Category: Alignment

When doing an alignment inspection, the tech will check your tires for uneven wear as well as suspension and steering parts for signs of wear or damage. He’ll also compare your current alignment with the auto maker’s settings.

Your vehicle owner’s manual will have a recommendation for when to check alignment. Of course, this recommendation is based on normal driving. If you have been in collision, hit a curb/pothole, frequently drive off-road around Glendora, or notice any symptoms of misalignment, have your Certified Auto Specialists service professional carry out a critical alignment check.

Give us a call

Certified Auto Specialists
626-963-0814
476 Vermont Avenue
Glendora, California 91741

When properly aligned, all of your wheels are pointed in the same direction. Your vehicle will track true and handle the way it is designed. Glendora auto owners often associate our wheels being “knocked” out of alignment with an event like a major collision, hitting a pothole, curb or some other object. While these can certainly take your wheels out of alignment, the bumps and bounces of everyday driving take their toll on wheel alignment as well. Your automobile can lose alignment over time with just normal driving.

When your wheels are out of alignment, the team of automotive professionals at Certified Auto Specialists in Glendora can return your wheels to the factory settings. Most owners’ manuals suggest an inspection every year or two.

Give us a call

Certified Auto Specialists
626-963-0814
476 Vermont Avenue
Glendora, California 91741

When properly aligned, all of your wheels are pointed in the same direction. Your vehicle will track true and handle the way it is designed. Los Angeles auto owners often associate our wheels being “knocked” out of alignment with an event like an accident, hitting a pothole, curb or some other object.

While these can certainly take your wheels out of alignment, the bumps and bounces of everyday Glendora driving take their toll on wheel alignment as well.

Additionally, your auto  can lose alignment over time with just normal driving. When your wheels are out of alignment, Certified Auto Specialists in Glendora can return your wheels to the auto maker factory settings. Most owners’ manuals suggest an alignment check every year or two. 

Give us a call

Certified Auto Specialists
626-963-0814
476 Vermont Avenue
Glendora, California 91741

Hello Glendora auto owners! Let’s talk about alignment. One of the most important parts of preventive maintenance for your vehicle is keeping the wheels in alignment. Poor alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly, which can significantly reduce their lifespan. This means you will have to replace them more often, which can be costly in Glendora.

It can even damage your suspension system, which is an expensive repair. But even more importantly, uneven tread wear can lead to blowouts on the road, a dangerous and potentially deadly safety risk for Glendora motorists and their passengers.

It may not take an accident or bad driving habits to “knock” your tires out of alignment. Tires can go out of alignment with just everyday California driving. Glendora road hazards, pot holes, uneven or gravel roads, even the bumps and bounces of normal Los Angeles highways and surface streets can gradually put your sedan tires out of alignment.

So it’s good auto advice to have your sedan’s alignment inspected periodically. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual will have recommendations on how often you should get an alignment check: usually every year or two. But if you think your sedan tires might be out of alignment, you should take your sedan into Certified Auto Specialists now.

When you take your sedan in for an alignment in Glendora, your reliable Certified Auto Specialists service advisor will start by inspecting the steering and suspension systems. If something is broken or damaged there, it will need to be corrected in order to get good alignment of the wheels.

If all looks good in the steering and suspension departments, the sedan will then be put on an alignment rack where an initial alignment reading is taken. The wheels can then be aligned to the auto maker’s specifications. The ideal alignment for any vehicle is set by its engineers and may vary from vehicle to vehicle.

There are three types of critical adjustments that may have to be made to correctly align a vehicle’s tires. The first is called “toe.” This refers to tires that are out of alignment because they point inward or outward at the front of the tire. Think of a person who is pigeon-toed or splay-footed, and you get the idea.

The second adjustment is the camber. This adjustment affects the angle at which the tires meet the road. Think of a solid building in contrast to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The last adjustment is the castor. This adjustment measures the angle of the tire in relation to the front axles. So, a piece of auto advice that just might be good for life as well: keep everything in alignment, and you’ll be able to steer where you want to go in Los Angeles. Drive safely.

Most Los Angeles folks worry about running out of gas or having a breakdown on the side of the road. That is why we practice preventive maintenance on our vehicles — that and to keep our repair bills down. But one important part of preventive maintenance that may get overlooked by Glendora drivers is a periodic alignment inspection.

Poor alignment causes tires to wear rapidly, unevenly or both. This means they will have to be replaced early, and new tires are more costly than an alignment check in Glendora. Bad alignment can also cause damage to suspension and steering systems, which can be expensive to repair in Los Angeles.

Tire wear on misaligned wheels can also lead to blowouts, which are dangerous, can lead to serious accidents, and can seriously damage your sedan. Also, poor alignment itself can be the cause of an accident, since the sedan may not steer properly.

One or more wheels on your sedan can be knocked out of alignment by running over a curb or a pothole on a bumpy Glendora street. An accident, even a minor one, that involves a wheel on your car can lead to misalignment. The small bumps and bangs of everyday San Dimas driving can also gradually put your wheels out of alignment.

