Alignment immediately after tire swap? - Toyota Tundra Forums : Tundra Solutions Forum

Gdogg72 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 08:51 AM

Having my 325/60/18's mounted and balanced today on new Moto Metal 18 x 9 951's. My question is should I have the wheels aligned immediately after the tire change or do I need to drive the truck a while before taking it in for alignment? The shop that's doing my wheel mount also does alignments. thanks

Sid Post · #2 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 09:26 AM

Get lifetime alignments and have them done every 3 months or, 10,000 miles, or every time you hit a pothole, curb, brick in the road, etc.

Tires are expensive so, frequent rotations and alignments is time well spent.

1keepitup · #3 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 09:37 AM

Next order of business following a tire and wheel swap is a Wheel Alignment, No need to wait for anything.

Take Good care!

PhillyTundra08 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 11:32 AM

I had an alignment done when I had the tires installed. That's because the last 2 time I took the truck into Toyota for service they suggested an alignment. I declined it knowing that I was getting new tires soon. When I purchased my new tires at Sears they mounted/blanaced and did the alignment for me that night.

greenfire · #5 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 11:31 AM

Hmm, this is actually a good topic. But lets say, your old tires showed perfectly even wear and their are no indications that your alignment is off. Is it a waste of money to get an alignment just because you put new wheels and/or tires on???

JMSinMD · #6 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 06:19 PM

I personally buy 5 year alignment packages at Merchant's Tire and Auto/NTB/Tire Kingdom/Big O Tires, for $180 for 5 years unlimited, I myself do it every 10k.

In addition I buy a Road Hazard/Rotate&Balance package for $25 per tire and rotate and balance every 5k.

Gdogg72 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 06:26 PM

Had them mounted, balanced, and alignment yesterday and took it out on the highway and got up to 80mph with no shimmy. Rides like it's on glass. Very satisfied at this point. Will post pics soon. Added MBRP dual exhaust this morning.

greenfire · #8 (**permalink**) 11-08-2009, 12:26 PM

I don't know.. seems like a waste of money to me. Unless your truck is showing signs of an alignment problem, I don't see any reason why we need to do one. My truck has over 30k on it. Its never been aligned. The old tires had even wear and the truck tracks straight going down the road with the new tires on. First signs of uneven wear or a pull to one direction and it will be aligned. Until then, I don't see any reason to do one and don't think it will ride any different.

New tires or wheels don't change your alignment's geometry. Tire shops say when you install new tires you MUST get an alignemnt. Thats just a way for them so sell more services. If there is a shimmy that would be the balancing not the alignment.

Sid Post · #9 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 06:13 AM

If you spend $1200+ for new tires, why wouldn't you want to take advantage of free lifetime alignments? By the time you notice uneven wear on tires, you have already decreased their life significantly. FWIW, you can drive straight down the road and still need an alignment for uneven tire wear.

If you can drive 30K+ miles with no alignment needed, you must not drive much on the poor quality roads we have in Arizona.