Alignment Question

18 years ago

I rubbed the curb today with my driverÂs side front tire while backing into a parking spot.

Not sure the severity, but scuffed the tire, no rim damage.

Is a minor brush with a curb enough to ruin the alignment? It drives normal, but that's not always a guarantee.

This may be a general question, but can the car handle minor bumps and rubs without being whacked out of alignment?

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Comment (1)

john_g
18 years ago
Cars can handle all kinds of abuse without it affecting the alignment.

Here is the easiest way to tell. Find a section of road that you routinely drive on where the car tracks straight without you having to steer it. Memorize the way the steering wheel aligns with the dash.

If anything happens that affects the alignment, the next time you do this you WILL see the steering wheel in a different position in relation to the dash while the car goes straight down the road!

The only way this wont work is something has to happen to both sides of the car, that cause the toe angle to change exactly the same. The number one reason a car needs to be aligned is because the weight of the car, suspended by the springs slowly pulls the strut towers in, and wears on the springs affecting the ride height. This change does normally occur evenly for the most part, and of course takes a couple years to produce even a small change in the alignment of the wheels.

Alignment like many portions of auto repair takes a long time to learn correctly. This is just one tiny portion of what a tech needs to understand about this area of service.
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Alignment Question

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john_g

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