How much does it cost to realign wheels

Jun 24, 2019

How much does it cost to realign wheels

Wheel alignment is a relatively quick job that shouldn’t be overly pricey. At MyCarNeedsA.com, we’ve been doing a bit of research and found that the average cost for wheel alignment in 2019 across the UK is £30-£50.

Prices can vary from garage to garage depending on the make and model of your car.

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Your car is easier to drive when all four wheels are kept in perfectly straight alignment. Tyres and many other components can suffer increased wear and tear if your wheel alignment slips.

There are many causes for wheels becoming unaligned such as driving over bumpy roads or several types of speed bumps and ramps. These can cause wheels to point slightly inwards or outwards. While this doesn’t sound like a major issue, it can actually cause a number of problems with your car.

  • Premature wear of the outer or inner edges of the tread on one or more tyres. If this wear becomes pronounced, it could make a tyre unlawful to drive on.
  • Difficulties with steering. While a minor misalignment of a wheel might not be noticeable in normal driving but the problem can make itself more apparent at higher speeds. When the wheels are rotating much faster, the wrongly aligned wheel will give a more bumpy ride.

If you strike a pothole or kerb at high speed and without warning, you might not think anything of it at first. But problems can arise many miles down the road - literally - as either of the two symptoms above become noticeable.

You should try to get your wheels checked regularly, with many expert mechanics suggesting this should be done at least once a year. In any case, it’s normally undertaken as a routine part of every interim service - but if you haven’t had your car serviced for some time, and have missed a due date or mileage landmark, then wheel alignment as a stand-alone task could bring some benefits.

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How Will I Know When My Car Needs Wheel Alignment?

Over time, as you clock up miles, your car will travel over a wide range of road surfaces, vastly differing in their quality.

Incorrectly aligned wheels and tyres will mean that your car creates more ‘drag’ as it travels along the road. That extra resistance against the road will also show itself in the way your car handles.

When a car’s wheels are out of alignment, the driver might also notice that their steering wheel is not straight, yet their wheels are going in a straight line. Conversely, you might also have to drive with the wheel slightly off-centre to ensure that your car is travelling straight ahead.

And ultimately, you will pay for this by way of reduced fuel economy, so it’s one of the easiest - and in itself, cost-effective - ways to boost the number of miles you get to every gallon.

Compared to the cost of a pair of new tyres, getting your front wheels aligned is relatively cheap, especially as, if it’s a straightforward job, it can be done with the wheels still on the car.

Tips to help keep wheel correctly aligned

  • Keep your boot tidy and free from clutter to reduce extra weight in the car.
  • Maintain correct air pressure in your tyres.
  • Embrace conservative driving.
  • Make sure that you know the correct pressure settings for the tyres on your car, check them regularly and adjust as necessary.

The best way to know the price you can expect to pay is to get an exact estimate for the specific issue your car has. Whatever the problem may be, you can get free quotes from local garages with MyCarNeedsA.com!

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Don’t put up with a rough ride from your car - get wheel alignment quotes easily with MyCarNeedsA.com. Then choose the quote which is right for you, based on the garage’s location, price, or feedback provided by other MyCarNeedsA.com customers.

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