How often should I get my truck aligned?

[Threxx]

I've got a 2000 Silverado 1500 2WD standard cab short bed

85% of my miles are highway.

 

I know most of what causes an alignment is not milage but the quality and terrain of roads traveled on.

 

So what I guess I'm really wondering is... what is a good way to tell that it's about time to get an alignment?

 

I mean, all cars will pull a tiny bit in one direction or another- even when they are brand new 0 miles, straight off the lot.  But at what point does it warrant the cost of an alignment?

 

Is there a rule of thumb, like if you can't take your hands off the wheel on a level road at 40MPH for more than 3 seconds.. you need an alignment?  Anything like that? ???

Thanks.

[Tucson_02Silverado]

Well, you posed a good question where most of the old "rules" don't apply any more.  I wouldn't take the following as steadfast rules, just my current opinion on how I would.

 

Front bearing repack approx every 12K miles.....sealed bearings they don't get repacked, just replaced average at 100K miles

 

Drive with hands off the wheel of a determined time....most all paved roads are crowned with new car alignment bias for the right lane.  Too many inconsistencies in road surfaces from one section to the next.

 

So what left of when to do...

Suspension work front and/or rear, including shock replacement.

Tires abnormal wear

If drifting is a LOT more noticable, probably would match abnormal tire wear and a slight decrease in MPG on the highway.

[MarkD]

Oh... once every couple of weeks

 

Seriously, Sears will give you a 6-month guarantee on an alignment and check it for free :thumb: .  I usually check back before the 6 months runs out for a free line-em-up.

[Black02Silverado]

I look at it this way, as long as the tires seem to be wearing well then all is cool. I keep my tires rotated every 6k and I got 70k out of my set of BFG All Terrains. In that time I had the front end aligned twice. Perventive maintenance is well worth it.

Had an 88 Beretta and never had it aligned, (lucky I guess) and it had 88k on it when I got rid of it and the factory tires lasted me 50k.  

 

Like real estate where it is location location location  

 

IMO, I feel  rotation rotation rotation. :thumb:

[jimbo_152]

Usually everytime I get new tires or I notice them wearing funny.

[CapnDean]

Ditto To Black02:

 

Align only when your wear pattern looks strange, you pull pretty good one way or the other or you obviously knock it out of alignment.  OTHERWISE?  Rotation...robably the most overlooked maintenance item.  Proper rotation and you can milk all the miles out of your tires!

[99silveradoz71]

Rotation is key as noted above.  The tire shop here says get an alignment every 12k or 1/year.  Fortuantely they have a package, which I got.  Obviously if you're pulling 9 ways to Sunday, get it checked.  I wish our city would do so for our cruisers, but I guess they'd rather replace tires every other month.

[SilveradoWV]

Every once in a while i'll get an alignment when I get new tires (sometimes you can get a deal for an all in one package, tires, mounting, balancing, and an alignment) but if I see no unusual wear I dont get an alignment. IMO I think you would need one everytime you take it to get an alignment but rotation makes up for it.