Wheel Alignment in Audubon, NJ

A 4-wheel alignment at AutoBlast costs $80 to $160. A front-end (2-wheel) alignment, for vehicles with a solid rear axle, costs $50 to $90. Most take 45 to 90 minutes. We check the steering and suspension parts before adjusting anything, because an alignment set on a worn tie rod or ball joint will not hold. You leave with a printout of the before-and-after measurements. AutoBlast is at 21 S. White Horse Pike in Audubon, a few minutes from Haddon Heights, Collingswood, Bellmawr, and Cherry Hill.

Is It Alignment? A Quick Symptom Check

Several different problems feel alike from the driver's seat. Match what you notice to the likely cause:

• The car drifts to one side on a flat, straight road. Likely alignment. Check tire pressure first, because one soft tire causes the same pull.
• The steering wheel sits crooked while you drive straight. Toe is out of spec. This is the most common result of a pothole or curb hit.
• One edge of a tire is wearing faster, inside or outside. Camber or toe. Tread that feels smooth one way and rough the other (feathering) points to toe.
• The steering wheel shakes at 50 to 70 mph but the car tracks straight. Usually wheel balance or a bent rim, not alignment. See why a car vibrates at high speed.
• A clunk over bumps, or loose, wandering steering. Worn suspension or steering parts. Those are repaired first, then the car is aligned. See suspension and steering repair.

Alignment, Balancing, or Rotation?

These three services get mixed up on invoices and coupons. They fix different problems:

• Alignment sets the angles of the wheels so they point straight and sit flat on the road. It fixes a pull, a crooked steering wheel, and edge wear.
• Balancing adds small weights so each tire and wheel spins evenly. It fixes vibration at highway speed.
• Rotation moves the tires between positions so they wear evenly. It does not correct a pull.

New tires are balanced when they are mounted. The alignment is a separate service, and it is what keeps a new set from wearing unevenly. Balancing, rotation, and tire prices are on our tire service page.

What a Wheel Alignment at AutoBlast Includes

1. A look at the wear on all four tires, which shows which angle is likely off.
2. A check of the tie rod ends, ball joints, control arm bushings, and struts. If a part is worn, you get a written quote before any other work.
3. Computerized measurement of camber, caster, and toe on each wheel against the manufacturer's specifications.
4. Adjustment of the front, and the rear where your vehicle allows it, with the steering wheel centered.
5. A printout of the before-and-after readings for your records.

Camber, caster, and toe in plain English

• Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the tire seen from the front. When it is off, the inside or outside edge wears first.
• Caster is the tilt of the steering axis seen from the side. It keeps the car stable in a straight line and returns the wheel to center after a turn. Uneven caster from side to side causes a pull.
• Toe is whether the fronts of the tires point in or out seen from above. It goes out of spec most often and wears tires fastest.

When to Get an Alignment

• With new tires. Even a small toe error starts wearing a new set from the first mile.
• After steering or suspension parts are replaced. Tie rods, ball joints, control arms, and struts all change the wheel angles. On suspension jobs that affect geometry, AutoBlast includes the alignment in the quote. See tie rod replacement cost and ball joint replacement cost.
• After a hard pothole or curb hit you felt through the steering wheel, or any collision, even a slow one.
• About once a year as a check, even with no symptoms. Small drift adds up to thousands of miles of lost tread.

Why South Jersey Cars Go Out of Alignment

Freeze-thaw potholes on Route 30, Route 130, I-295, and the side streets off the White Horse Pike knock alignment out of spec in a single hit. Winter is when most of them open up, so an alignment check in early spring catches the damage before it eats a set of tires.

Road salt is the second problem. After several New Jersey winters, the cam bolts and tie rod sleeves used to adjust the alignment can rust solid. Freeing them takes extra labor, and a bolt that breaks has to be replaced. That, along with trucks, full-size SUVs, and European cars with more adjustment points, is what puts a job at the top of the price range.

Cars With Lane-Keeping Cameras

Many newer cars use a steering angle sensor and a forward camera for lane-keeping and other driver-assist features. After an alignment, many of them need the steering angle sensor reset, and some manufacturers also call for a camera calibration. Ask about it when you book. If your car needs a reset or calibration, it belongs on the written estimate before any work begins.

Wheel Alignment Near Audubon

Drivers bring cars to us from Audubon, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Collingswood, Oaklyn, Mt. Ephraim, Bellmawr, Barrington, and Cherry Hill. We are on the White Horse Pike at 21 S. White Horse Pike. Call (856) 546-8880 to book an alignment or ask what your vehicle needs.