Alignment before or after new tires?

[Dolemite]

Unless your car has suspension components that are extremely worn, it never made sense to me why one should get an alignment only after installing new tires. Couldn't it be done before? I can't imagine the bushings etc. being influenced that much by the shape of a tire.

I don't know if it's a good basis for comparison, but you often see racecars getting a string alignment with the car on hub stands.

 

[Perscitus]

It probably doesnt matter either which way.... unless the existing tires are badly unevenly worn, developed square tire syndrome with flat spots and are not inflated to an all-around same pressure.

Otherwise, with the limited scope of things that can be adjusted on a stock suspension Model 3... new or old tires, small or big wheels will not make a difference.

A COD perfectionist calibrator using good tools (or at least ones he's good with) will!

 

[GLM3]

I used to work in a tire shop and the alignment guy always wanted to do the alignment before we installed new tires so he could see the wear patterns. I don't remember the reasons why, but he always was a little peeved at us if we installed the tires first. He was also considered the best suspension and alignment guy in the area and knew his trade well, so I didn't doubt his thinking on the subject.

GLM

 

[Dolemite]

I used to work in a tire shop and the alignment guy always wanted to do the alignment before we installed new tires so he could see the wear patterns. I don't remember the reasons why, but he always was a little peeved at us if we installed the tires first. He was also considered the best suspension and alignment guy in the area and knew his trade well, so I didn't doubt his thinking on the subject.

GLM

Interesting - wish I could find someone like that, locally. I've yet to find someone I'd refer anyone to. You can tell a lot about what shape the suspension is in by looking at tire wear.

 

[Sophias_dad]

The alignment equipment is aligning the rims, not the tires. There's probably some tiny variation if you have really strange wear, but I bet its negligible.

 

[holmgang]

The alignment equipment is aligning the rims, not the tires. There's probably some tiny variation if you have really strange wear, but I bet its negligible.

Yup. All the alignment measurement devices clamp onto the wheel surface. So for sake of having proper hardware alignment that would be fine, even if the tires were in terrible shape and result in tracking or other undesirable behavior

 

[Olavxxx]

If your old tires werent worn out uneven, excption beeing wrong tire pressure, I wouldnt bother.
But if you have changed suspension components, I would do it. But it doesent matter if you do it on old vs new tires really, only thing is that if your alignment is way off, it can cost some life of new tires.

 

[GLM3]

I believe the alignment guy wanted to see how the tires were wearing to give him an idea where he should be looking for suspension problems.

 

[Occhis]

If you had abnormal wear, say the insides were worn to the wear bars but center and outsides were not, then that would affect how the tire sits on the road and would cause the rims to camber in at the top. When new tires are installed the rim now will be more plumb on a vertical plane because the tread is flat to the road.

 

[kbecks13]

The shop i go to for mounting/balancing tires always tries to offer an alignment and it doesn't really make sense IMO unless you just want to avoid additional trips/want to bundle the two things together to save time.

I think it's a bit of upselling as well since many people probably don't know better and may think its mandatory.

 

[linux-works]

I believe the alignment guy wanted to see how the tires were wearing to give him an idea where he should be looking for suspension problems.

I think this is the correct answer

just needs to SEE it, before they unmount and dispose of the 'good info'.

 

[Dolemite]

The shop i go to for mounting/balancing tires always tries to offer an alignment and it doesn't really make sense IMO unless you just want to avoid additional trips/want to bundle the two things together to save time.

I think it's a bit of upselling as well since many people probably don't know better and may think its mandatory.

I think some of these "mechanics" might genuinely believe what they're selling. I got into a debate with one a few years back - he was convinced that you MUST align after new tires.

 

[Mash]

I think some of these "mechanics" might genuinely believe what they're selling. I got into a debate with one a few years back - he was convinced that you MUST align after new tires.

I think he is right since old tires might have uneven wear. But you want to see old tires with old alignment to understand whether that toe or camber was no bueno. But since nobody wants to pay 2 times in a row - there are debates like that.

 

[Dolemite]

I think he is right since old tires might have uneven wear. But you want to see old tires with old alignment to understand whether that toe or camber was no bueno. But since nobody wants to pay 2 times in a row - there are debates like that.

You’re giving these guys WAY too much credit. His reasoning was that “the car sits on the tire.” Implying exactly what we’ve discounted here as poor reasoning. Aside from my local SC (thankfully), I really haven’t met many of these unicorns you all are talking about who actually care. Anywhere else, I feel lucky to get my car back in the same shape I dropped it off.