Thank you, Eric, for arming this ol' grandma with the information for my tire appointment in the morning. I know there's something wrong as my tires have worn terribly on the inside front of both and they only have 15,000 miles on them. The pair cost me at 500, so I thought I did a good buy for good tires. Back to the place I bought them in the morning so they can explain to me why they wore this way. I have your information tucked in my memory bank so I know what to ask and understand. I appreciate you taking the time to provide this great video!
Not only do you put out good and informative content, but your fans are also helpful in the comment section. That's one thing I love about this channel. Helpful people that post useful information, you are appreciated
What I like about Eric is that not only he is experienced, he doesn't try to screw you over. He takes pride of his work and often deviates from manufacturer recommended instruction while understanding what he does. Some mechanics who closely follow the manufacturer's instructions but don't understand why they do it are equally as likely to screw up your car as those who are just terrible mechanics to begin with.
Thumbs down? Some people hate puppies too. This guy does a great job. Think about doing such a video yourself & speaking as flawlessly as this guy. He did a good job.
Last summer I did a ton of work to my 87 S10. Did a full stainless steel bake line / hose kit, all new brake components, all 4 front control arms with ball joints, steering knuckles, steering box, everything in the front end; Pitman arm, idler arm, center drag, tie rods and sleeves, even installed a sway bar where there was none before, coil springs, and shocks on all 4 corners. Then I took it down to get an alignment and 4 new tires. The guy actually said that for having done all that work it wasn't too far out, but man it drives good now. My grandmom bought the truck brand new in August of 86, I've owned it since 02, yeah I dropped a lot of money into a 29 year old truck, but it's one that I know the history of.
I did the front end in my 98 Cherokee (hurts my pride not to say XJ so “Cherokee XJ”) minus ball joints and the steering wheel rests around 10.5 o’clock and my alignment appointment is coming up. I haven’t driven it way too much with it out of wack but fortunately the tires on it are bad anyways. My first two tires are arriving the day after my appointment. I’m excited to have her much closer to being ready.
Eric, that's a good tip regarding different caster adjustments. However, when we do alignments, we take into consideration the customer's driving habits, i.e. do they do more city or highway driving. A car driven mostly in the city will get a difference of between 1/2 to one degree between sides. We generally will keep the caster settings on a highway-driven vehicle the same for both sides. Our theory there is that the customer will be driving in different lanes on a highway, so keeping them equal works out. Also, a shout out to you for suggesting four wheel alignments. That's all we do, and sometimes they uncover worn parts in the rear of the vehicle that wouldn't be caught with a two wheel alignment.
@@ericthecarguy question I have lifted truck and The mechanic shop did the alignment last week the truck is fine don’t pull to rigor left and steering wheel is center , but my wheel is out I can see , the toe is out , maybe haft inch or more , the shops say is ok … that is normal ?
As always, concise, with enough detail and great explanations to show the importance of each condition/adjustment. Extremely well organized. Dang dude, mechanic shops could use this video to explain the need for alignments. They should be thanking you in bunches. Great job!
One thing about straight steering wheels and drifting - the road is generally designed to slope down to the outside for drainage, so you will be steering slightly towards the centre to keep the car straight. It will also slowly move to the outside if you let the steering wheel go, because it returns to centre but due to the slope in the road you will drift towards the outside. You then have to judge if it is within normal operation or not..
I do alignments for a living. You should never have someone in the car unless weight is supposed to be in the car. The machine takes into account someone sitting in the drivers seat. So if someone is sitting in a car that does not require added weight for the alignment, it will affect the new alignment. Other than this issue, you are pretty spot on for the rest of the video.
Very useful information. I have come to the conclusion that the place I have been taking my car to would benefit from learning this as opposed to making excuses without answers.
Everybody needs an alignment. Chaotic good is my personal favorite. Ba-dum-bum. Very informative stuff, as usual, especially the explanation of caster.
You know a person has achieved a certain degree of success when the legal disclaimers come out to play. Congratulations Eric. Really. No sarcasm intended or implied
Great job on explaining the whole thing in the simplest and clearest way possible that even the people who don't know anything about cars would understand.
We had a guy in town, an oldtimer really, like 80 yo. He was the best one to go for an alignment. He would use a string/rope with a ballast and this oldschool wooden ruler to measure camber. Then he would measure toe with this sliding bar-like tool. If the job wasnt good.... it must have been you holding the steering wheel off center. Anyway, even if you did, he would fix it up again, free of charge. And the best part... he was dirt cheap. Being in central europe the prices are different, but he was like 10$. He was so awesome, he would look at a car and say like "I aint touching it, get new bushings/wishbones or I cant set it properly". Never had an alignment that good since he passed away, even with all these fancy laser tools nobody knows how to use... That grampa knew his stuff. And he used to curse a lot, like "who the hell effed your suspension like that" when you just got new tie rods or something at a different shop.... or.... "gdmn those bstrds who put this bolt here, and not there, to hell with engineers"... Used to comment a lot on cars too, like my Lancia Delta I used to have... "Uhmmm, Lancia... Thats an italian stuff, like Lamborghini(which he used to say lambor-J-ini, with a J)... Funny guy, I miss going to his shop for an alignment.
I love old timers like that. Those are the kind of people I trust, rather than going to a shop. That's sad that he passed, but it sounds like he helped a lot of people in his day. Good on him
I love reading little life stories like this from people in TH-cam comments. Never ceases to amaze me that these letters and words on an immobile, glowing screen in front of me can represent actual people out there in the world, people/places/occasions/happenings that I never would've known even existed before, let alone ever cross paths with, yet in just a couple short paragraphs, I get transported to that "world" and get to know some person/place/event, in this case, as if I was one of this guy's customers, myself. Very well told and written.
I had a mechanic, just recently, do a 4 wheel alignment and my car does indeed track straight down the road but my steering wheel is a little off to the left. My feeling is I should go to a different mechanic and have it redone.
Up to you, some can be off a bit but it nice when it fixed, my foster dad has his slightly off but as he knows of it he adapts how he using the car so it not matter to him, personally I prefer if wheel is straight with wheels
Thank you for mentioning the vibrations. Probably 8 of 10 people that come into my work that want a alignment other than the fact they bought new tires is a vibration. And the worst part about it is that the tech I work with and I both explain to the service writers religiously that alignments do not cause vibrations. I guess that's what happens when you work for such money hungry people sadly
I should have known better since this is Eric TheCarGuy, but was totally expecting a relatively dumbed-down video from the title. Great explanation of the topic, as usual.
