Wheel Alignment

New York potholes knock cars out of alignment, and the first thing most people notice is a steering wheel that sits off-center or a car that drifts when they ease off. The second thing they notice, usually later and more expensively, is a set of tires worn out on one edge.

A1 Collision NY aligns cars at 4525 36 Street, Long Island City 11101, Monday through Sunday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Call (212) 564-7100.

• The car pulls to one side on a flat, straight road
• The steering wheel is off-center when the car is going straight
• Tire wear is heavier on the inside or outside edge than in the middle
• The steering feels vague, or does not self-center after a turn
• You have just hit a serious pothole or curb

Alignment is the cheapest part of the problem. A car that is out of alignment scrubs its tires sideways every mile, and a set can be ruined in a few thousand miles. Fitting new tires without correcting the alignment first wears the new ones the same way, which is why we check alignment whenever we fit tires.

Uneven tire wear is also a New York State inspection failure.

Any impact that moves suspension or steering components affects alignment, and sometimes the damage is structural rather than a simple adjustment. A car repaired cosmetically after a collision but never realigned will not track straight. We check it as part of collision repair rather than treating it as a separate job.

A1 Collision NY & Auto Care, 4525 36 Street, Long Island City 11101. Open Monday through Sunday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Call (212) 564-7100 or get in touch.

Alignment that will not hold is normally a symptom rather than the fault:

• Suspension repair, where worn control arms or bushings let the geometry move
• Frame straightening, where the shell itself has shifted after an impact