These steps are included in a wheel alignment / tyre tracking:
Among other things, the mechanic looks at the geometry of the tyres, ie. whether the angles are aligned and symmetrical. If you ask what exactly it is that the mechanic measures in a wheel track, the answer is:
1) The inclination of the wheels inwards or outwards in relation to the vertical plane, ie. whether they are perpendicular to the ground (Camber angle).
2) The inclination of the spring leg forwards or backwards in relation to the vertical plane (Caster angle).
3) The angle between the rear wheels' running line and the center line of the axles (the running angle).
4) The angle formed by the wheels pointing towards or away from each other (Toe-in / Toe-out).
If the mechanic assesses that the tyre’s defects cannot be corrected, he will call and inform you - and then you will have to decide, based on the mechanic's assessment, what to do in that case.
There are several reasons why the tyres on your car should be set correctly. If the wheels are not adjusted correctly, it will quickly wear the car's tyres unevenly. If, for any reason, the tyres have skewed angles or the car's tyre tracking is out of balance, the following happens:
So there are a lot of reasons to keep an eye out for correct wheel alignment - tyre tracking - of your tyres.
Remember that car wheel alignment / tyre tracking is not quite the same as wheel balancing. Here you are more interested in the distribution of weight between the tyres, so that their performance while driving is evenly distributed. If this is the type of task you need, be sure to include it in the job description for our garages when you ask for quotes.
How much does wheel alignment cost? There is a lot of money to be saved if you obtain quotes from several garages when you need to get a 4 wheel alignment.
Depending on the type of vehicle, the wheel alignment price lies between £25-50. However, some garages may include it within the price of a car service, so it pays to shop around to compare quotes. You can hunt for the cheapest 4 wheel alignment prices in your area by using autobutler.co.uk.
According to data from bookmygarage.com, the average cost of wheel alignment in the UK is £34. The most expensive area to get a wheel alignment is south London, where the average amount charged is £46, with the south-east not far behind at £44. The least expensive area is Wales at £25, followed by the north-east at £27.
At autobutler.co.uk, you can obtain quotes from our garages close to you and compare hourly rates, other users' ratings, distance and other relevant information.
So when you need to get a tyre tracking on your car, you should get wheel alignment offers on the job to get an overview on the wheel alignment cost - it can save you a lot of money in both the short and long run.
Read more about wheel alignment in our blogposts:
You should consider taking your car to a mechanic when you notice that the car is dragging to one side, that it is wobbling, or when the steering wheel is not pulling back into place after a turn.
The steering of the car is most often affected when you drive over a high curb or into a deep hole. However, this also happens over extended periods of time, especially if you normally drive on rough roads.
If you think you're a do-it-yourself type when it comes to car wheel alignment, it's pretty challenging to take on the task yourself. You'll need advanced technology that can measure multiple angles at once. Among other things, sensors must be mounted on all four wheels, which all are connected to a computer that can calculate the geometry of the tyres. That’s a laser wheel alignment. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you ask a mechanic to take care of the task.
If you are more interested in how it works, read our blog post on the assignment:
See above if you have any doubts about the 4 wheel alignment cost.
| Make | Compare and save* | You save on average* | Ratings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi | £82 | 28% |
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| BMW | £59 | 22% |
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Citroën | £86 | 28% |
5.0
(3)
3
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Ford | £65 | 27% |
5.0
(4)
4
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Mercedes-Benz | £64 | 25% |
4.7
(3)
2
1
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Nissan | £74 | 25% |
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Peugeot | £77 | 29% |
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Renault | £79 | 28% |
5.0
(2)
2
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Vauxhall | £54 | 26% |
4.8
(5)
4
1
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
|
| Volkswagen | £49 | 26% |
(0)
|
|
| Make | Save on average* | |||
|
Audi
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£82 / 28% | |||
|
BMW
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£59 / 22% | |||
|
Citroën
5.0
(3)
3
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£86 / 28% | |||
|
Ford
5.0
(4)
4
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£65 / 27% | |||
|
Mercedes-Benz
4.7
(3)
2
1
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£64 / 25% | |||
|
Nissan
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£74 / 25% | |||
|
Peugeot
5.0
(1)
1
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£77 / 29% | |||
|
Renault
5.0
(2)
2
0
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£79 / 28% | |||
|
Vauxhall
4.8
(5)
4
1
0
0
0
Read the reviews
|
£54 / 26% | |||
|
Volkswagen
(0)
|
£49 / 26% |
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