My 86 Accord with Michelin Green Energy tires got 100,000 miles out of one set. That Honda rode perfectly forever. Sometimes a suspension problem can't be detected at the wheel. You'll find out when it's too late. If you're riding expensive tires, I'd be safe and get it checked. My shop doesn't charge full rate if no adjustment are required. I love good tires...can't explain.
This is a fantastic video, cleared up all the fuzziness i had in alignment terms and meanings! now i actually know what bad toe adjustments can cause! thanks eric, you the man!
why do ppl dislike this? i really want to know..if i can like eric's vids twice i would he is veeery knowledgeable and helped me learn a ton more on what i already know
First time I write a comment on one of your videos (and watched many) but just wanted to say that they are always great with very interesting (and down to earth) information.And most importantly, you know your stuff! Thank you.
I prefer caster to be equal on both sides, two reasons for this: a) If someone falls asleep at the wheel or is drinking and driving, there is a greater probability they will go into the ditch instead of into oncoming traffic. b) If you overtake on a two way road, (driving in oncoming lane on a long, clear straightaway) it can be difficult to keep the car from going into the left hand ditch when the right hand caster is reduced.
Cool idea. Never thought of that. I doubt the roads in my area are even sloped at all. Roads have massive floods even if it sprinkles and the water seems to be accumulating in the middle. I think they dug the roads out inverted, or the center is collapsing.
Hi Eric, I have a 1997 Honda Prelude, Las Vegas. I have a lifetime alignment at FireStone. I have also tried paying for an alignment with a reputable shop called "Samurai Motors" in Las Vegas. The Toes are greened out as close to or at 0.0 degrees Caster is all even (Radius Rod Bushings Brand New) However, my steering wheel and car tends to pull at an 11 o'clock angle everytime i let go of the steering wheel, whether the car is slow, or whether im on the freeway going fast. It pulls left wherever I am. Camber: I am lowered on function form Type 1 coilovers. I have left the camber natural on moog control arms. I doubt this will affect pull... I have no uneven tirewear whatsoever. And i have rotate all 4 tires in different patterns just to check. I have also tried stock rims with different tires. I have also tried civic si rims with different tires. PSI 35 all around. Still Pulls left.... Additionally, the steering wheel feels lighter rotating to the left. While it feels a little bit heavier rotating to the right. Moog Upper Control Arms Moog Tie Rods Moog Sway Bar Links Have not changed Lower Control Arms Have not touched wheel hubs (although its intact and no play) New Brake + Rotors (back in 2019) What is your opinion? Thanks man!
He's right about some cars call for weights in the car before alignment. My BMW calls for 150 lbs. in each front seat, 150 lbs in the CENTER of the back seat, 65 lbs. in the center of the trunk, & a full tank of gas. Since it's mostly just me driving it, & those weights are supposed to be people & golf bags, I park my 190 lbs. in the seat with a full tank when aligning. Done.
Thank you sir!!!! I just raised some trouble at my dealership cause my car SLIGHTLY drifts to the right and after 3 ailments they said to take it to another shop for 2nd opinion lol I did not know how in depth a aliment was.
Eric, two things I would like to mention for this video. First is that tires also play a huge role with pulling/drifting issues. In my experience, pulling issues are more often than not caused by tires issues than alignment issues.. Bald, separated, old/worn-out/cracked, and cupped tires can all cause pulling issues. Secondly, I do not necessarily agree with your assessment of "tight front end parts" being essential for an alignment. If the front end has just a hair amount of movement, a legitimate shop will let it slide rather than sell a $75 tie rod, or $100+ wheel bearing/ball joint, not including labor, before doing an alignment service. That is almost the same idea as performing an alignment because the toe was out .05 degrees, which in reality is 1/4 turn of a wrench for $80. Not logical, in my opinion. I understand the concept of having a "tight front end" before doing an alignment, but there is a big difference between something that has movement of 1/10 v 4/10 v 8/10 and on the verge of falling out Keep in mind, some suspension/steering designs are built to have a small amount of play (tapered wheel bearings), especially with rubber bushings that will move if one has a large enough pry bar when testing it. Other than that, great video!
it would be worthwhile to mention that most tire shop that have an alignment rack offer free alignment checks. so if you have any curiosity of alignment being off they will check it, and like he said, if your vehicle has loose/worn parts, they will let you know that those will need to be replaced before alignment is possible.
Hey ERic very helpful video. I have owned an 05' civic for about half year now and the steering pulls left pretty much and when i take left turns the steering wheel stays at 90 degrees left and won't self - center (or at least close to the center, there is a deadzone where there is no feedback at all within those 90 degrees left to center). While taking right turns it behaves normally like it should. The steering wheel also points a bit to the right when driving straight. I didn't take it for alignement because i assumed there is something broken. I have told my mechanic recently to check for something broken when he lifted it to change Co2 sensor, and he didn't find anything wrong at the control arms and the steering rack at the bottom. Also reason something must be broken or out of place is because it makes a bumping noise when i drive through holes and pumps and especially while braking through them. The noise is coming from the left front wheel (from driver's view). I also hear the tires at times screaming a bit, I believe that the angle is changing, and also the offset of the steering wheel in a straight line. What do you think are the possible reasons?
Hey Eric my car, a 71 VW Fastback, has a caster pre-set from the factory and isn’t adjustable. Having said that the car is scary at freeway speeds of 70mph and above. The steering just feels light and unsafe. The car is slightly lowered up front, maybe an 1”+ but not much more. I threw 200lbs of sand in the trunk up front and feel it might have been a little better but I want to lose the sand!! Thanks for your help man!!
Thanks again Eric! Very informative! I love your videos! You are talented really and I will say it anytime! Before I do any work on any of our vehicles, I always have to check your videos!! Very sharp information and important is what you say professionally!! Keep it UP and Stay Dirty!
