Wheel Alignment

A vehicle’s wheel alignment is an often overlooked yet critical aspect of automobile maintenance. This service is not necessarily a part of scheduled maintenance, but at certain points in a vehicle’s life, it is important to have done and have done correctly. To make sure a wheel alignment is properly performed, get your wheel alignment done at Thomas Nissan. Here we have the proper equipment and trained technicians to complete wheel alignments correctly and quickly and have you once again safely on your way. A wheel alignment keeps your vehicles tracking straight ahead and also keeps tire wear and bad handling at bay.

In addition to wheel alignments, we have a full-service body shop and many other automotive repair and maintenance resources here at Thomas Nissan. Whatever you need to get your vehicle moving or to keep your vehicle comfortably running, we have the tools and expertise to make it happen. Here at Thomas Nissan, we can handle any type of vehicle. Don't wait to get your wheel alignment done. Visit our service center today and keep your vehicle driving straiter for longer.

A wheel is shown from the front on a vehicle getting a wheel alignment.

What Is a Wheel Alignment?

Put simply; a wheel alignment makes sure your vehicle’s wheels are pointed straight when the steering wheel is straight. If any of a vehicle’s wheels are not aligned, it can cause a host of problems, from premature tire wear to a much higher chance a driver could lose control of their vehicle. A car or truck’s alignment can be adjusted in three different axes, or directions of motion. A good alignment will put the vehicle’s suspension settings back into factory specification or into a setup that prioritizes a certain kind of handling at an owner’s request.

The three axes which are part of a vehicle’s wheel alignment are Camber, which is how a wheel leans side to side; Toe, which is how a wheel is pointed left or right; and Caster, which is how close or far from upright the wheel’s steering pivot point is. While Caster is normally not adjustable, Camber and Toe by themselves can completely transform how a vehicle handles. Generally speaking, the vast majority of vehicles on the road will have virtually zero or slightly negative camber. Negative camber means the top of the tire is leaned in towards the body of the car, while zero camber would mean the tire is completely upright.

A mechanic is setting up for a wheel alignment.

Performance-oriented cars will often run a few degrees of negative camber so that when under hard cornering forces, the tire will “lean over” onto its full contact patch. That said, most vehicles use virtually zero camber, as it provides both the largest amount of tire-to-road contact when not turning hard and provides the most even tire wear. Some style-minded enthusiasts set their cars with camber so excessive it is clearly visible, but this is not recommended for both performance and safety reasons.

Toe is at least as important as camber to the safe handling of a vehicle. A car with zero toe has all wheels pointed exactly straight ahead when the steering wheel is also straight and not turned. In effect, adding toe to a vehicle’s alignment setup is like making the rest position of the toed wheels look as if they were being steered.

Toe-out is when the front or rear wheels point away from each other, or when the forward-facing parts of said wheels are further away from each other than the parts of the wheels closer to the car’s rear. Toe-in is the opposite, with the wheels pointing towards each other. Factory settings and, in some cases, aftermarket settings tune in an exact amount of toe-in or toe-out in the vehicle’s front or rear. These settings are made to make the car either more stable in a straight line or more eager to turn.

In certain cases, a car with too much toe-in could be much harder to turn, while one with too much toe-out, especially in the rear, would be liable to spin out of control. Toe problems can also happen asymmetrically. One can imagine how dangerous it could be if a vehicle’s toe settings were messed up somehow, so it is critical to have this axis of movement aligned properly, just like camber.

How Do You Know You Need an Alignment?

In most cases, uneven tire wear is a good indicator of an alignment problem. If one or more tires on your vehicle is visibly more worn on one side than the other, chances are your car’s camber alignment needs to be done. In some cases, a car will not track straight and will pull to the right or left. This is most likely a problem with the car’s toe-in or toe-out alignment specification and should be corrected as soon as possible.

There are several ways a car’s alignment can be fouled. Hard impacts such as potholes or airtime can cause suspension components to be knocked out of alignment. Anytime new suspension components are installed or replaced, that will automatically put the alignment off to some degree as well. More simply put, any time your vehicle has uneven tire wear, does not track straight when the steering wheel is straight, or when suspension components are replaced, an alignment should be performed. It is often a good idea to have an alignment done when you get new tires put on as well.

The eqiupment for a wheel alignment is shown on a vehicle.

Other Services We Offer

Thomas Nissan provides excellent alignments for a competitive price, but beyond that, we have a vast host of other capabilities and services for our customers. To start with, we operate a full body shop that can fix bodywork issues large and small. This includes full collision repair, even when the damage is severe. On the other end of the spectrum, our shop also offers paintless dent repair. This is an incredibly low-cost procedure that can quickly remove small dings and dents and make rough-appearing vehicles look like new once more.

We also offer window tinting, making your vehicle both more private and easier to climate control. Certain types of window tinting can also increase the longevity of a car’s interior components by blocking harmful UV radiation. Another cosmetic change we can do for you is add racing stripes and body accents to spice up your vehicle's look.

Our wheel repair process can repair the dings and scratches caused by everyday wear and tear on your wheels. We can also repair wheels that have taken much more significant impacts, including bent wheels. Plus, our shop can repair or replace your car’s bumpers, eliminating years of wear and tear, restoring headlines, bringing them back to a clear shine. Simply put, we are the one-stop shop for all your automotive body repair and aesthetic needs.

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1427 North Larkin Ave, Joliet, IL, 60435
Thomas Nissan 41.5495444, -88.1258532.