Is Wheel Alignment Necessary? The Signs Worth Checking
Is wheel alignment necessary? A correct alignment matters for your tires, and Ford's owner's manuals say to have it checked periodically.
There's no single schedule for every vehicle, but it's worth having checked sooner if you notice a pull to one side or uneven tire wear. Other common times to have it checked are after a hard hit on a pothole or curb, and when you put on new tires.
Key Takeaways
It's an adjustment to the suspension. A wheel alignment sets the angles of your wheels back to your vehicle maker's specification, so the tires sit square to the road and point straight ahead.
Ford says to check it periodically. How often depends on your vehicle and how it's driven, so there's no single schedule for every vehicle.
Hard hits and rough roads can shift it. A hard hit on a pothole or curb can knock an alignment out, and even everyday driving on rough roads can shift it over time.
Some signs deserve a closer look. A pull to one side, an off-centre steering wheel, or uneven or unusually fast tire wear is worth having checked.
New tires are a good time. Ford says to have your tires aligned whenever you install new tires.
Uneven wear has more than one cause. Incorrect tire pressure and unbalanced wheels can wear tires unevenly too, so the cause needs a technician's check.
What Is a Wheel Alignment, in Plain Words?
A wheel alignment sets the angles of your wheels back to your vehicle maker's specification, so the tires sit square to the road and point straight ahead. Despite the name, it doesn't change the tire or the wheel: it adjusts the suspension that holds them.
Balancing is a different job: it evens out the weight of each tire and wheel.
Two of the angles have names you may hear: camber, the inward or outward tilt of a tire seen from the front, and toe, whether the fronts of the tires point slightly in or out seen from above.
Is Wheel Alignment Necessary, According to Ford?
Ford treats it as a regular check: its owner's manuals say to have the alignment checked periodically. Ford says how often depends on "your vehicle's year, model, and your driving habits."
Ford's maintenance schedule lists checks of tire wear and the steering and suspension parts at the regular service interval; Ford gives no fixed alignment figure. Between checks, the signs below tell you when to have it looked at.
Getting it right matters. Ford says correct alignment can help you get the most from your vehicle's performance and tire life, and Transport Canada notes misaligned wheels "may drag instead of rolling freely."
Ford's owner's manuals add that misalignment in the front or the rear "can cause uneven and rapid treadwear" of your tires.
What Knocks a Wheel Alignment Out?
Hard hits, rough roads and worn parts can all shift an alignment. Ford's owner's manuals warn that "a bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires."
Even everyday driving on rough roads can shift it, and as parts wear it can drift so slowly that you may not notice.
Worn steering or suspension parts can make an alignment hard to hold, which is why a check can turn up a part that needs attention.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, Ford's owner's manuals say to immediately reduce your speed and drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Then have it inspected.
Winter Potholes and Your Wheel Alignment
After a winter of potholes, spring is a sensible time to watch for the signs. Ford's warning above about pothole jolts is the reason.
Canadian winters are hard on pavement. Water gets into cracks, freezes, expands and thaws again, and by late winter and spring that freeze-thaw cycle leaves potholes across the country.
Ford's owner's manuals put it simply: avoid driving over potholes, obstacles, curbs or the edges of the pavement when you can.
If you drive in the Ottawa Valley through the winter, keep the signs below in mind once spring comes, and have the alignment checked if you notice one.
The Signs Worth Having Checked
The main signs are a pull to one side, a steering wheel that sits off-centre when you're driving straight, and uneven or unusually fast tire wear. None of them proves the alignment is off on its own, but each one is worth having checked.
A pull to one side. Ford's owner's manuals say that if your vehicle "seems to pull to one side when you are driving, the wheels could be out of alignment."
An off-centre steering wheel. Your steering wheel sits off-centre even though you're driving straight.
Uneven or fast tire wear. Transport Canada suggests having the alignment checked if you notice uneven or rapid wear on the inside or outside edges of a tire.
Steering that feels different. It needs constant small corrections to keep you in your lane, or it simply feels different from how it used to.
A pull can also come from uneven tire pressures, so a pull on its own doesn't tell you which cause you have.
What About a Vibration or a Shaking Steering Wheel?
A vibration in the steering wheel is worth having checked too, but it isn't a sure sign of an alignment problem. Ford says an alignment that's off can make your steering wheel vibrate, while Transport Canada notes that a tire imbalance can cause a pounding or shaking through the steering wheel or seat.
Ford's manuals add that tires and wheels that aren't balanced may cause steering difficulties and a bumpy ride, so the cause needs a technician's eye.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, Ford's owner's manuals say to immediately reduce your speed and drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road.
A vibration is worth a service visit, whatever its cause turns out to be. Book your service online with Carleton Place Ford.
Uneven Tire Wear Isn't Always the Alignment
Uneven wear can come from the alignment, but not only from it. Ford's manuals name two other causes: tires inflated too high or too low, and tires and wheels that aren't balanced, which is why a check looks at more than one thing.