A great way to explain caster is in the example of rake in the front wheel. Of a motorcycle. True, shopping carts work, but add confusion in what is typically "good" for an application. Because you steer the chassis of a cart and the wheels' steering angles are neither directly controlled and operate separate from one another, they require negative caster. Whereas automotive applications are the opposite in nearly every way.
happy you said this people come to me all the time saying they aint paying me anything for the alignment due to frozen parts that should be replaced but had no info of this is even possible and would need more parts to have it completed. 9:53
As always, VERY well done and many thanks for taking the time to make the vid. Just the explanation I needed in order to determine where to start with my suspension issues. Thank you for educating me in order to save me from getting mislead, ripped off -or both!
Nice video Eric I just got an alignment yesterday along with 2 new front tyres as they were both scrubbing because of too much toe out and driving the car for too long with the vehicle out of alignment.
Thanks! I was in Jersey over holiday leave (Camden to be exact) and ran my Focus through pothole after pothole, terrible place to drive it was. Now I have a drift going to the right a lot so I know an alignment is necessary indeed.
Another thing is that because the road is curved as Eric mentioned, your car will naturally and subtly pull away from the center of the road. That’s why you hear people get alignments done and the car still slightly pulls to one side. Now if the pull is severe, that’s when the car needs the alignment
I had new tires put on in December 2016, then I had an alignment about a week after. This month (April 2017) my car is swaying while driving. I am straining my neck while driving almost everyday to keep my car straight because I have to grab hold of the steering wheel. I had a 27 point inspection done, which turned out well, then I went back yesterday, and the new tires had bubbles in the seams. Discount Tires said that it is just the seam and that is normal, but my car has never driven like that before. I had new tires put on, and the car feels smoother, yet when I got on the freeway, it was still swaying slightly. I have driven on the same Interstate for almost 5 years now. I am getting another alignment inspection elsewhere.
Thanks for mentioning about getting an alignment after tires have been replaced which is a no brainer. A lot of people will get tires done somewhere else cheaper and log 200 miles before going to a shop that can do alignments. They are dumbfounded when the car still pulls after an alignment...not realizing that the recently new tires are improperly worn causing the pull. The tire wear would be so minute that you wouldn't know until you cross rotated the tires. Mix matched tire brands on the same axle can cause a pull as well.
Just burned through 2 Michelin Sport A/S 3+ that were replaced 4 months ago. $440 for 2 new tires. Paid $610 for 4 news ones 4 months ago. Ughhhh. Lesson learned after getting Costco tire repairs done...check allignment
My front tires are worn down on the outside, but other than that, everything else seems fine. I think my issue is my driving habits (I need to slow down when turning), inconsistent tire rotations, and especially buying cheaper tires. I did my alignment over 5 years ago after getting new tires installed.
I could see why someone would say they were going to get an alignment to try and fix a vibration- Mainly because, 99% of the time someone gets their tires aligned, they also get them balanced... Which does fix a lot of vibration issues.
This is a great vid man, thanks for putting the time in to get it up. Have to replace the Upper Control Arm on my 2011 Crown Vic P7B so going to have to get the alignment tweaked afterwards.
New parts alone can help, I changed the lower control arms and ball joints and it was like driving a new car. It use to to pull hard to the left, with the new parts it was almost perfect without an alignment.
One gripe I have about some shops that do alignments, though; I've had a couple that were too lazy to center the steering wheel before performing the alignment. The end result was a vehicle that drove straight with the steering wheel left or right of center.
Alignments are one of those things that need to be taught properly the first time. I saw so many lube techs getting their first real taste starting alignments and did nothing more than "toe and go" not knowing to check other angles and suspension wear and as you mentioned, not center of the steering wheel. It's like mending a broken bone without having is straight first.
Some places charge extra if the vehicle has a steering wheel angle reset after an alignment. The steering wheel angle indicates what direction the steering wheel is in. It is used by the event data recorder to record if the steering was straight, at an angle ( turning left or right) or if the driver swereved right before an accident. The event data recorder is also know as the car's Black Box.
This is true, however it is also used for many other systems on the far, some as simple as turning off the turn signal when returning to center, to calculating many 'formulas' with other sensors to precisely control advanced traction control systems in newer vehicles. I had a vehicle come in once that was trying to activate the abs on a straight road when moving the steering wheel quickly. Turns out the steering angle sensor was never reset to 0 after a toe adjustment and the vehicle was reading the steering 20 degrees off center when it was really straight. As far as shops charging more.. They really shouldn't if they have up to date and recent equipment. With my machine it take an extra few minutes to center the steering angle sensor on most vehicle and it should be included in any alignment package, especially since all cars after 2013 are required to have traction control and therefore almost always a steering angle sensor.
Have alignment issues in the wife's 00 Honda Odyssey, took it to Honda for an alignment which was bout $90 and da guy told me wed got it the straightest we can where it won't damage your tires. maybe four months later all my tires worn out in the inner side which made horrible shacking on my steering wheel due to how severe they'd got worn out, to the point where I'd lost all my tire warranty as well.
On the right front side of tire of my car there is a little bit of play and clunk sound when I wobble the wheel. Any ideas on what could be the problem? My dad already looked at the wheel while it was in jack and he couldn't see any problems part wise.
I have my steering wheel intentionally off center. It's purely for comfort, as I drive with my elbow on the door and the crossbar in the steering wheel would be where my hand naturally grabs the wheel. So I shifted both wheels right a bit so my hand now sits just above the crossbar.
One thing not mentioned is the wheel bearing; If it goes bad it's usually one side's toe which will change while steering. This usually makes the car feel like it's trying to follow on one side, which usually is the side where the wheel bearing is bad. (since there's play in the bearing the wheel tries to follow the last direction or momentum of rotation)
Center the steering wheel and set the toe with a Longacre toe bar. Get a Snap on caster/camber gauge to set the camber. Get one that reads in inches if yours is in inches.
Excellent explanation. So easy to understand and great stuff to gain knowledge. I am having exactly this issue when my steering wheel is sitting right at the centre, my car is drifting towards left, and I have to constantly adjust the steering to keep the car in straight line. Its time for alignment.. :-)
why is it that when i get my car aligned at the shop, they can never put all the measurements to 0 degrees? the guy even told me that brand new cars don't have 0 degree alignment. to get that you have to have after market suspension parts. that doesn't sound right.
