Alignment rack
Camber, caster and toe, brought back to factory spec
A newly installed alignment system sets camber, caster and toe to factory spec.
Chapter 01
The car pulls right, the wheel sits crooked, the tread feathers
Alignment trouble rarely announces itself with a light on the dash. It shows up as a car that drifts toward the ditch the moment you let go of the wheel, a steering wheel that sits a few degrees off centre on a straight road, or a front tire whose tread has gone sharp on one edge and smooth on the other. Run a hand across that tread and it feels like the grain of a feather.
Left alone, a bad alignment spends money quietly. Rubber wears off in weeks that should have lasted seasons, the car fights you on the highway out of Greenville, and the tires you just bought end up in the same shape as the ones they replaced.
Alignment lift bay with tire racks along the wall
A new alignment system, and camber, caster and toe set to spec
Zentner's has invested in a new, state-of-the-art alignment system at the shop on West Greenville Drive. The technicians put the car on the rack, read the wheels against the manufacturer's numbers, and bring camber, caster and toe back to factory spec.
Those three angles work together, so the order matters and the readout comes before any adjustment. The ASE-certified techs here also look at what is moving behind the numbers: worn tie rod ends, ball joints and bushings will not hold an alignment however carefully it is set. If a part is the cause, you hear it at the counter before anything is touched.
Chapter 03
Cars, SUVs and light trucks, and a Wisconsin pothole season
The rack takes cars, SUVs and light trucks, so the family sedan, the crossover and the work pickup all get the same attention. A frost-heaved road in March or a curb clipped in a parking lot is enough to knock a front end out, and a hard hit is worth checking even when the car feels fine.
Get an alignment after new tires, and after any steering or suspension repair, because new parts change the angles. Call the shop at (920) 734-6109 and ask for a same-day estimate. Zentner's is an AAA-Approved Automotive Center, and the waiting room has complimentary Wi-Fi, coffee and soft drinks while the car is on the rack.
A newly invested alignment system, camber, caster and toe set to factory spec.
Read off the rack
The three angles on the ticket
Camber
Seen from the front
The lean of the wheel, top in or top out. Too much and one shoulder of the tire carries the car.
Caster
Seen from the side
The tilt of the steering axis. It sets how well the wheel returns to centre and how steady the car tracks.
Toe
Seen from above
How far the fronts point in or out, like pigeon toes. Small misses scrub rubber off the tread as you drive.
An alignment is only as good as the parts that hold it. If the readout points at a worn component, the fix starts at steering and suspension, and new rubber goes on at the tire counter.