The most obvious sign of your car needing an alignment is a crooked steering wheel or drifting to one side of the road. If the steering wheel is off center it most likely needs and alignment. It is possible though for the car to be in proper alignment even with a crooked steering wheel. Your car also goes out of alignment overtime. This is caused by sagging suspension and normal wear and tear on the steering components of your car.
Whenever replacing suspension parts such as springs, tie rods, or ball joints your car needs be aligned. Aligning your car after replacing these suspension components will allow you to extend the life of your tires. A proper alignment after replacing these components will also help the car ride and handle like it was new.
People ask us to check the alignment on their car because of shaking at highway speeds. The biggest cause of your car shaking while driving down the road at highway speeds is tire balance. Tires can become out of balance if they have excessive tire wear from a bad alignment or if a wheel weight falls off. A car that is out of alignment can cause the tires to wear and become out of balance.