Hi! @Eric! Thanks for all of your videos. I have a Q: does changing the rear lower arm (part no. 52340-SJA-000) of an 2006 Acura RL will improve the negative camber in the rear wheels? There’s no evident problem there. The only thing is the abnormal wear of the inner part of the rear wheels. Everything seems to be in good condition; no sounds, no movement, no broken parts…etc. It have been aligned, but no specific recommendations were discussed. There is also very few videos about RL’s. Regards from Puerto Rico 🤟🏽✌🏽
Thanks for the video and explanation, Eric. When doing an alignment and say the camber is out but there is no or very little adjustment in the front strut OEM factory bolts, what is you opinion on substituting aftermarket cam bolt kits (ie, Moog)?
Whew !! ,,, That was ALOT of good info . I needed 2 , #2 pencils ,,, a notebook ,,, and a lunch break in the middle before wrapping up this class . ha ha ... 😊 ,👍 , ✌️ .
I've had terrible luck with alignments. I've had two cars aligned at two different shops over the past year and both times, they didn't center the steering rack before performing the alignment. I don't have time to go back and fight with them to correct it on their dime. The printouts were perfect but the steering wheel is cocked.
Hey, a few questions: I swapped wheels the other day and at 8:22 where you're holding your hand, I twisted that part on my car back and forth a few times, is that normal? and 2) doing that, will it affect the alignment? Thx.
That is the outer tie rod. When you turn the steering wheel, those rods turn the steering knuckle to point the wheels. If you can turn your steering wheel and there's a dead zone of about an inch or more when you turn from right to left or from left to right, your outer tie rod ends are shot and that ball joint is flexing too much in the wrong direction. It should be very stiff. I can usually *turn* them a little bit on some cars if I'm twisting. Just make sure that bolt end of the tie rod end doesn't swing out or in, left or right. Front to back movement isn't really a problem because it's physically impossible for it to turn if it's backed up to the adjusting nut. Also pay attention to the boot (the rubber cover of the tie rod joint end). If that boot is damaged the grease will come out of the joint. Then the tie rod end will fail rapidly, and you will get a dead zone in your steering from left to right or from right to left.
I recently got an alignment done on my 2011 Acura MDX. It's by no means a light vehicle and have only owned it for a year. My steering wheel became slightly uncentered, and the car was leaning to the right when going down a straight road. After the alignment was done, I am noticing that my steering wheel is slightly just tilted to the left, but the car tracks straight. I have to keep my hands in the wrong position just just to keep the car straight. Luckily dealer work is guaranteed so they will fix if something is off. They said the car tracks straight but the steering wheel feels off, but they say its straight.
Wonderfull explanation! And I was wondering why my car drifts more left on the left leaning roads than drifts right on the right leaning roads. It's beacause it's by design, because there are more right leaning roads if we drive in the right than left leaning roads and thus less effort is to prevent drift if alignment is adjusted for that. The steering wheel is centered when driving straight.
One thing that hasn't been covered is whether over-sensitivity of the steering wheel to pot holes or unevenness in road an alignment issue. I believe it is. Also, most shops only align the toe. This is as good as useless if the camber or caster is bad.
I just had to get an alignment done after the threads somehow stripped out on the left front tie rod end. $25 part and 30 minutes of work. $65 for alignment. Glad I was in a parking lot and not on the hwy at speed when the tie rod came loose from the steering rack.
Just had one done on my Mondeo. Turns out the arse was crabbing slightly, had a few degrees toe in on the left side, and a couple degrees toe out on the right side. I honestly couldn't feel it at all, the car still handled fairly well, just had a slight left hand pull. Although the arse nearly snapped around on me getting onto the motorway one wet morning, which NEVER happens
When I went to have mine done, the guys were surprised I managed to get there in one piece, apparently every wheel was pointed in its own direction, none of them looking where they should be :P Out of 8 adjustments, ONE was in spec. No wonder it felt wrong...
Wow it's been a while since I saw this video but yes like seven minutes in that is true if you have an alignment issue and your at the alignment shop if you have something in your car say a tool box that will never leave the car or many other things it will often be better to align the car with those items than taking them out do the procedure and put them back in because it can add the tiniest bit of weight probably a degree I would think? Ooh Eric you should talk a little bit about truck alignment it has like two or more alignment angles I think
I just had both sides control arm, upper and lower balljoints, pitman arm, driverside axle, new tires and alignment. My suv still pulls to left slightly and my wheel is off from center. It also makes a creaking noise going over bumps. Is it possible for alignment shims to have fallen out and make that noise?
Every alignment shop around owes you atleast $5 for the improved customers you just gave them. Thanks Eric!
Thank you, Eric, for arming this ol' grandma with the information for my tire appointment in the morning. I know there's something wrong as my tires have worn terribly on the inside front of both and they only have 15,000 miles on them. The pair cost me at 500, so I thought I did a good buy for good tires. Back to the place I bought them in the morning so they can explain to me why they wore this way. I have your information tucked in my memory bank so I know what to ask and understand. I appreciate you taking the time to provide this great video!
Not only do you put out good and informative content, but your fans are also helpful in the comment section. That's one thing I love about this channel. Helpful people that post useful information, you are appreciated
What I like about Eric is that not only he is experienced, he doesn't try to screw you over. He takes pride of his work and often deviates from manufacturer recommended instruction while understanding what he does. Some mechanics who closely follow the manufacturer's instructions but don't understand why they do it are equally as likely to screw up your car as those who are just terrible mechanics to begin with.
That Acura was a sweet spot in Honda's design history.
Thumbs down? Some people hate puppies too. This guy does a great job. Think about doing such a video yourself & speaking as flawlessly as this guy. He did a good job.
Last summer I did a ton of work to my 87 S10. Did a full stainless steel bake line / hose kit, all new brake components, all 4 front control arms with ball joints, steering knuckles, steering box, everything in the front end; Pitman arm, idler arm, center drag, tie rods and sleeves, even installed a sway bar where there was none before, coil springs, and shocks on all 4 corners. Then I took it down to get an alignment and 4 new tires. The guy actually said that for having done all that work it wasn't too far out, but man it drives good now. My grandmom bought the truck brand new in August of 86, I've owned it since 02, yeah I dropped a lot of money into a 29 year old truck, but it's one that I know the history of.
if you need to add or sub shims 2.8 no problem 4.3 you better have long sleeve shirt and up to date first aid kit ready
I did the front end in my 98 Cherokee (hurts my pride not to say XJ so “Cherokee XJ”) minus ball joints and the steering wheel rests around 10.5 o’clock and my alignment appointment is coming up. I haven’t driven it way too much with it out of wack but fortunately the tires on it are bad anyways. My first two tires are arriving the day after my appointment. I’m excited to have her much closer to being ready.