Transport Canada also lists improper alignment and tire imbalance among the causes of uneven tread wear.
Ford's manuals set an order when tires already show uneven wear: the alignment is checked before the tires are rotated. The two are separate jobs, and our article on what a tire rotation is covers the rotation side.
When an Alignment Check Is Commonly Recommended
An alignment check is commonly recommended when you put on new tires and after a hard hit on a pothole or curb. Ford says you "should also have your tires aligned whenever you install new tires."
After a collision, even a minor one, and after some suspension work, such as new struts, a check is commonly recommended too. Any time you notice one of the signs above, it's worth having the alignment checked.
Writing Down What Your Vehicle Is Doing
Jot down what your vehicle is doing and when you first noticed it. A short note about the pull, the steering wheel or the tire wear, and about anything that happened to the vehicle lately, makes it easier to describe and to check.
The symptom. Is it a pull, a steering wheel sitting off-centre, wear along one edge of a tire, or a vibration?
When it started. Note whether it began after a hard hit on a pothole or curb, or after a collision.
New tires. Mention it if your tires were replaced recently.
Recent suspension work. Mention any recent suspension work, such as new struts.
Your owner's manual. Its scheduled maintenance section shows the checks Ford lists for your vehicle.
Contact us with questions or feedback.
Service at Carleton Place Ford: Where to Start
For drivers in and around Carleton Place, two of our own pages are the place to start: The Works and the online booking page.
The Works, one of our service pages, sets out a maintenance package in which a Ford-trained technician checks tire and brake wear. If your Ford has routine maintenance coming up, that package may be a good match.
On The Works page, Carleton Place Ford describes that work as done "according to the maintenance schedule designed for your vehicle and driving conditions." The service that suits your vehicle comes down to its maintenance schedule and the way it's driven.
Not sure The Works is right for your vehicle? Ask us.
Book your service online with Carleton Place Ford.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Wheel Alignment?
A wheel alignment sets the angles of your wheels back to your vehicle maker's specification, so the tires sit square to the road and point straight ahead.
It doesn't change the tire or the wheel. It adjusts the suspension that holds them.
Do You Need a Wheel Alignment?
Ford's owner's manuals say to have the alignment checked periodically, and Ford says how often depends on your vehicle's year, model and your driving habits.
It's also worth having checked when you put on new tires, after a hard hit on a pothole or curb, or if you notice a pull or uneven tire wear.
What Are the Signs of a Bad Alignment?
The signs worth having checked are a pull to one side, a steering wheel that sits off-centre when you're driving straight, and uneven or unusually fast tire wear, especially along the inside or outside edge of a tire.
None of them proves the alignment is off on its own, so a technician's check is the way to know.
What Does It Mean If Your Vehicle Pulls to One Side?
Ford's owner's manuals say that if your vehicle seems to pull to one side when you are driving, the wheels could be out of alignment.
A pull can also come from uneven tire pressures, so the cause is worth having checked.
Can a Shaking Steering Wheel Mean an Alignment Problem?
It can, but wheels that aren't balanced can cause shaking too, so have it checked.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, Ford's owner's manuals say to immediately reduce your speed and drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road.
Should You Get an Alignment After New Tires?
Ford says yes: you should have your tires aligned whenever you install new tires.
Tire makers give the same advice, so when new tires go on, it's a sensible time to have the alignment checked.
Source: Ford Canada's owner support pages and Ford's owner's manuals, Transport Canada's tire safety pages, tire makers' and consumer-automotive guides, and Canadian weather and transportation sources.
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About the Author:
Kerry Irven is the Vice President of New and Used Automotive Operations for Heighton Automotive Group, a family-owned and operated automotive group serving communities across Eastern Ontario. Kerry began his automotive career in new-car sales, building his experience on the showroom floor and working his way through multi-store dealership operations.
With over 25 years in the automotive industry, Kerry has helped grow automotive businesses from one location with 40 to 50 vehicles in stock to more than 500 vehicles across 10 rooftops. His hands-on background in both new and used-vehicle operations gives him a practical understanding of what customers look for when shopping for their next vehicle.
Throughout his career, Kerry has always been actively involved in staff coaching and in understanding customer wants and needs, helping ensure the businesses he works with continue to adapt to what customers are truly looking for.
One of the most exciting chapters of his career has been the shift into modern automotive marketing, embracing new technology, transparent pricing, customer-first inventory strategies, and new ways to create a better vehicle-shopping experience.
Kerry has completed extensive automotive training, including certification through the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, involvement with the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario, Canadian automotive dealer training, and multiple customer service courses.
Born and raised on a farm, Kerry has always valued family, hard work, and a practical, down-to-earth approach. Joining Heighton Automotive Group and working alongside Thomas Heighton and family, along with managing partners Kyle Lothian and Martin Gougeon, has allowed him to bring those same values into the car business. It has also allowed Kerry to continue following a simple philosophy: treat every customer exactly the way he would want to be treated.
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