Alignment Service

Wheel Alignment Service at Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews

If you’ve had your vehicle for a while and you notice your ride is not as smooth as it once was, or if your steering pulls to the side, or if you’ve hit a big pothole, bumped into a curb, or had a fender bender while driving around Andrews, Midland, or Odessa, you may have an alignment issue. However, we can get your car, truck or SUV straightened up with alignment service by Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews. Keep your Ford vehicle riding smoothly with the alignment service at Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews. We’ll take care of any alignment issues for your Ford F-150 or Ford Mustang with our premium service and get you back on the road.

Service Specials

Schedule Service

Why Wheel Alignment is Important

The alignment of the tires or wheels impacts a vehicle’s performance. When you get an alignment, it means the angle of the wheels is changed to ensure they are making the right contact with the road. The wheels aren’t adjusted; only the vehicle’s suspension system needs to be adjusted.
When the wheels are out of alignment, the vehicle will be more difficult to drive. It may vibrate or pull in one direction. You’ll also notice the tires wear down faster, especially on one side. A quick way to check for alignment issues is to pay attention to how your vehicle steers when you’re going straight. If it starts to move off-center, you could have alignment issues. Wheel alignment impacts how your tires touch the road and how well you can handle your vehicle. Alignment is the angle of the wheels as they contact the road. The wheels are not really aligned, the suspension is adjusted to make the wheels contact the road correctly.
If the alignment is off, steering becomes more challenging, the vehicle pulls in one direction, your vehicle may shake and the tread on the tires may wear unevenly and must be replaced more often.

How Do I Know If My Tires Need Alignment?

There are some signs that could indicate whether an alignment is needed, so if you are noticing any of the following:

• Your steering wheel pulls to one side.
• Vehicle shakes or vibrates.
• Steering wheel turns to one side or the other when driving straight.
• Tire tread wears unevenly

If you notice any of these things, you should schedule a wheel alignment with Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews. Our knowledgeable team of technicians will get your alignment fixed and get you out on the road again as quickly as we can.

Checking Alignment

When you take your vehicle to Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews, the service department will test the alignment. They look at three things.
First, the camber is tested. This is how the tire looks from standing in front of the vehicle. If the tires are tilted inward or outward, it indicates that the camber is misaligned. This can be caused by worn ball joints or wheel bearings.
Second, the toe is checked. This alignment tells the position of your tires when seen from above. If they are angled inward or outward, the toe alignment must be fixed.
The third thing to be checked is the caster. This is the angle of the steering axis, which is viewed from the side of the car. Caster is important for stability and steering and helps with cornering.
If you notice that one side of the tire is smooth while the other side is sharp, it indicates that the toe is out of alignment. If you see that the inside or outside of the tread is more worn than what is seen in the center, the camber may need adjusting. Toe alignment issues often happen when the tires aren’t kept inflated correctly or they haven’t been rotated.
When a wheel alignment is done, the technician also may check for tire balance. If the tires are out of balance, they may add weight to get them back in balance.
Proper care for tires, including checking the inflation, can improve their life. Getting the wheels aligned is also critical to the wear of the tires and overall performance of the vehicle.
Contact Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews to have your tires balanced and aligned for optimal performance with your Ford.

Alignment Check at Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews

When you bring your vehicle into Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews, our service team will check your alignment and determine what needs to be done to correct it. They look at the vehicle and wheels from different angles, using special equipment for alignment testing.
The camber is checked to determine if the tires tilt in or out as you stand in front of the vehicle. If a tilt is present, the camber is misaligned, which happens when wheel bearings or ball joints are damaged or worn out. The outside or inside of the tires can wear more in the center with this kind of alignment issue.
The toe is also tested to find out if the wheels are angled outward or inward from above the vehicle. If the tire wears down and is sharp on one side and smooth on the other, this is a sign that the toe may be out of alignment. The tires might be underinflated or not rotated properly.
A caster test checks the angle of the steering axis and is viewed from the side of the vehicle. Caster alignment is important for taking corners and curves because it helps to keep your steering smooth and easy.
One of the most important parts of routine service and maintenance besides an oil change is tire inspection and service. The Blake Fulenwider Ford of Andrews service team will check your tread and air pressure on your tires to make sure they are safe tell you if an alignment is needed.