Good Wheel Alignment Numbers: How to Read a Wheel Alignment Report

So you just got your new wheel alignment machine and now want to know how to read a wheel alignment report and confirm good wheel alignment numbers. You’ve come to the right place! 

This guide will walk you through reading wheel alignment reports so you can confirm you’ve corrected a misalignment issue - and more importantly, so you can communicate to customers the work you’ve done and earn their trust. 

But if you haven’t already secured the best wheel alignment machine for your shop, take the first step at My Garage Supplies today. We stock the best brands and their most sought-after models, always at the lowest prices and backed by exceptional customer service from A to Z.

Key Takeaways 

• Good wheel alignment numbers fall within factory-specified ranges for toe, camber, caster, and thrust angle, with balanced side-to-side readings.
• Even small angle errors cause uneven tire wear, poor handling, and repeat customer complaints.
• Every operator needs to understand how to read a wheel alignment report to confirm the correction and communicate with customers.
• My Garage Supplies provides trusted wheel alignment machines, clear specs, and expert support to help shops do alignments right the first time.

What is Wheel Alignment?

Wheel alignment involves setting a vehicle’s wheels so they sit at the correct angles relative to the road and the vehicle’s chassis. Those angles - toe, camber, and caster - control how the tires contact the road, how the steering responds, and how stable the vehicle feels at speed. 

When Do You Need Wheel Alignment?

Alignment not only changes tire balance and suspension parts, but also adjusts the position of existing components so the wheels track straight and evenly. 

A car drives smoothly with good wheel alignment numbers. But when something’s amiss, it shows up in more ways than one: tires scrub instead of roll cleanly, steering effort changes, and handling becomes unpredictable. It can cause more expensive repairs, or worse, dangerous driving conditions. Here are some of the situations when wheel alignment is necessary:

• Uneven tire wear such as inner-edge, outer-edge, or feathered tread patterns
• Vehicle pulling left or right on a flat, straight road with the steering wheel centered
• Steering wheel off-center after driving straight
• Recent suspension/steering repairs, like tie rods, control arms, struts, or ball joints
• After installing new tires, especially on front-wheel-drive vehicles
• Following curb strikes or pothole impacts, even if no parts appear damaged
• After ride-height changes from lift kits, lowering springs, or coilovers
• Customer complaints about wandering or instability at highway speeds

Now, how often wheel alignment and balancing are needed will never be one-size-fits-all - most things in automotive repair are not. But, understanding these signs and situations above is a good starting point. 

What Are Good Wheel Alignment Numbers?

The tricky thing is, good wheel alignment numbers are simply angles that fall within the vehicle manufacturer’s specified range. That’s not universal. Sedans, trucks, performance cars, and lifted vehicles all call for different targets.

That said, the principles behind each measurement more or less stay the same. What matters most is keeping the angles balanced side-to-side and inside spec, not chasing a single “perfect” number.

Toe

This measures whether the tires point inward or outward when viewed from above. Most street vehicles call for very slight toe-in or neutral toe, usually measured in fractions of a degree. Too much toe wears tires faster and can lead to vehicle instability.

Camber

Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel when viewed from the front. Mild negative camber is pretty common on vehicles these days. It’s better for cornering stability. However, excessive camber chews through tire edges fast and can lead to premature replacement. 

Caster

Caster affects straight-line stability and steering return. A higher positive caster gives you better highway stability and steering feel. That’s why trucks and modern cars usually run higher caster values than older vehicles.

Thrust Angle or Tracking

This aspect of wheel alignment shouldn’t be taken lightly, either. Thrust angle shows whether the rear axle tracks straight behind the front wheels. A zero or near-zero thrust angle means the vehicle drives straight without steering correction.

How to Read a Wheel Alignment Report

So, how do you read a wheel alignment report to confirm that you’ve ended up with good wheel alignment numbers? It’s actually pretty simple when you know what you’re looking at.

A wheel alignment report breaks down all four wheel positions and compares before and after measurements against factory specifications. Each angle (toe, camber, caster, and thrust angle) is shown numerically. A color indicator or range bar shows whether it’s within spec or not.

As for how to read a wheel alignment report, you’ll begin by checking the factory spec range. That should be listed next to each measurement. Numbers inside that range are acceptable; numbers outside explain tire wear, pulls, or steering complaints. Side-to-side balance matters just as much as absolute value, especially for camber and caster.

Then you can take a look at before vs after readings. Obviously the before reading tells you what was wrong, and the after is how you confirm the correction - and show customers why they paid you! This builds customer confidence but also operator confidence early on as you get used to performing wheel alignments.

Pay close attention to toe totals and thrust angle, since these often cause the most noticeable drivability issues. This is also a good time to confirm the steering wheel position and vehicle tracking were centered after adjustments.

Wrapping Up Our Guide to Good Wheel Alignment Numbers

That does it for our guide on how to read a wheel alignment report and confirm good wheel alignment numbers. You should feel more capable now of diagnosing and correcting problems with vehicle alignments.

Learn more about wheel balancing vs alignment or 2-wheel vs 4-wheel alignment in our blog. This is your one-stop destination for all things wheel alignment, including the machines you need to perform reliable service day in, day out.

We stock proven wheel alignment machines with accurate sensors, clear software layouts, and reliable support when you need it. From choosing the right system to setting it up and using it day after day, our team is here to help you get more value out of every alignment. Shop now!