do ya'll think i need to get an alignment after putting on my new aftermarket wheels? replacing current oem 19s with wider 19s wheels and tires.

 

It's always a good idea. Most shops will check it for free.

 

no, you will not need an alignment by changing wheels...only if you mesh with the suspension geometry which means if you change your springs or adjust your height if you have coilovers...

 

thanks

 

you always need an alignment after suspension work, new wheels, or just new tires.

 

wtf r u talking about? why would you need an alignment when swapping wheels or tires? your suspension doesn't change...the only time you need an alignment is after lowering your car, adding new A-arms, toe links (etc..), or after driving around for a few thousand miles. Your alignment specs don't change when you pop your wheels off to put new tires on.

 

 

not always true, offset does play a roll in the suspension geometry because it changes the effective lever arm applying force to the springs. This is the case when you switch from a high offset wheel to an extremely low offset wheel. If you are already on the edges of the alignment specs, changing to a low offset wheel and push you out of the accetable range.

 

what's the concensus here? i'm bumping this thread to get more opinions.... if i'm going from stock 18's to wider and staggered 19s, will i need to get an alignment done?

 

Depending on your driving habits.
It is a good idea to get the alignment checked once a year or at least monitor the wear on your tires for any abnormal wear patterns. If your tires are wearing good then it is not necessary.

 

hmm. ok, i guess when i get my wheels swapped, i'll check how my 18s were wearing. i realized it's been a little over a year since i got an alignment and i drive on some $hitty roads now (stupid SF). i just don't want to chew through tires next weekend on our norcal run.

 

QFT... that's why most of the time when people swap out their wheels and tires, they also drop the car to minimize downtime and expenses for alignment.

 

I just went from factory 18's to 20's. Went to get my alignment checked and there was a 1 degree change. I asked the wheel guy why so much of a drastic change...he said it was because of the difference in wheel size and offsets.