Eric, that's a good tip regarding different caster adjustments. However, when we do alignments, we take into consideration the customer's driving habits, i.e. do they do more city or highway driving. A car driven mostly in the city will get a difference of between 1/2 to one degree between sides. We generally will keep the caster settings on a highway-driven vehicle the same for both sides. Our theory there is that the customer will be driving in different lanes on a highway, so keeping them equal works out. Also, a shout out to you for suggesting four wheel alignments. That's all we do, and sometimes they uncover worn parts in the rear of the vehicle that wouldn't be caught with a two wheel alignment.
+Rickyboy707 Thanks very much for your input. I like your ideas of taking driving habits into consideration.
@@ericthecarguy question I have lifted truck and The mechanic shop did the alignment last week the truck is fine don’t pull to rigor left and steering wheel is center , but my wheel is out I can see , the toe is out , maybe haft inch or more , the shops say is ok … that is normal ?
As always, concise, with enough detail and great explanations to show the importance of each condition/adjustment. Extremely well organized. Dang dude, mechanic shops could use this video to explain the need for alignments. They should be thanking you in bunches. Great job!
One thing about straight steering wheels and drifting - the road is generally designed to slope down to the outside for drainage, so you will be steering slightly towards the centre to keep the car straight. It will also slowly move to the outside if you let the steering wheel go, because it returns to centre but due to the slope in the road you will drift towards the outside. You then have to judge if it is within normal operation or not..
I do alignments for a living. You should never have someone in the car unless weight is supposed to be in the car. The machine takes into account someone sitting in the drivers seat. So if someone is sitting in a car that does not require added weight for the alignment, it will affect the new alignment. Other than this issue, you are pretty spot on for the rest of the video.
THANK YOU ERIC. ...THEEE MOST BY FAR BEST LESSON LEARNED!!! ...SINCE THE LOSS OF MY HUSBAND. ..UR SUCH A BLESSING !!! GOD BLESS YOU !!!
Very useful information. I have come to the conclusion that the place I have been taking my car to would benefit from learning this as opposed to making excuses without answers.
Everybody needs an alignment. Chaotic good is my personal favorite. Ba-dum-bum. Very informative stuff, as usual, especially the explanation of caster.
You know a person has achieved a certain degree of success when the legal disclaimers come out to play. Congratulations Eric. Really. No sarcasm intended or implied
Great job on explaining the whole thing in the simplest and clearest way possible that even the people who don't know anything about cars would understand.
We had a guy in town, an oldtimer really, like 80 yo. He was the best one to go for an alignment. He would use a string/rope with a ballast and this oldschool wooden ruler to measure camber. Then he would measure toe with this sliding bar-like tool.
If the job wasnt good.... it must have been you holding the steering wheel off center. Anyway, even if you did, he would fix it up again, free of charge. And the best part... he was dirt cheap. Being in central europe the prices are different, but he was like 10$.
He was so awesome, he would look at a car and say like "I aint touching it, get new bushings/wishbones or I cant set it properly".
Never had an alignment that good since he passed away, even with all these fancy laser tools nobody knows how to use... That grampa knew his stuff.
And he used to curse a lot, like "who the hell effed your suspension like that" when you just got new tie rods or something at a different shop.... or.... "gdmn those bstrds who put this bolt here, and not there, to hell with engineers"... Used to comment a lot on cars too, like my Lancia Delta I used to have... "Uhmmm, Lancia... Thats an italian stuff, like Lamborghini(which he used to say lambor-J-ini, with a J)...
Funny guy, I miss going to his shop for an alignment.
I love old timers like that. Those are the kind of people I trust, rather than going to a shop. That's sad that he passed, but it sounds like he helped a lot of people in his day. Good on him
He is a good candidate to test my new Zombie toxin on. We need people like this back in the world.
Always best when It`s not just a job for the person.Usually It`s just a job with younger guys.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THIS OLD"TURD"!
I love reading little life stories like this from people in TH-cam comments. Never ceases to amaze me that these letters and words on an immobile, glowing screen in front of me can represent actual people out there in the world, people/places/occasions/happenings that I never would've known even existed before, let alone ever cross paths with, yet in just a couple short paragraphs, I get transported to that "world" and get to know some person/place/event, in this case, as if I was one of this guy's customers, myself.
Very well told and written.
I had a mechanic, just recently, do a 4 wheel alignment and my car does indeed track straight down the road but my steering wheel is a little off to the left. My feeling is I should go to a different mechanic and have it redone.
Up to you, some can be off a bit but it nice when it fixed, my foster dad has his slightly off but as he knows of it he adapts how he using the car so it not matter to him, personally I prefer if wheel is straight with wheels
The best car alignment video I’ve ever seen online. Your video (You) make TH-cam look good . Thank you so very much for your time spent
Thank you for mentioning the vibrations. Probably 8 of 10 people that come into my work that want a alignment other than the fact they bought new tires is a vibration. And the worst part about it is that the tech I work with and I both explain to the service writers religiously that alignments do not cause vibrations. I guess that's what happens when you work for such money hungry people sadly
+tylerbabesh Check the comments. There's a ton of people insisting on the same. It's a very common misconception. Thanks for the comment.
I should have known better since this is Eric TheCarGuy, but was totally expecting a relatively dumbed-down video from the title. Great explanation of the topic, as usual.
Thanks Mr Eric. My wheel is now pulling to the right. I just got newly used tires. I'll get my alignment done soon.
My 86 Accord with Michelin Green Energy tires got 100,000 miles out of one set. That Honda rode perfectly forever. Sometimes a suspension problem can't be detected at the wheel. You'll find out when it's too late. If you're riding expensive tires, I'd be safe and get it checked. My shop doesn't charge full rate if no adjustment are required. I love good tires...can't explain.
Tire pressures make a world of difference, when I bought my car it pulled to one side and I discovered that the right front tire was over inflated.
