Alignment then tires or tires then alignment

I need a front end alignment and new tires all around on my dakota. The alignment is really bad. Am I better off getting the alignment first then changing the tires or getting the tires first then the alignment. They will not happen at the same time as I will be doing the tires myself.

Tires first. Always tires first.

You really want the tires on before you do the alignment. Bad tires can cause a pull to one side.

I suggest doing the alignment first so the alignment tech can see how they are wearing. Keep in mind you are aligning the wheels, not the tires. Tires won't affect alignment much but alignment will affect the tires.

I don"t know why those other guys are saying tires first. You can put tires on and you may not get an alignment for quite some time which will cause premature wear on the new tires. It"s kind of like brushing your teeth before each meal or putting the cart before the horse.

Get the alignment first!

Used or new tires won"t affect the alignment process. Because the alignment is measured from the position of the hub not the tire.

Alignment first. Once the angles are set they are set. The tires will affect how it feels while driving but they won't change the angles.

The last couple times I needed tires on my pickup I had the new tires put on and the front aligned at thr same time. That way you don't have to worry which way is right.

Tires FIRST followed immediately by Alignment. Thats how my buddies that have been in the alignment business 40 years tell me.....

John T

Here's my take on how to resolve or at least be able to live with the conflicting advice without a terminal plunge into the sauce.

I don't know how well you get along with the alignment (I take 50 gal of used motor oil a year to my guy for his waste oil burner), but if your alignment has taken a knock and is really chewin' up tires, it can't hurt to have him align it with the rags that are on it. If his alignment rig is even half-modern, the worst he can do with badly-shaved tires is for the camber to be off.

Have your tires put on, then drive directly back to the alignment shop. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200, and have him recheck at no further charge (or at least something minimal like $15), or some other similarly agreeable arrangement that you will have made before going to get the tires.

If he balks at such a proposal because he sells tires, give him the opportunity to match the price you have.

Worst case, if you're eating tires badly and quickly, it'd probably be worth paying a third shop to check the alignment after the installation.

The alignment is done from readings taken from the rims,not the tires.If you get the alignment done and take it home to mount the tires,you'll be fine.

Put the tires on first. If you have a mis match set or some worn very peculiar, the vehicle will not sit the same as it does with the new tires. They can align it with the bad tires, but it will not be the same with the new tires.

Charles

6 of one, half dozen of the other. They technically do the alignment from the wheels and not the tires. But different tread on new/old tires can cause them to track differently which makes you think they are out of align so for piece of mind get it aligned with new ones and then the alignment tech has to troubleshoot any problems you have that might be from something else. I know of some alignment techs who do their own adjustments from experience and not what is in the book. Usually the alignment doesn't move much unless you have hit a big pot hole or the curb. I never see them adjust anything when they align mine.

More tire problems and road feel problems are from the struts and shocks anyway or from balance problems that may involve the brakes, rotors, calipers, and drums. I haven't seen any places that spin balance them on the car anymore.

Age is a big factor also. I have replaced shocks, brakes, tires, etc. and they still never ride like a new car. Go figure.

Can a tire changer when buying new tires knock it out of align?, I suspect probably not.
Can the wheels have a little variation so when you rotate them they can throw off the alignment?, I suspect probably not.

With the independent suspensions, I'd think it would be hard to keep track of the camber, castor, and toe but they do somehow.

Watch out for snake oil alignment shops that want you to do a 4 wheel alignment for more money. Unless you've really hit something hard with your back axle and have some serious weird tire wear on the back tires, or someone following you telling you the car doesn't track straight, you don't need it done regularly. Now if I had a car hitting 200,000 miles and never had one, then what the hay for every 200K. Just watch to see if anything really gets adjusted.

Do the alignment first unless you want to start scrubbing the new tires off.
The best thign you can do is weight the truck as it would normally be weighted for most of your driving because the position/height of the suspension WILL make a difference on many vehicles.
The old Ford twin I-Beam system was one particular devil in that regard...

Rod

If the alignment is bad it would be prudent to leave the old tyres on until it has been rectified,

There IS NO CORRECT answer given here.

Get the tires put on, then drive right on over to the alignment center.

OR...

Get the alignment done first, then drive right on over to the tire dealer.

NO BIG DEAL - LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

ALWAYS change the TIRES first THEN Align right away.

short answer- do it whichever way will get you out of the shop the fastest. If they are backed up in the tire lanes, do the alignment first.
Tire condition won't inmpact alignment ( size might- don't align with a temp spare on, for instance). On some trucks going w/ "DUBS" we can only align w/ shock wheels...most indy cars are aligned without wheels and tires...in my experience of 15 tire stores averaging about 10 alignments each per day, our Hunter equipment measuring off the wheels doesn't really care about tires' condition as long as ride height stays consistent. Some folks with old "beaters" prefer to align first so any bad parts can be identified before they put on tires

Agree with Tommy,

If the alignment man is worth a $h*t he will be able to tell what needs to be done by looking at the old tires before even putting it on the machine. He can also tweek the alignment to match the driving habits of the owner. Trouble is, you can't find many good alignment men anymore, usually a bunch of inexperienced young guys who set it by the machine and kick it out the door.

I owned a tire shop over 20 years, we did not do alignments. PUT the tires on first and then immediatly drive it to your alignment man. Leave it with him so he can take his time and do the job right. This is the advise every alignment man I have ever talked gave me.

get the alignment first with the old tires on, that way the person doing it will see what kind of wear he needs to correct. With new tires, you will probably get a quickie. Every car wears tires differently, depending on driving habits, in town or highway driving etc.Tell the guy doing it you are putting on new tires and want it right first. Any good ft end guy will rather see the old tires, to know which way to tweak the alignment. Specs are very broad, what works fine on one car may chew tires on another.

OK this is the deal,put the tires of first,if you align it with the old tires,first the front end has not been checked for worn out or bent parts. You will blame the Tech for a bad job because it pulls or drifts when it is caused by bad tires,radial tire pulls are common and are not cured by alignment. While I an thinking about it this is to people who think a shimmy is an alignment problem,thank you I used to make a lot of money of of people who brought their car back and said it still shakes,of course it did I aligned it I didn t balance the tires,I am not a mind reader if it shakes say so and I will fix the shake. The first thing with a Dakota will be tie rod ends and maybe ball joints. If you brought me a truck that needs tires for an alignment I would not do it till you put on new tires,you have to have a platform to start with. Kevin, ASE