Does Discount Tire Do Alignment? (Unfortunately not)
Tires are one of the most expensive wear parts of our vehicles’, so when it come to saving money, tire maintenance is key. There are a few different things we can do to make our tires last longer, one of with is wheel alignments. So, can you get your wheels aligned when you buy your tires from Discount Tire?
Unfortunately, Discount Tire will not perform a wheel alignment. Where most other tire stores and service centers provide other tire services like alignments, Discount Tire does not. They do however offer some of the best deals along with making your tire buying experience quick and easy with their online store.
What Services Does Discount Tire Provide?
Once again, Discount Tire does not perform wheel alignments. They do, however, provide a myriad of services that help you prolong the life of your tires and also keep you safe on the road. Discount Tire can perform the following services at locations across the country:
- Tire Air Pressure Checks
- Flat Repair
- Rotation And Balance
- Tire Inspection
- TPMS Services
- Winter Changeover
- Winter Studding
- Road Force Balancing
- Heat Cycling
- Rim Repair and Refinishing
Photo: @discount_tire Instagram
Tire Air Pressure Checks
Maintaining proper air pressure is key to the longevity of your tires. Correct air pressure ensures that the tire’s contact patch is maintained at the right amount which allows the tire to wear evenly. Additionally, proper air pressure increases fuel efficiency because the tire’s roll resistance is at the optimal level possible.
Flat Repair
At some point, we all get a flat tire. The technicians at Discount Tire can help you with that. Their mission is twofold, firstly they want to get you back on the road but secondly, they want to do it safely. For this reason, Discount Tire strictly follows the USTMA (United States Tire Manufacturer Association) repair guidelines.
This might mean that they deem your tire as not repairable. This typically happens if the damage is to the sidewall, too close to the side wall, too big, or too close to an existing patch repair. The nice thing about going to Discount Tire for a tire repair is that if you need a new tire, you are in the right place!
Rotation And Balance
Tire rotations and balances are just as essential a service as wheel alignments are. Fortunately, Discount Tire provides both of these services. As an added bonus, Discount tire will provide these services for free if you bought the tires from them.
Tire Inspection
Along with regular maintenance, Discount Tire provides tire inspections. During the tire inspection, they will look for any hollow or uneven tread wear, sidewall damage, leaks, punctures, and any other potential issues. If any of these issues are found, Discount Tire will give you a solution.
TPMS Services
In modern-day vehicles, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) has become a vital part of driving life. TPMS ensures that your tires are at a safe driving pressure by warning you if the tire pressure drops to an unsafe level. Discount Tire can check, replace batteries, or replace entire TPMS units if need be.
Winter Changeover and Studding
One of the biggest safety issues when it comes to driving is the weather conditions, namely during the winter months. Discount Tire can help by changing your regular tires over to winter tires. Additionally, some winter tires come with the option to install studs, which Discount Tire can also do for you.
Road Force Balancing
One of Discount Tire’s more advanced services is road force balancing. Road force balancing works similarly to normal tire balancing. However, it is not only more accurate, but it can find issues with your tire that a normal balancing cannot find.
Heat Cycling
Heat cycling is another of Discount Tire’s more advanced services. It can optimize the traction and tread life of any new competition-style tires. Because competition-style tires are so sensitive they can experience irregular tread wear and loss of traction without proper heat treating.
Rim Repair and Refinishing
Finally, Discount Tire can facilitate your wheel repair service for scrapes, gouges, and bends topped off with OEM-matched paint, powder coating, or re-chroming. Most repairs/refinishes are complete within a day or two when you can retrieve and reinstall your wheels at your local neighborhood Discount Tire store.
Why Are Wheel Alignments So Important?
Wheel alignments are important for many reasons, namely, to maintain your tire life. Primarily the tire will experience uneven wear when the wheels are out of alignment as one part of the tire will be taking the entire load opposed to the load being distributed evenly.
Additionally, misaligned wheels will affect the vehicle’s steering, suspension, and brakes. Most of the time these additional effects are minimal and will only be noticeable as a steering wheel that is off-center when driving straight or the vehicle pulling off to the left or right.
Even if these effects seem mild, they could get worst over time and even if they don’t, they will negatively affect your vehicle over time. The best thing to do is to get the vehicle aligned as soon as possible.
Can You Perform a Wheel Alignment at Home?
Though not easy, it is possible to perform a wheel alignment at home. You will need the right tools and it is recommended that you have some prior experience working on automobiles. Additionally, it is easier to check your vehicle’s alignment than it is to perform the alignment. So, if you want to save some money, you could check the alignment yourself and then take it in if need be.
How Much Does a Wheel Alignment Cost?
Typically, there are two types of alignments: front-end alignment and four-wheel alignment. Front-end alignment will cost an average of $50 to $75. Whereas a four-wheel alignment will cost an average of $100 to $150.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Discount Tire cannot perform wheel alignments. They can however offer a wide variety of tire and wheel services that will extend the life span of your tires. Alternatively, you should get your wheel alignment check around every 6,000 miles.
If you recommend wheel alignment check at every tire rotation then why would anyone go to Discount tire at all. I’ll purchase from a tire dealer that does do alignments.
I was wondering the same thing!