Missoula MT Ford Services Specialists

One of the more overlooked services for vehicles driving around the Missoula area is wheel alignment. Known also as a front-end alignment, this service is an important adjustment that serves to insure your Ford tracks straight & true while cruising around on the roads of Missoula. An improper alignment on your Ford can result in tires wearing out prematurely, the failure of your Ford's suspension, unsafe vehicle operation, steering wheel with excessive play, and more.

It is a combination of steering, braking, acceleration, and power that assists in the ability to drive your Ford properly. Your Ford needs proper alignment specifications and suspension components that are well-maintained. Additionally, the shocks, springs, tires, and steering in a Ford need to be working correctly with one another for dependable operation.

Expressed in the simplest of terms, when a Ford is not aligned properly, the wheels are pointing in different locations, resulting in tires that wear quicker and unevenly. This impact on the tires may result in your Ford pulling to the right or left as you drive around the Missoula area. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be easily corrected by the alignment specialists at Transolution Auto Care Center in Missoula.

It should be noted and important to remember that a wheel alignment on a Ford will not last for the entire life of the vehicle. Even Ford models that are brand new can have an unfortunate encounter of hitting a curb or large pothole. Such impacts as these can result in the alignment of your Ford needing correction immediately. But in most situations, the alignment of a vehicle's wheels happens gradually over a period of time, visible by the wear of various components.

The Alignment Process

It once was the situation that body-on-frame vehicles, as well as those having rear suspensions that were non-independent, only required a front-end alignment to keep a vehicle on a true straight path when driving around the Missoula area. But today many if not most of today's modern-day vehicles have multi-linking independent rear suspensions and unibody designs, Transolution Auto Care Center recommends having an alignment service done on all a vehicle's four wheels to ensure they are functioning together properly and tracking in the same path.

Depending upon the available adjustments for your Ford, an alignment is a service done at our repair shop in Missoula that includes camber adjustment, an inward or outward tilt of tires when viewed head-on; caster, a front or rear tilt upon viewing from the vehicle's side, and toe, the view of how tires are pointed when looking down from above. When tires are pointed inward it is known as a toe-in, while when tires are pointed away from one another is referenced as a toe-out.

Signs that a Ford needs an alignment

In determining if your Ford is in need of an alignment, look for a tendency for drifting to the right or left, particularly when applying the brakes. Or when driving around the Missoula area, an excess of steering is required to stay within the lane. Also, it is not uncommon to experience some shaking or shimmy from the steering wheel. All of these are indications your Ford may be in need of an alignment.

Impact on Tires

When a Ford is out of alignment it can often result in excessive wear on tires. This wear results when a wheel incurs a set in a direction other than intended, and a consistent scuff works against the normal wear of a tire's tread. This can be noticeable when inspecting the tire(s) and noticing the tread disappearing in an uneven pattern across the tire's surface. This situation can result in a loss of tire traction, particularly in road conditions that are wet. When ignored, tire wear that is uneven can result in a blowout or early tire failure.

How frequently should a Ford have an alignment?

Transolution Auto Care Center tells our clients in Missoula that their Ford should be checked for an alignment every six months, or 6,000 miles (whichever happens first). Irrespective, it is not advisable to let a Ford exceed 10,000 miles without an alignment being inspected.

Our shop tells clients that it is always advisable to have the tires checked twice a year for alignment, or whenever tires are rotated. It goes without saying that when driving down the highway and your Ford tracks straight, an alignment is not likely necessary. But when your Ford has a tendency to pull to the right or left, it is a clear indication an inspection is necessary.