment with the changes you describe.
When you've put a lot of miles on the car, and need new tires, it might be a good idea to consider a lifetime alignment, though. After tens of thousands of miles on the road (or one bad pothole), the car's alignment might be a little off.
You can get lifetime alignments for $140-$200, which is less than the cost of replacing one tire. Lifetime alignment seems worth it, since it can help prevent tires from being worn out prematurely.
When you've put a lot of miles on the car, and need new tires, it might be a good idea to consider a lifetime alignment, though. After tens of thousands of miles on the road (or one bad pothole), the car's alignment might be a little off.
You can get lifetime alignments for $140-$200, which is less than the cost of replacing one tire. Lifetime alignment seems worth it, since it can help prevent tires from being worn out prematurely.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,302
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
IMHO, a car should be aligned after a few thousand miles. Things will settle, and if the car wasn't "right-on" to begin with, the mis-alignment can become even more so. Just my $0.02 worth.....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,710
Likes: 2
From: Southern California
When you get an alignment, it's the wheels that are aligned, not the tires. The alignment instruments attach to the wheels.
It's suggested you get an alignment when you get new tires, not to align the tires, but because, by then, the car's gone a few thousand miles, and a few speed bumps, and a few steel plates, and a few potholes, and the wheel alignment may be off.
It's suggested you get an alignment when you get new tires, not to align the tires, but because, by then, the car's gone a few thousand miles, and a few speed bumps, and a few steel plates, and a few potholes, and the wheel alignment may be off.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 26,345
Likes: 231
From: SoCal
Originally Posted by The Batman
When you get an alignment, it's the wheels that are aligned, not the tires. The alignment instruments attach to the wheels.
It's suggested you get an alignment when you get new tires, not to align the tires, but because, by then, the car's gone a few thousand miles, and a few speed bumps, and a few steel plates, and a few potholes, and the wheel alignment may be off.
It's suggested you get an alignment when you get new tires, not to align the tires, but because, by then, the car's gone a few thousand miles, and a few speed bumps, and a few steel plates, and a few potholes, and the wheel alignment may be off.
I did ask at Corvette Garage where I bought the wheel/tire combo with roadforced balancing and they said....no alignment necessary.
But it does seem to make sense to error on the side of caution and get them aligned.
Thanks for the advice.
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