Alignment Q. Before or after tire install
 

Hey guys,

Gonna buy a new set of tires for my 09. Probably going to have them on a new set of wheels as well.

I know I need to have it aligned for the new tires.

Does it matter if I do the alignment before the new tires/wheels are on?

Thanks!

afterwards

I don't think it matters weather you get it aligned before or after, but if you do get the new tires installed I wouldn't wait TOO long before getting it aligned..

I just had two new fronts installed and had it aligned about 3 days after I got the tires...

The reason I was asking is that I may on occasion switch out to different wheels/tires - so not sure if that would mess anything up... I dont want to get in aligned every time I switch -otherwise no sense in getting new rims :)

I always want the alignment to be the last thing done after wheels, tires, ride height changes, etc. But *soon* after before the tires have a chance to wear "wrong".

Z//

Should not matter if you switch the tires. I usually put the new tires on then have it aligned, but you could do it the other way around. Alignment is in the suspension, you do not make changes to the wheel, the suspension changes the angles of the wheel.:thumbs:

I don't really get all the concern about alignment's on these car's. I have a 08 on my second set of tires (OEM Goodyears lasted 31000 miles) and have never seen any ware issues that would cause me to have an alignment.
In fact my theory is that unless you run into something and knock the car out of alignment you should not have to ever have it aligned. I know that is what I have done with every new car I ever owned and I get great milage out of my tires by rotating them when needed and also maintaining correct air pressure.

Alignment DOES change with tire diameter so if the tires are identical size it won't matter and it won't matter much before or after install. But if the circumference of the tread is different then you may need to get a new alignment every time you change tires. Toe changes a little, caster changes a lot, camber doesn't change.

If your tire wear pattern is out of the ordinary, then I would get the alignment done with the current (old) tires . . . assuming that the alignment tech is a good one and can look at the current tires, current alignment, talk with you regarding how you use the car, and adjust the alignment to be optimized for your intended use.

Get it done after new tires and rims are on!

Lots of alignment problems have been reported on new cars. Many people never notice since the wear usually happens on the inside of the front tire. My service MGR always checks the front tires of all Vettes.

I had mine checked within the first month of ownership(GM will cover it for you). I am now on my 4th set of tires and have never had any alignment problems.:thumbs:

after new tire install always.

:thumbs: I have been lucky, never had to have had to have mine adjusted and I check the wear on my tires both inside and outside edges at least once a month.

I have to respectfully disagee. Camber will not change as you said, however, caster will not change either. Caster is the angle that the steering knuckle rotates on compared to a vertical line. Only way that would change is if you changed the rake of the car with different diameter changes front and rear. If both front and rear tires increased in diameter by the same percentage caster would not change. Toe if measured in degrees would not change either, it would only change if measured in inches depending upon where the measurement was taken.

:iagree:

My 2011 GS tires were already wearing on the insides at 1500 miles. Replace the tires, etc. then get it aligned.

A lot of opinions here. Depending on the degree of accuracy you are after can dictate how to go about this. Now that being said, on a normal daily driver on the street, the subtle differences between tires will have a minimal impact on the actual alignment readings but in the bigger picture might not mean much for street use. Even adjusting air pressure in the tires before setting the alignment is desirable. If you have a choice, as other have said, I would have it done with the new tires and be done with it. You could even take it further and have your fuel tank filled to halfway between full and where you normally stop to fill it up and if the shop will let you, ask to sit in the seat while they make the adjustments. Ride height can be affected by both and can also have a subtle impact on the alignment readings.
Example: I typically fill up around 1/2 tank so I aligned the car with 3/4 of a tank of fuel and my 225lb but in the seat. Measuring the before and after with me in the seat changed the ride height left to right by about 3/16". I drive solo 99.9999% of the time. This however is overkill for street driving.

As was previously mentioned caster, camber and toe angles are not going to change as a result of changing tires. These are mechanical adjustments made by altering the positions of your suspension arms & knuckles. In essence you can remove all 4 wheels and bolt a flat plate of steel to each of your hubs (to keep the car off the ground) and set these. Once set the only thing that will alter these settings is changing ride height be it via spring pre-load/spring perch position etc. or load on the vehicle i.e. heavier driver and/or more fuel as this changes your ride height and hence suspension arm angles.

I appreciate everyone's input! Well I am going to get the exact same tire sizes - just not the GY. Thinking about those Michelin PS2.. But I'll do it after the tires are installed.

Thanks again to everyone!!

I had the GY on my '05 and the PS2's on '11 Z06 CE and what a world of difference they make. Nite and day better! I'd definitely go that route if it were me:yesnod:

Yup, this is best.:thumbs: