If your car is pulling to one side, your steering wheel sits a little crooked when you’re going straight, or your tires are starting to wear unevenly, there’s a decent chance your alignment is off. It’s one of those things that creeps up gradually. A lot of drivers live with it for months without connecting the dots between the way their car feels and what’s happening to their tires.
We set your alignment back to factory specifications using computerized alignment equipment, and we show you the before-and-after numbers so you can see exactly what was corrected. No guesswork. No “trust us.”
If your car is pulling, your tires are wearing unevenly, or you just can’t remember the last time your alignment was checked, book an appointment and we’ll take a look. We’ll show you exactly what we find before we do anything.
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Your wheels are supposed to point in a very specific direction relative to each other and to the road. Potholes, curb strikes, and just the regular wear that comes from years of driving can knock those angles out of spec. An alignment brings them back to where the manufacturer intended.
There are three angles involved:
You don’t need to memorize any of that. What matters is that when these angles are off, your tires wear out faster, your fuel economy drops, and the car doesn’t handle the way it was designed to. When they’re right, everything works the way it’s supposed to.
Let go of the wheel on a flat, straight road. If your car drifts left or right, your alignment is probably off. The stronger the pull, the further it's out of spec.
If the wheel isn't centered when you're driving straight, that's a classic alignment symptom. It can be subtle at first, but it gets more noticeable over time.
If one edge of a tire is wearing faster than the other, or one tire is wearing faster than its partner on the opposite side, alignment is usually the reason. It's also a sign you've been running on bad alignment for a while.
If you find yourself making constant small steering corrections to keep the car going straight, it's worth getting your alignment checked.
A solid impact can knock your alignment out immediately. If your car drives differently after hitting something, come in and let us take a look.
New tires are a real investment. Putting them on a car with bad alignment is a lot like buying new shoes and walking on the sides of your feet. You'll wear them out unevenly and lose the money you just spent.
Most manufacturers recommend checking your alignment every 12 months or 12,000 miles as part of routine maintenance. Outside of that schedule, you should have it checked any time you notice the symptoms above, after a significant impact, or whenever you get new tires.
If you’re not sure when yours was last done, come in and we’ll check it. The inspection takes just a few minutes and we’ll show you exactly where things stand before we do anything.
Tires are one of the bigger vehicle expenses most people deal with, and a bad alignment quietly eats through them. We’ve seen tires that should have lasted 60,000 miles worn out at 30,000 because the alignment was off the entire time.
Fuel economy takes a hit too. When your tires aren’t rolling in the right direction, your engine works harder to move the car forward. The difference on any given tank is small, but over a year of driving it adds up.
Getting your alignment checked is inexpensive compared to replacing tires ahead of schedule or dealing with suspension wear that a bad alignment can accelerate. It’s one of the better returns on a maintenance dollar.
Alignment problems are commonly caught during a Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) before a driver even knows something is wrong. When our team completes your DVI, you’ll receive photos and findings directly: a real record of what we found, not just a verbal rundown at the counter.
If your alignment is off, we’ll tell you exactly what the measurements show and what we recommend. The decision is always yours. We’re not here to pressure you just to make sure you have the full picture before you decide.
Qualifying alignment work at Bockman’s is covered by the NAPA Peace of Mind Warranty: 3 years or 36,000 miles, honored at over 18,000 NAPA Auto Care locations nationwide. You’re covered whether you’re home or on the road.
If your car is pulling to one side, your steering wheel sits a little crooked when you’re going straight, or your tires are starting to wear unevenly, there’s a decent chance your alignment is off. It’s one of those things that creeps up gradually. A lot of drivers live with it for months without connecting the dots between the way their car feels and what’s happening to their tires.
We set your alignment back to factory specifications using computerized alignment equipment, and we show you the before-and-after numbers so you can see exactly what was corrected. No guesswork. No “trust us.”