This is a fantastic video, cleared up all the fuzziness i had in alignment terms and meanings! now i actually know what bad toe adjustments can cause! thanks eric, you the man!
why do ppl dislike this? i really want to know..if i can like eric's vids twice i would he is veeery knowledgeable and helped me learn a ton more on what i already know
First time I write a comment on one of your videos (and watched many) but just wanted to say that they are always great with very interesting (and down to earth) information.And most importantly, you know your stuff! Thank you.
thanks eric. i just got promoted to wheel aligner at my tyre shop, this helped refresh my memory from my trade certificate training.
I personally think this was the golden era of Acura/Honda. Something about the interior and dashboard that I really love.
+Greg Anagnostopoulos I love my Vigor.
+EricTheCarGuy Vigors!
In the UK, most tyre places are absolutely incapable of doing it right. Ended up using trigonometry and string lines. Perfect every time now!
I prefer caster to be equal on both sides, two reasons for this:
a) If someone falls asleep at the wheel or is drinking and driving, there is a greater probability they will go into the ditch instead of
into oncoming traffic.
b) If you overtake on a two way road, (driving in oncoming lane on a long, clear straightaway) it can be difficult to keep the car from
going into the left hand ditch when the right hand caster is reduced.
Cool idea. Never thought of that. I doubt the roads in my area are even sloped at all. Roads have massive floods even if it sprinkles and the water seems to be accumulating in the middle. I think they dug the roads out inverted, or the center is collapsing.
Hi Eric,
I have a 1997 Honda Prelude, Las Vegas.
I have a lifetime alignment at FireStone.
I have also tried paying for an alignment with a reputable shop called "Samurai Motors" in Las Vegas.
The Toes are greened out as close to or at 0.0 degrees
Caster is all even (Radius Rod Bushings Brand New)
However, my steering wheel and car tends to pull at an 11 o'clock angle everytime i let go of the steering wheel, whether the car is slow, or whether im on the freeway going fast. It pulls left wherever I am.
Camber: I am lowered on function form Type 1 coilovers. I have left the camber natural on moog control arms. I doubt this will affect pull...
I have no uneven tirewear whatsoever. And i have rotate all 4 tires in different patterns just to check.
I have also tried stock rims with different tires.
I have also tried civic si rims with different tires.
PSI 35 all around.
Still Pulls left....
Additionally, the steering wheel feels lighter rotating to the left.
While it feels a little bit heavier rotating to the right.
Moog Upper Control Arms
Moog Tie Rods
Moog Sway Bar Links
Have not changed Lower Control Arms
Have not touched wheel hubs (although its intact and no play)
New Brake + Rotors (back in 2019)
What is your opinion?
Thanks man!
He's right about some cars call for weights in the car before alignment. My BMW calls for 150 lbs. in each front seat, 150 lbs in the CENTER of the back seat, 65 lbs. in the center of the trunk, & a full tank of gas. Since it's mostly just me driving it, & those weights are supposed to be people & golf bags, I park my 190 lbs. in the seat with a full tank when aligning. Done.
I thought I knew about wheel alignment, but I learnt so much from this. A fantastic tutorial on how things REALLY work. Thank you
Thank you sir!!!!
I just raised some trouble at my dealership cause my car SLIGHTLY drifts to the right and after 3 ailments they said to take it to another shop for 2nd opinion lol
I did not know how in depth a aliment was.
Eric, two things I would like to mention for this video. First is that tires also play a huge role with pulling/drifting issues. In my experience, pulling issues are more often than not caused by tires issues than alignment issues.. Bald, separated, old/worn-out/cracked, and cupped tires can all cause pulling issues. Secondly, I do not necessarily agree with your assessment of "tight front end parts" being essential for an alignment. If the front end has just a hair amount of movement, a legitimate shop will let it slide rather than sell a $75 tie rod, or $100+ wheel bearing/ball joint, not including labor, before doing an alignment service. That is almost the same idea as performing an alignment because the toe was out .05 degrees, which in reality is 1/4 turn of a wrench for $80. Not logical, in my opinion. I understand the concept of having a "tight front end" before doing an alignment, but there is a big difference between something that has movement of 1/10 v 4/10 v 8/10 and on the verge of falling out Keep in mind, some suspension/steering designs are built to have a small amount of play (tapered wheel bearings), especially with rubber bushings that will move if one has a large enough pry bar when testing it. Other than that, great video!
it would be worthwhile to mention that most tire shop that have an alignment rack offer free alignment checks. so if you have any curiosity of alignment being off they will check it, and like he said, if your vehicle has loose/worn parts, they will let you know that those will need to be replaced before alignment is possible.
Hey ERic very helpful video. I have owned an 05' civic for about half year now and the steering pulls left pretty much and when i take left turns the steering wheel stays at 90 degrees left and won't self - center (or at least close to the center, there is a deadzone where there is no feedback at all within those 90 degrees left to center). While taking right turns it behaves normally like it should. The steering wheel also points a bit to the right when driving straight. I didn't take it for alignement because i assumed there is something broken. I have told my mechanic recently to check for something broken when he lifted it to change Co2 sensor, and he didn't find anything wrong at the control arms and the steering rack at the bottom. Also reason something must be broken or out of place is because it makes a bumping noise when i drive through holes and pumps and especially while braking through them. The noise is coming from the left front wheel (from driver's view). I also hear the tires at times screaming a bit, I believe that the angle is changing, and also the offset of the steering wheel in a straight line. What do you think are the possible reasons?
Hey Eric my car, a 71 VW Fastback, has a caster pre-set from the factory and isn’t adjustable. Having said that the car is scary at freeway speeds of 70mph and above. The steering just feels light and unsafe. The car is slightly lowered up front, maybe an 1”+ but not much more. I threw 200lbs of sand in the trunk up front and feel it might have been a little better but I want to lose the sand!! Thanks for your help man!!
Eric the car, Scotty Kilmer , and Chris fix can’t resist watching them show.
Stay dirty!
Thanks again Eric! Very informative! I love your videos! You are talented really and I will say it anytime! Before I do any work on any of our vehicles, I always have to check your videos!! Very sharp information and important is what you say professionally!! Keep it UP and Stay Dirty!
