August 11, 2019
Hello Elgin! Let's talk about alignment. One of the most important parts of preventive maintenance for your vehicle is keeping the wheels in alignment. Poor alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly, which can significantly reduce their lifespan. This means you will have to replace them more often, which can be costly for drivers in Elgin.
It can even damage your suspension system, which is costly to repair. But even more importantly, uneven tread wear can lead to blowouts on the road, a dangerous and potentially deadly safety risk for Elgin drivers and their passengers.
It may not take an accident or bad driving habits to “knock” your tires out of alignment. Tires can go out of alignment with just everyday Illinois driving. Elgin road hazards, pot holes, uneven or gravel roads, and even the bumps and bounces of normal Elgin roads and surface streets can gradually put your vehicle tires out of alignment.
So it's good auto advice to have your vehicle's alignment inspected periodically. Your vehicle's owner's manual will have recommendations on how often you should get an alignment check: usually every year or two. But if you think your vehicle tires might be out of alignment, you should bring your vehicle into Tuffy Auto Service Center Elgin now.
When you bring your vehicle in for an alignment, your technician at Tuffy Auto Service Center Elgin will start by inspecting the steering and suspension systems. If something is broken or damaged there, it will need to be fixed in order to get good alignment of the wheels.
If all looks good in the steering and suspension departments, the vehicle will then be put on an alignment rack where an initial alignment reading is taken. The wheels can then be aligned to the vehicle manufacturer's specifications. The ideal alignment for any vehicle is set by its engineers and may vary from vehicle to vehicle.
There are three types of adjustments that may have to be made to correctly align a vehicle's tires. The first is called “toe.” This refers to tires that are out of alignment because they point inward or outward at the front of the tire. Think of a person who is pigeon-toed or splay-footed, and you get the idea.
The second adjustment is the camber. This adjustment affects the angle at which the tires meet the road. Think of a solid building in contrast to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The last adjustment is the castor. This adjustment measures the angle of the tire in relation to the front axles. So, a piece of auto advice that just might be good for life as well: keep everything in alignment, and you'll be able to steer where you want to go. Drive safely.
Tuffy Auto Service Center Elgin
395 S. Randall Rd
Elgin, Illinois 60123
847-717-4682
June 9, 2025
If your vehicle isn't starting or doesn't sound like it used to when you crank it, the culprit may be the battery. You may have left a light on, or something plugged into one of charging ports. Maybe you accidentally left your vehicle in the "on" or "accessory" position when you last got out. M... More
June 2, 2025
Whether or not your exterior light bulbs are all working probably is not at the top of your list when you think about your vehicle. But those exterior lights are more important than you think, and they're vital to your safety and that of other drivers near you. Headlights are important. Not onl... More
May 25, 2025
A driver brought her vehicle into the shop the other day and told us how she was getting lousy fuel economy and that the engine was running rough. Plus, the Check Engine light was on. Our technician checked the code the engine had generated (why the Check Engine light was on) and found the prob... More