Tracking & wheel alignment
Smooth handling, longer tyre life
Misaligned wheels wear tyres unevenly and quickly, and can make the car pull to one side or feel vague. Tracking sets them back to the manufacturer’s specification.
We measure and adjust the wheel angles so everything runs true — for smoother handling, better fuel economy and tyres that last.
Noticed uneven wear, hit a pothole or had new tyres fitted? It’s worth a check.
- Alignment checkMeasured against the manufacturer’s spec.
- AdjustmentSet to the manufacturer’s specification.
- After a potholeOr when the steering pulls.
- With new tyresTo protect them from day one.
What alignment actually means
Wheels are not set perfectly straight — the manufacturer specifies small deliberate angles so the car steers and rides properly. Toe is whether the wheels point slightly in or out; camber is how far the top of the wheel leans in or out; caster affects how the steering self-centres. "Tracking" usually means setting the toe. Knock any of them out of specification and the tyre is dragged across the road rather than rolling along it.
When to have it checked
- After a solid pothole, kerb strike or any bump that made you wince
- When you fit new tyres, so they start straight and stay that way
- If the steering wheel is off-centre on a straight road
- If the car pulls to one side, or feels vague and wanders
- If the tyres are wearing more on one edge than the other
- After suspension or steering work
Why it is worth doing
Misalignment is the most common cause of tyres wearing out early, and it can scrub a set out in a fraction of their life. It also costs fuel, because the car is fighting itself, and it takes the edge off the steering and stability. Setting it back to specification is one of the cheapest things you can do for a car.
Tracking & wheel alignment: common questions
What is the difference between tracking and wheel alignment?
Tracking normally refers to setting the front toe. Full alignment covers the other angles as well, and all four wheels. We will tell you which yours needs.
How often should I have it checked?
There is no fixed interval — check it when you fit new tyres, after a hard pothole or kerb, or whenever the steering or the tyre wear tells you something has changed.
Is it the same as wheel balancing?
No. Balancing corrects vibration from weight distribution around the wheel. Alignment sets the angles the wheels sit at. A car can need one, the other or both.
My steering wheel is off-centre. Is that alignment?
Very often, yes, and it is worth checking rather than living with — it usually means the toe is out, which is quietly wearing the tyres at the same time.
Ready when you are