07/15/2026
Things to do to prepare for your alignment appointment:
Clear the Clutter: Empty the trunk and remove heavy items from the cabin. If the vehicle has a heavy load daily like a slip tank or welding tanks etc, they can stay because that is the normal daily weight/ride height. Technicians set the vehicle to a "neutral load" condition, and extra weight can skew the alignment angles.
Check Tire Pressure: Ensure all tires are inflated to the manufacturer’s specifications. Uneven or incorrect pressure makes accurate measurements difficult. We can adjust the pressures if needed.
Inspect for Suspension Wear: If your car is older or has been driven on rough roads, check for worn-out ball joints, wheel bearings, or tie rods. Alignment shops will typically refuse to perform the service if there is excessive play in the suspension. However, we will do the inspection and quote out the repairs needed to perform the alignment.
Check Your Fuel Level: Some European and specialty vehicles require a specific fuel level (e.g., a full tank) to achieve factory-standard ride height before alignment. This is a very important step despite most people overlooking this aspect. Full Fuel tank helps with the alignment and test drives and we strongly encourage it. In some cases we may have to delay work till you fuel it up or we can do it on your behalf.
Another note to make: A lot of the new vehicles need ADAS Calibrations after alignments for the cameras and/or radars. This is crucial to keep the systems working properly to help avoid accidents. There is a lot of up keep and costs with all the fancy technology. So make sure to take that into consideration when purchasing your next vehicle! And on the flip side, some ADAS calibrations may require alignments before we can perform them.
Moral of the story, please do you best to always bring your vehicle to your mechanic as prepared for anything as possible!! You never know what steps will need to be taken to get it back to good working and safe condition.