A great way to explain caster is in the example of rake in the front wheel. Of a motorcycle. True, shopping carts work, but add confusion in what is typically "good" for an application. Because you steer the chassis of a cart and the wheels' steering angles are neither directly controlled and operate separate from one another, they require negative caster. Whereas automotive applications are the opposite in nearly every way.
happy you said this people come to me all the time saying they aint paying me anything for the alignment due to frozen parts that should be replaced but had no info of this is even possible and would need more parts to have it completed. 9:53
As always, VERY well done and many thanks for taking the time to make the vid. Just the explanation I needed in order to determine where to start with my suspension issues. Thank you for educating me in order to save me from getting mislead, ripped off -or both!
Another great video by Eric...Some mechanics opens and tightens bolts whereas others inspire.# much love for you and your channel...
Thanks Eric. That is an excellent video and for the first time ever I now understand how alignments work! Well done!
Eric if you replace a bushing do you still need an alignment?
You are really helping us get the most out of our cars bro. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for educating us on this.
One of the best videos you have ever done, so informative. I learnt something today!
Nice video Eric I just got an alignment yesterday along with 2 new front tyres as they were both scrubbing because of too much toe out and driving the car for too long with the vehicle out of alignment.
Thanks! I was in Jersey over holiday leave (Camden to be exact) and ran my Focus through pothole after pothole, terrible place to drive it was. Now I have a drift going to the right a lot so I know an alignment is necessary indeed.
Another thing is that because the road is curved as Eric mentioned, your car will naturally and subtly pull away from the center of the road. That’s why you hear people get alignments done and the car still slightly pulls to one side. Now if the pull is severe, that’s when the car needs the alignment
I had new tires put on in December 2016, then I had an alignment about a week after. This month (April 2017) my car is swaying while driving. I am straining my neck while driving almost everyday to keep my car straight because I have to grab hold of the steering wheel. I had a 27 point inspection done, which turned out well, then I went back yesterday, and the new tires had bubbles in the seams. Discount Tires said that it is just the seam and that is normal, but my car has never driven like that before. I had new tires put on, and the car feels smoother, yet when I got on the freeway, it was still swaying slightly. I have driven on the same Interstate for almost 5 years now. I am getting another alignment inspection elsewhere.
Thanks for mentioning about getting an alignment after tires have been replaced which is a no brainer. A lot of people will get tires done somewhere else cheaper and log 200 miles before going to a shop that can do alignments. They are dumbfounded when the car still pulls after an alignment...not realizing that the recently new tires are improperly worn causing the pull. The tire wear would be so minute that you wouldn't know until you cross rotated the tires. Mix matched tire brands on the same axle can cause a pull as well.
Just burned through 2 Michelin Sport A/S 3+ that were replaced 4 months ago. $440 for 2 new tires. Paid $610 for 4 news ones 4 months ago. Ughhhh. Lesson learned after getting Costco tire repairs done...check allignment
My front tires are worn down on the outside, but other than that, everything else seems fine. I think my issue is my driving habits (I need to slow down when turning), inconsistent tire rotations, and especially buying cheaper tires. I did my alignment over 5 years ago after getting new tires installed.
I could see why someone would say they were going to get an alignment to try and fix a vibration- Mainly because, 99% of the time someone gets their tires aligned, they also get them balanced... Which does fix a lot of vibration issues.
I had the exact same steering wheel cover in my 94 accord. The only one Pepboys had that wasn't hello kitty or skulls
+drink15 I would have gone for the hello kitty.
+Martin Skoda I don't think he is a cigarette. I'm no expert though.
***** Shit, your vocabulary is massive.
+EricTheCarGuy my thoughts exactly !
+drink15 Same kind, not same one. And I'm not wild on skulls either.
Great InfoVideo Erick.... Now it's time to take my car to alignment.. it's rubbing the ground badly 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
This is a great vid man, thanks for putting the time in to get it up. Have to replace the Upper Control Arm on my 2011 Crown Vic P7B so going to have to get the alignment tweaked afterwards.
You have such an extensive knowledge sir. Good work
This is the best video I've seen on getting an alignment. Thanks!
You EricTheCarGuy are THE BEST , thanks for such a great explanation
It's funny how you release this video a day after I got new tires for my truck and yes, I did get the alignment done with it.
If the caster on the wheel is bad, simply top up the caster oil. For best results use 5w 30
New parts alone can help, I changed the lower control arms and ball joints and it was like driving a new car. It use to to pull hard to the left, with the new parts it was almost perfect without an alignment.
eric how bout a video about scalloped tires I see those a lot & always get asked about why this happens
One gripe I have about some shops that do alignments, though; I've had a couple that were too lazy to center the steering wheel before performing the alignment. The end result was a vehicle that drove straight with the steering wheel left or right of center.
Alignments are one of those things that need to be taught properly the first time. I saw so many lube techs getting their first real taste starting alignments and did nothing more than "toe and go" not knowing to check other angles and suspension wear and as you mentioned, not center of the steering wheel. It's like mending a broken bone without having is straight first.
thank you. God bless you. keep it up. you are helping a lot of people all around the world
Some places charge extra if the vehicle has a steering wheel angle reset after an alignment. The steering wheel angle indicates what direction the steering wheel is in. It is used by the event data recorder to record if the steering was straight, at an angle ( turning left or right) or if the driver swereved right before an accident. The event data recorder is also know as the car's Black Box.
This is true, however it is also used for many other systems on the far, some as simple as turning off the turn signal when returning to center, to calculating many 'formulas' with other sensors to precisely control advanced traction control systems in newer vehicles.
I had a vehicle come in once that was trying to activate the abs on a straight road when moving the steering wheel quickly. Turns out the steering angle sensor was never reset to 0 after a toe adjustment and the vehicle was reading the steering 20 degrees off center when it was really straight.
As far as shops charging more.. They really shouldn't if they have up to date and recent equipment. With my machine it take an extra few minutes to center the steering angle sensor on most vehicle and it should be included in any alignment package, especially since all cars after 2013 are required to have traction control and therefore almost always a steering angle sensor.
Have alignment issues in the wife's 00 Honda Odyssey, took it to Honda for an alignment which was bout $90 and da guy told me wed got it the straightest we can where it won't damage your tires. maybe four months later all my tires worn out in the inner side which made horrible shacking on my steering wheel due to how severe they'd got worn out, to the point where I'd lost all my tire warranty as well.
