Hunter Computerized state of the art Wheel Alignment System
Hunter computerized wheel alignment in Minot, ND can expand the life of your tires, protecting your investment. Even the smallest alignment issue can accelerate uneven tire wear. Once your wheels are properly aligned, it’s smooth cruising ahead, saving you fuel, tire wear, and ultimately money. Alignment refers to an adjustment of a vehicle's suspension - the system that connects a vehicle to its wheels. It is not an adjustment of the tires or wheels themselves. The key to proper alignment is adjusting the angles of the tires which affects how they make contact with the road. Our state-of-the-art Hunter Computerized Wheel Aligner uses four precision cameras to measure the position and orientation of targets mounted to each wheel using Hunter's patented QuickGrip™ adaptors to ensure precise correction of tire and wheel angles. QuickGrip adaptors feature spring-loaded arms that grip the tire, eliminating metal-to-metal contact and subsequent rim damage. A full color print out shows the before and after alignment. You may be wondering if it's worth it to get an alignment. Consider how much you paid for your tires. If your wheel alignment is out, you could lose that money in short order. That's why you should – at the very least – have your wheel alignment checked before driving out on a new set of tires. It is also important if you hit a curb or drive through pot holes like we have after a severe winter. If it's out, have the vehicle realigned or pay the price of another set of new tires sooner than later. Our Hunter Alignments start at just $99.95, parts not included. An appointment is needed for wheel alignment services. So how could you lose money by not having an alignment done? By significantly decreasing the life of your tires you'll be losing money. The steering and suspension of your vehicle have wear points: bushings, ball & socket joints, and miscellaneous mechanical links. When the steering and suspension system is new and adjusted according to factory specs, the rate at which the tires wear is minimized and the vehicle corners and handles smoothly. Over time, the steering and suspension systems are jostled and hammered, often a result of America's deteriorating infrastructure. This produces wear in these parts, causing the alignment to deviate from factory specs. And that variation results in poor cornering and handling, and a significant increase in tire wear. There are three alignment angles that must be in line for the vehicle to handle properly and for minimal tire wear. Automakers have built adjustment points into the steering and suspension that allow for re-alignment of the front end. Here are those three: Camber is the angle of wheel alignment that measures the tilting in or out in reference to the top of the tire. If a car's camber angle on a tire is too positive then the top of the tire is tilting outward. If the camber angle is too negative then the top of the tire is tilting inward. This angle is adjusted mechanically. Conditions that cause excessive camber are worn ball joints, control arm bushings, strut bearings/mounts, or excessively worn wheel bearings. These parts must be 'tight' (not sloppy) to ensure accurate alignment of the camber angle. Toe: The best way to explain how this angle affects wheel alignment is to look down at the tops of your feet. Imagine that you're hovering above the hood of your car and you can see through the body of the vehicle. Your feet represent the tops of the tires. Now slowly turn your feet inward to an excessive degree. That's what your tires look like when they're toed-in. Now turn your feet outward excessively. That's what your tires look like when they're toed-out. This alignment angle is adjusted through the lengthening or shortening of a steering linkage part called a tie rod (found in both conventional and Rack & Pinion Steering systems). Obviously when this angle is out or in too far, tires wear out quickly! This angle also affects whether your car's steering wheel is straight. If the steering wheel is crooked, the toe's probably way out. Excessive toe can be caused by worn tie rods, loose rack mounts, worn idler arm/s (some vehicles have two), Pitman arm, drag link assembly, or a worn rack or steering box. Before you can accurately set the toe angle, you must have tight steering linkage parts. Caster is adjusted either by mechanical adjustment or by bending a suspension part. The caster angle can be best illustrated by the bicycle of your childhood. Remember when you rode your bike with no hands? Remember how the handlebars returned to the straight-ahead position when you leaned right or left to turn a corner? This is the caster angle expressing itself. The caster angle of your car expresses itself when the steering wheel returns to the straight-ahead position after making a turn. It is also expressed when the car wants to wander right or left.
Price: 99.95
Video: Hunter Computerized state of the art Wheel Alignment System