If you have had wheel damage to your sedan, or if you suspect that your wheels are out of alignment, you should get your alignment checked NOW. Any Certified Auto Specialists service professional will give you that piece of auto advice. But good car care suggests that you also get your alignment inspected on a regular basis. At Certified Auto Specialists in Glendora, we can take care of that for you.

Your owner’s manual or Certified Auto Specialists service specialist can give you a suggestion on how often your alignment should be checked. If it doesn’t, then once a year is a good rule of thumb. However, if you drive a lot and especially if you drive on rough surfaces a lot, then you may want to consider an automotive analysis more often. Ask your reliable service professional for a recommendation.

If your sedan is out of alignment, one or more of the wheels is not tracking correctly and will “pull” against the others. Thus, one sign of poor alignment is that your sedan pulls to one side when you drive around Los Angeles. Also, if you are driving a straight path and your steering wheel is off-center, that usually indicates an alignment problem.

Glendora motorists should also check the wear on their tires. If they seem to be wearing out too quickly, or if you notice that a tire is wearing on one side more than the other, you should get your alignment checked.

When you get an automotive analysis, your vehicle will be put on a rack and all the parts of the steering and suspension systems will be inspected for wear or damage. The alignment of the tires will be charted and compared to the original factory settings. If no repairs are needed on the steering or suspension systems, the wheels will then be adjusted to bring them back into alignment.

This may seem like a lot of bother for Covina drivers, but it’s a lot less trouble than a blowout or an accident. The old adage is good auto advice for all Glendora residents: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

So keep on driving, and keep all four tires on the road.

When all of your vehicle’s wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Hitting a road hazard or even just the normal bumps and bounces of everyday driving in Glendora can cause your sedan’s wheels to be out of alignment.

Driving for an extended time in Glendora when your wheels are out of alignment results in uneven tire wear. This is dangerous … and expensive. Worst case scenario, you have a blowout on a crowded California freeway. It can also cause premature wear to your suspension system, which can be really expensive to repair. At the very least, you may have to replace your tires years too early.

Here are some alignment basics from Certified Auto Specialists:

The first adjustment is called toe or do the wheels point in towards each other or away from each other at the front of the tire.
The next adjustment is called camber or do the wheels tip in or out at the top.
And finally, there is castor. Castor measures the angle where the front axles attach to the vehicle.

The ideal alignment for your sedan was designed by its engineers. Alignment service at Certified Auto Specialists starts with an inspection of the steering and suspension – to see if anything’s bent or broken. Then your reliable Certified Auto Specialists technician will look at tire condition.

From there, the sedan is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. The wheels are then aligned to sedan manufacturers’s specifications.

Your sedan owner’s manual probably has a recommendation for how often your alignment should be checked – usually every couple of years. If you suspect an alignment problem, get it checked at Certified Auto Specialists before you suffer expensive tire or suspension damage.

Many Glendora drivers have been hearing about technological advances in power steering, specifically, electric power steering. Some very high-end cars have been featuring electric power steering for a few years now. An electric motor directly provides the power assist to make steering easier. Undoubtedly we’ll see much more of this in Glendora as full electric cars and electric hybrids become more common.

The vast majority of cars and trucks serviced at Certified Auto Specialists in Glendora use a hydraulic power boost system. With hydraulics, fluid is pressurized by a pump which actuates a hydraulic cylinder to reduce steering effort. Some of these pumps are powered by an electric motor. Most pumps are powered by the serpentine belt driven by the engine.

Power steering fluid has the necessary hydraulic properties and the ability to lubricate the internal parts. The power steering fluid also protects sedan components from rust and corrosion.

Glendora car owners should be aware that manufacturers recommend that the fluid be replaced on schedule. At Certified Auto Specialists, the old fluid is drained and the system cleaned thoroughly. Fresh fluid is then installed.

Unfortunately, many Glendora drivers don’t realize how critical it is to service their power steering, and some may not even know that it’s necessary in the first place. A neglected power steering system can develop leaks that will shorten the life of the pump.

Glendora drivers should be aware of warnings that indicate possible power steering problems: the need to constantly add power steering fluid, a loud whining from the pump, erratic power assist or high steering effort. If you’re experiencing any of these problems, have your power steering checked out at Certified Auto Specialists in Glendora.

In addition to the pump and hydraulic system, there are mechanical parts in the steering system. The rods, arms, joints and knuckles that actually turn the wheels can become worn or damaged. A standard alignment service at Glendora includes an inspection of steering components.

If you notice any play in the steering wheel, that the steering wheel is off center, or a noise coming from your front wheels, especially when turning, have your Certified Auto Specialists advisor do an inspection so the problem can be corrected. Waiting too long could cause uneven tire wear and may even lead to steering failure. Call Certified Auto Specialists today at 626-963-0814.