On the right front side of tire of my car there is a little bit of play and clunk sound when I wobble the wheel. Any ideas on what could be the problem? My dad already looked at the wheel while it was in jack and he couldn't see any problems part wise.
I have my steering wheel intentionally off center. It's purely for comfort, as I drive with my elbow on the door and the crossbar in the steering wheel would be where my hand naturally grabs the wheel. So I shifted both wheels right a bit so my hand now sits just above the crossbar.
One thing not mentioned is the wheel bearing; If it goes bad it's usually one side's toe which will change while steering. This usually makes the car feel like it's trying to follow on one side, which usually is the side where the wheel bearing is bad. (since there's play in the bearing the wheel tries to follow the last direction or momentum of rotation)
Center the steering wheel and set the toe with a Longacre toe bar. Get a Snap on caster/camber gauge to set the camber. Get one that reads in inches if yours is in inches.
At 14:30, the video is displaying camber example while talking about toe.
Every driver needs to watch this.
Excellent explanation. So easy to understand and great stuff to gain knowledge. I am having exactly this issue when my steering wheel is sitting right at the centre, my car is drifting towards left, and I have to constantly adjust the steering to keep the car in straight line. Its time for alignment.. :-)
Yeah toe will cause feathering of the tire. Seen this a lot when I was working at Discount Tire co.
why is it that when i get my car aligned at the shop, they can never put all the measurements to 0 degrees? the guy even told me that brand new cars don't have 0 degree alignment. to get that you have to have after market suspension parts. that doesn't sound right.
Hi! @Eric!
Thanks for all of your videos. I have a Q: does changing the rear lower arm (part no. 52340-SJA-000) of an 2006 Acura RL will improve the negative camber in the rear wheels? There’s no evident problem there. The only thing is the abnormal wear of the inner part of the rear wheels. Everything seems to be in good condition; no sounds, no movement, no broken parts…etc. It have been aligned, but no specific recommendations were discussed. There is also very few videos about RL’s.
Regards from Puerto Rico 🤟🏽✌🏽
Thanks for the video and explanation, Eric. When doing an alignment and say the camber is out but there is no or very little adjustment in the front strut OEM factory bolts, what is you opinion on substituting aftermarket cam bolt kits (ie, Moog)?
Whew !! ,,,
That was ALOT of good info .
I needed 2 , #2 pencils ,,,
a notebook ,,, and a lunch
break in the middle before
wrapping up this class .
ha ha ... 😊 ,👍 , ✌️ .
I changed my outer tie rod ends and now my tires squeek when driving.
I've had terrible luck with alignments. I've had two cars aligned at two different shops over the past year and both times, they didn't center the steering rack before performing the alignment. I don't have time to go back and fight with them to correct it on their dime. The printouts were perfect but the steering wheel is cocked.
Hey, a few questions: I swapped wheels the other day and at 8:22 where you're holding your hand, I twisted that part on my car back and forth a few times, is that normal? and 2) doing that, will it affect the alignment? Thx.
That is the outer tie rod. When you turn the steering wheel, those rods turn the steering knuckle to point the wheels. If you can turn your steering wheel and there's a dead zone of about an inch or more when you turn from right to left or from left to right, your outer tie rod ends are shot and that ball joint is flexing too much in the wrong direction. It should be very stiff. I can usually *turn* them a little bit on some cars if I'm twisting. Just make sure that bolt end of the tie rod end doesn't swing out or in, left or right. Front to back movement isn't really a problem because it's physically impossible for it to turn if it's backed up to the adjusting nut.
Also pay attention to the boot (the rubber cover of the tie rod joint end). If that boot is damaged the grease will come out of the joint. Then the tie rod end will fail rapidly, and you will get a dead zone in your steering from left to right or from right to left.
I recently got an alignment done on my 2011 Acura MDX. It's by no means a light vehicle and have only owned it for a year.
My steering wheel became slightly uncentered, and the car was leaning to the right when going down a straight road.
After the alignment was done, I am noticing that my steering wheel is slightly just tilted to the left, but the car tracks straight. I have to keep my hands in the wrong position just just to keep the car straight. Luckily dealer work is guaranteed so they will fix if something is off. They said the car tracks straight but the steering wheel feels off, but they say its straight.
The curvature on a road surface doen toward the sides and the similar curvature found on the decks of ships is also called camber.
Wonderfull explanation! And I was wondering why my car drifts more left on the left leaning roads than drifts right on the right leaning roads. It's beacause it's by design, because there are more right leaning roads if we drive in the right than left leaning roads and thus less effort is to prevent drift if alignment is adjusted for that.
The steering wheel is centered when driving straight.
One thing that hasn't been covered is whether over-sensitivity of the steering wheel to pot holes or unevenness in road an alignment issue. I believe it is. Also, most shops only align the toe. This is as good as useless if the camber or caster is bad.
I just had to get an alignment done after the threads somehow stripped out on the left front tie rod end. $25 part and 30 minutes of work. $65 for alignment. Glad I was in a parking lot and not on the hwy at speed when the tie rod came loose from the steering rack.
Just had one done on my Mondeo. Turns out the arse was crabbing slightly, had a few degrees toe in on the left side, and a couple degrees toe out on the right side. I honestly couldn't feel it at all, the car still handled fairly well, just had a slight left hand pull. Although the arse nearly snapped around on me getting onto the motorway one wet morning, which NEVER happens
Thanks of Eric the car guy. Best video.
When I went to have mine done, the guys were surprised I managed to get there in one piece, apparently every wheel was pointed in its own direction, none of them looking where they should be :P
Out of 8 adjustments, ONE was in spec. No wonder it felt wrong...
Thanks Eric for another high value, clear and complete video !!
Thank you for this video this completely makes me realize I definitely need an alignment
Wow it's been a while since I saw this video but yes like seven minutes in that is true if you have an alignment issue and your at the alignment shop if you have something in your car say a tool box that will never leave the car or many other things it will often be better to align the car with those items than taking them out do the procedure and put them back in because it can add the tiniest bit of weight probably a degree I would think? Ooh Eric you should talk a little bit about truck alignment it has like two or more alignment angles I think
I just had both sides control arm, upper and lower balljoints, pitman arm, driverside axle, new tires and alignment. My suv still pulls to left slightly and my wheel is off from center. It also makes a creaking noise going over bumps. Is it possible for alignment shims to have fallen out and make that noise?