Wheel Alignment and Tracking
Wheel alignment, or tracking, is the process of ensuring your vehicle’s wheels are set to the optimum position, as per the car manufacturer’s specifications.
Incorrect alignment can result in rapid irregular tyre wear and can even affect the handling and safety of the vehicle.
Wheel alignment problems can be caused by hitting a kerb, driving into a pothole in the road or by excessive wear to steering or suspension components. It is important to get your wheel alignment checked annually to ensure you get the most out of your tyres.
Checking your wheel alignment on your car or van regularly can prolong the life of your tyres by up to 12,000 miles and increase fuel efficiency due to the reduced rolling resistance with the road – saving you pounds at the pump.
Keep an eye out for unusual wear on your tyres, such as premature wear on the inside or outside shoulder, which could be a sign of incorrect alignment. Kwik Fit offers a free wheel alignment check at all of our UK centres so stop in if you need any help.
Hunter Four-Wheel Alignment
At Kwik Fit, we are installing Hunter Hawkeye wheel alignment technology in a growing number of our centres – over 500 to date. The Hunter Hawkeye four-wheel aligner is renowned for its accuracy and uses a series of high-definition imaging sensors which measure 14 primary alignment angles on your vehicle. These include Camber, Caster, Thrust Line, Toe in and Toe out. The position and orientation of your car wheels are compared against the vehicle manufacturers data for your vehicle, ensuring the vehicle is set up perfectly for you to drive.
Regular wheel alignment can reduce uneven tyre wear, improve vehicle handling and steering and save you money by lowering fuel consumption.
The price of our four-wheel alignment includes the Hunter Hawkeye four-wheel alignment inspection and the front toe adjustment only. Additional charges will apply if further adjustments are required including any rear wheel adjustments. You will be advised at the time of inspection prior to any work being carried out. Should we find that no adjustment is necessary, we will happily refund you.
Hunter Hawkeye four-wheel alignment can be booked online at participating centres when you buy one or more new tyres.
Please note: Hunter Hawkeye is subject to availability. At some centres we may use alternative laser alignment technology such as Supertracker to provide an equivalent four wheel alignment service.
Alignment Terminology
Wheel alignment involves checking the direction and angle of the wheels. The misalignment positions are often described as toe in, toe out, positive camber or negative camber.
Toe In
Toe Out
"Toe" refers to whether the front of the tyres are closer or further apart than the rear of the tyres. Different types of vehicles need different toe settings to allow for the way that wheels pull either towards each other or apart. Incorrect toe alignment can result in in your car or van steering to one side.
Negative Camber
Positive Camber
"Camber" is the inward or outward tilt of a tyre. The camber is set by the vehicle manufacturer, and can be affected by potholes in the road and may need to be adjusted periodically.
