Wheel alignment is a critical but often neglected maintenance service that ensures your Subaru’s wheels are set to the manufacturer’s specifications. This essential service affects everything from handling and safety to tire wear and fuel efficiency. Over time, normal driving conditions, encounters with potholes, or minor collisions can cause your Subaru’s alignment angles to deviate from factory settings. When this happens, you might notice your vehicle pulling to one side, uneven tire wear, or a steering wheel no longer centered when driving straight. At Nelson Subaru, our factory-trained technicians use advanced alignment equipment specifically calibrated for Subaru vehicles.
Proper wheel alignment addresses three key angles: camber (the inward or outward tilt of the wheel), toe (the direction your tires point relative to the centerline), and caster (the steering axis tilt). These measurements are calibrated to Subaru’s precise specifications to maintain your vehicle’s handling characteristics. This is especially important for models with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and advanced driver assistance systems, which rely on proper alignment for optimal performance and safety. Unlike general repair shops, our technicians understand Subaru’s unique suspension geometry requirements.
When your Subaru leaves our service center with properly aligned wheels, you’ll experience improved driving performance, extended tire life, and optimal fuel economy. We recommend wheel alignment service every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, when installing new tires, after encountering significant road hazards, following suspension repairs, or if you notice uneven tire wear or steering issues. Our specialized knowledge ensures your Subaru maintains the characteristic handling, stability, and all-weather capability that made you choose it in the first place..
Conveniently located in Bassett, Henry County, Virginia, Nelson Subaru offers services that exceed expectations for any ordinary dealership. With our state-of-the-art equipment and the extensive knowledge and experience of our Subaru Certified Technicians, we can handle nearly any vehicle service or repair. While our skilled technicians care for your vehicle, enjoy the fantastic amenities in our comfortable customer waiting area. Schedule your Subaru wheel alignment service online or call our service department today.
Wheel alignment refers to adjusting your vehicle’s suspension system to ensure the wheels are correctly angled according to the manufacturer’s specifications. This precise adjustment process involves measuring and correcting three key angles—camber, toe, and caster—to optimize your Subaru’s handling characteristics, enhance overall performance, and significantly extend the lifespan of your tires.
Common indicators of misalignment include uneven or premature tire wear (especially on the inside or outside edges), your vehicle pulling to one side during straight-line driving, or a steering wheel that’s off-center when driving straight. You might also experience unstable handling during cornering or notice increased road noise from your tires, suggesting it’s time for professional alignment service.
Proper wheel alignment ensures optimal contact between your tires and the road surface, resulting in even tire wear patterns that maximize tire lifespan and deliver substantial savings over time. Beyond economics, correctly aligned wheels significantly improve fuel efficiency by reducing rolling resistance, providing more responsive handling in emergencies, and enhancing overall driving comfort by eliminating the constant steering corrections required with misaligned wheels.
For Subaru vehicles, we recommend alignment service every 12,000-15,000 miles or at least once annually, with more frequent checks if you regularly drive on rough roads or have encountered significant potholes. This preventative maintenance schedule is particularly important for Subaru models with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, as proper alignment ensures optimal power distribution and maintains the precise handling characteristics engineered into your vehicle.
Yes, aligning your wheels after installing new tires is essential to protect your investment and ensure the tires wear evenly from the start. New tires provide an ideal opportunity to reset your vehicle’s suspension geometry to factory specifications, eliminating any existing alignment issues that could quickly degrade your new tires’ performance and significantly shorten their useful life.
A standard four-wheel alignment service typically takes 45-60 minutes, including a comprehensive pre-alignment inspection of suspension and steering components. Our factory-trained technicians use computerized alignment equipment specifically calibrated for Subaru vehicles, allowing us to efficiently achieve precise adjustments that restore your vehicle’s handling to manufacturer specifications.
