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[rje]

I recently changed my tires/wheels from winter to summer. I noticed my steering was slightly off to the right when driving straight and at high speeds. I also noticed scuffs on one of my winter wheels (can't remember which one). I got the car fixed with the dealership for an alignment and the steering is back to center now.

There are only 2 things that can throw off my alignment that I can think of. One is the famous and Hard run flat tires, when you hit a pot hole it feels like hitting metal to concrete and my guess is this is the culprit. The other one I'm thinking that caused this is when I changed to my summer tires, I've ocassionally hit the brake disk/wheel hub assembly with the wheels/tires I'm installing or,...I remember having to fight with rear right winter tire just to get it off. I used a rubber headed mallet to shake it out. The rust on the wheel hub was holding the wheels pretty tight. Apparently the alignment was off on the rear right wheel. Coincidence?

What do you guys think?

[Tegs4tugs]

I Belive you need to do an alignment when you replace tires, I remember asking a service advisor if wheel alignment was covered under maintenance and he said no because the only time you would do an alignment is if you hit a hard pothole or replacing the tires.

[hotrod2448]

I'm goign to say what ever caused the scuffs knocked the alignment out.

The slight nudge from hanging a wheel on the hub isn't jack shit compared to the forces the suspension sees just from turning the wheel at a stand still. Changing wheels will not effect your alignment at all. Your caster, camber and toe will all remain what they were.

Now if you go to a way different width and offset you should probably get it aligned.

A lot of people get their alignment checked when they get new tires just to avoid potentially wearing out expensive in case the knocked the alignment out previously.

[AJerman]

Yes and no. There is no reason you need to do an alignment for simply the fact that you took tires off and put them back on, so changing tires doesn't need an alignment. It's also going to be hard to knock the alignment out by hitting the wheel with a rubber mallet. Everything is tightened down more than that.

However, you may need one if you go between completely different kinds of tires (sizes) and maybe one is worn weird or something. Other than that, the simple fact of changing tires 9 times out of 10 won't knock your alignment out. A check is offered when you get new tires just to see if it's gone out in the last however many thousand miles since the last time you checked.

Assuming everything you said, and the dealer told you, your situation is a little odd though. If your steering wheel wasn't straight, and they fixed the rear, then the rear toe had to have been out, which is a lot harder to get out than the front since the rear doesn't turn. If that's the case then you must have really wacked the hell out of that wheel with the mallet, and even then I don't think you could have done it.

Edit: Whoops, I stopped halfway and took a call and apparently hotrod said pretty much the same thing before me.

[scpage]

If the car does not pull to one side, an alignment is not needed. They just need to make a tie rod end adjustment on both sides to center the steering wheel. Typically when doing a full alignment, they will center the steering wheel as well.
One thing I noticed that anytime my car is on a lift, the steering wheel becomes off centered afterwards. I just had both turbos replaced on my car, and now the steering wheel is several degrees to the right when driving straight. The car does not pull at all.

[habanero69]

Originally Posted by scpage

I just had both turbos replaced on my car

Why replaced? i.e. is there a story behind that? You car seems too new...