Alignment BEFORE or AFTER new tires?

[KenOfAZ]

I have 35K miles on my 2020 Ram 1500, 2wd, all stock. My tires have been rotated about every 8K miles and are wearing on the OUTER edges much more than the rest of the tire. The INNER edge is consistent with the middle of the tire tread depth. I'm thinking probably a toe in/out problem. I am going to buy new tires soon. Should I get the alignment before or after getting the new tires. My gut tells me to get it after the new tires. But a guy on an automotive radio show several years ago, used to say to get an alignment with the old tires on, so the tech can see what needs to change, and how much.

 

[RamDiver]

Forget the guy on the radio and go with your gut. I've always timed alignment jobs for immediately after a new tire installation.

Before makes no sense to me. If the tech needs to see your old tires to successfully align your vehicle, you're in the wrong shop.

Especially with the alignment systems used these days.

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[Fatbob Frank]

^^^^This...

 

[mtnrider]

The tech could care less what the old tires look like. Maybe they did 40 years ago but not now. They go by the factory alignment specs and what the computer tells them. Tires don't even come into the picture so get the alignment whenever you want.


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[zrock]

i always get a alignment with new tires even if their was no unusual wear on the old.

 

[Dean2]

If I was getting edge wear like you are, I would have the vehicle aligned right away. The settings are the same no matter which tires you are running so might as well have it right as soon as possible.

I have never done an alignment on a vehicle unless there was some indication it needed one, like replacing ball joints etc, or uneven wear. I have vehicles I ran for 300,000 miles, and never needed to be aligned. With 5 new sets of tires, an alignment each time I put new tires on would have cost another $1,500 I had no need to spend, over the life of the vehicle.

In my opinion, an awful lot of this pre-emptive maintenance is a waste of money. Kind of like the current recommendation I just read that you replace your air pressure gauge every 5 or 6 years. What nonsense, I have pencil gauges that are 50 years old and they still work perfect. Same for the recommendation you not use oil that has sat on a shelf for more than 3 years or the dealership recommending 3,000 mile oil changes when the manufacturer says 10,000. We are constantly being sold a bill of goods aimed strictly at getting us to spend more.

 

[mtnrider]

^^^ Bingo, Dean hit the nail on the head.

I've had my alignment done 1 time in the 150K I currently have on the truck and that was because I installed a level kit. Unless I see unusual wear (that I can attribute to alignment) or have to replace a related part in the front end I won't get another one.

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[Fatbob Frank]

i always get a alignment with new tires even if their was no unusual wear on the old.

Me too...

 

[mikeru]

i always get a alignment with new tires even if their was no unusual wear on the old.

You're throwing your money away. There's no need for a alignment every time you get new tires. Even tread wear is a very strong indication that an alignment is not needed. Even with unusual tread wear, that's only an indication that an alignment might be needed, but not necessarily what caused the unusual wear. Worn suspension parts can also cause unusual wear. I took our 5th gen in for an alignment a couple weeks ago because of unusual tire wear on the outer edge of both front tires. Turns out the toe adjustment was off. Since we haven't hit any curbs, large pot holes, or other cars, that means the alignment was off from the factory. This truck won't see another alignment shop unless it's indicated by tire wear, unusual driving characteristics, or steering component replacement.

 

[brian42]

I always get a lifetime alignment with my vehicles.

I bought a lifetime alignment shortly after purchasing the truck (new) and, although it was in spec, the shop said they tweaked it to make it better. I thought that was them feeding me a line but it did drive better (even though it was driving fine before).

I always have an alignment done with each new set of tires regardless of wear just to make sure everything is in spec and there's not a lurking issue to resolve.

I did a lot of off-roading so there were enough times that I may have been a little to "sporty" on the trails which warranted a visit to the alignment shop so it was worth the investment to me. Now that I have a car that's not an issue any more but some roads around me aren't the greatest and my VW suspension doesn't feel quite as stout as the truck's.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

You're throwing your money away. There's no need for a alignment every time you get new tires. Even tread wear is a very strong indication that an alignment is not needed. Even with unusual tread wear, that's only an indication that an alignment might be needed, but not necessarily what caused the unusual wear. Worn suspension parts can also cause unusual wear. I took our 5th gen in for an alignment a couple weeks ago because of unusual tire wear on the outer edge of both front tires. Turns out the toe adjustment was off. Since we haven't hit any curbs, large pot holes, or other cars, that means the alignment was off from the factory. This truck won't see another alignment shop unless it's indicated by tire wear, unusual driving characteristics, or steering component replacement.

I only get new tires about every 5-6 years.( After replacing the stockers immediately that is)
A $150 alignment isn't too much of a waste compared to the cost of a new set of tires...
Frankly, as bad as the roads are in my area an alignment every 5 or 6 years is a given...

 

[RC Turner]

As others have suggested, make sure you really need an alignment. Edge wear can be alignment but is just as likely to be driving style. Unless something is worn out or damaged, there is probably little to no reason for the alignment. Also, real mechanics are at a premium these days and the possibility of them making it worse is very real. You might need it but, make sure. Once the factory alignment is gone there is no going back.