WHEEL ALIGNMENT and BALENCING

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 tyres or wheels themselves. The key to proper alignment is adjusting the angles of the tyres which affects how they make contact with the road.

wheel alignment

Wheel alignment concerns the position of the wheels in regard to the road and each other

wheel balancING

Balancing addresses the distribution of weight around the wheel

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tpms service

Our tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) closely monitors our tire’s air pressure

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HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT?

There are a couple ways to tell if your car needs a wheel alignment. If you’ve noticed one or more of these indicators, you should have your alignment checked by a qualified technician immediately. 

  • Uneven tread wear
  • Vehicle pulling to the left or right
  • Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight
  • Steering wheel vibration

NEED TO CHECK CAMBER, TOE, & CASTER

The wheel alignment process involves measuring and restoring the factory settings of three angles in your vehicle’s suspension:

  • The Camber angle: The vertical tilt of the side of the wheel in relation to the side of the vehicle, viewed from the front or back of the vehicle.
  • The Caster angle: The tilt of the steering axis in relation to a theoretical vertical straight line, viewed from the side of the vehicle.
  • The Toe angle: The lateral tilt of the side of the wheel in relation to the center of the vehicle, viewed from above the vehicle.
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How do I know if my wheels need balancing?

As a standard rule-of-thumb, you should at the very least have your wheels balanced once every two years. If you drive on particularly rough roads, you should get them done yearly. You should also get your wheels rebalanced if you are experiencing any of the following issues:

  • A vibration in the steering wheel, floorboard, or seat.
  • You have a flat tyre and need a repair.
  • A weight that used to be on the rim falls off.
  • You notice uneven tyre wear.

We use the Haweka wheel balancing system to mount alloy wheels to our touch screen laser guided balancers. The advantage of this system is that the wheels are fitted to the balancer with finger plates and not the standard cones. The Haweka system simulates the mounting of the wheel to the hub of the vehicle.

Quite simply, in today’s world of bigger tyres and wheels, using only a cone to secure the wheel on the balancer shaft does not guarantee correct centring, and an incorrectly centred wheel cannot be accurately balanced. We treat balancing as an art form and pride our self on the quality of our customer’s satisfaction of not having any wheel vibration on their vehicle.

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Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Repair

TranAuto Service strives to be the leading auto repair facility in Minneapolis, MN. Newer vehicles are equipped with TPMS, but sometimes this system can go awry. To make sure your tire sensors are working correctly, bring your vehicle to us for a TPMS inspection.

TranAuto Service offers full-service TPMS repair. We boast a full array of instruments and equipment to diagnose and repair your tire pressure sensors and monitoring system. Our auto technicians can do more than just installing and replacing your car’s TPMS. We can figure out what is going on with your vehicle and do our best to solve the problem. 

What happens when our tires are not the proper pressure? Here are few disadvantages:

  • Reduced tire life span. 
  • Creates rolling resistance. 
  • Your vehicle feels much stiffer. 
  • A higher probability of damaged tires. 

If your personal automobile or fleet is in need of TPMS maintenance or repair, we invite you to TranAuto Service in Minneapolis, MN. You can trust our friendly and experienced staff to get your car, truck, minivan or SUV driving its best! 

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