Wheel tracking — also known as alignment — ensures your tyres meet the road at the correct angle for balanced wear, fuel efficiency, and safety. In this guide, we explain what tracking is, how it’s done, what happens if it’s off, and how long the service typically takes to complete.
Installing a new tyre on your vehicle is not simply a case of fitting the new tyre and heading straight back onto the road.
Tyre installation requires a series of complimenting services, including something known as ‘tracking’ – or ‘wheel alignment’.
Tracking, or alignment, is designed to ensure a wheel is positioned correctly to optimise performance and safety on the road. It is what allows the driver to control the vehicle while out and about on the road, holding a steady straight line when the wheel is in neutral position. Most notably from a tyre perspective, it’s the service that optimises the lifespan of a tyre, by ensuring that any wear on the tyre is evenly spread.
Keep reading for more on the process and how long it takes…
How Are Wheels Tracked or Aligned?
Before we dive into wheel tracking, it’s important not to get this service confused with wheel balancing.
The latter is the process through which the weight of the tyre is evenly distributed around the wheel rim.
Wheel tracking is all about the direction of the wheel and the way it aligns with the recommended position from the vehicle manufacturer.
The process of wheel tracking, or wheel aligning, involves checking the direction and angle at which the tyre is set on the vehicle. This is done by professional mechanics who can adjust the tracking to optimise the tyre direction.
