Skip to content
New Concept Auto Service Honest · Accurate · New Concept
Mon–Fri · 7:30am–5:30pm 5 Johnson County Shops
Logo | New Concept Auto Service
Book Service
№ 01
Wheel Alignment

Wheel Alignment

Expert Wheel Alignment in Overland Park, South Overland Park, Merriam, Shawnee & Olathe, KS.

Book Service
ASE-Certified TechniciansMeasured to Factory SpecHonest, Photo-Documented Estimates5-Yr / 50k-Mile Warranty
OverviewFig. 02

A proper alignment is the cheapest way to protect a set of tires — and the quickest fix for a car that pulls, drifts, or wears its tread unevenly.

Alignment is about angles. When the wheels sit at the precise angles your vehicle was engineered for, the tires roll straight and true, the steering centers itself, and the tread wears evenly. Knock those angles out — with a pothole, a curb strike, or just ordinary miles settling the suspension — and the car starts to pull, the wheel sits off-center, and the tires begin scrubbing away rubber on one edge.

At New Concept, an alignment starts on precision equipment that measures all four wheels against your vehicle's factory specifications. We show you where the numbers are off before we correct them, so you can see exactly why the car was pulling or chewing through a tire — and know the fix was measured, not eyeballed.

How It WorksComponent Explorer

The three angles an alignment sets

01

Toe

Whether the wheels point slightly inward or outward when viewed from above, like your feet pointing in or out. Toe is the angle most responsible for rapid, feathered tire wear — even a small amount out of spec drags the tread sideways. It's usually the first angle checked when a tire is scrubbing.

02

Camber

The inward or outward tilt of the wheel when viewed from the front. Too much tilt wears one edge of the tire and can cause a pull toward the more-tilted side. Camber can drift from worn suspension parts or an impact, which is why we inspect the components, not just dial in a number.

03

Caster

The forward or rearward tilt of the steering axis, viewed from the side. Caster is what makes the steering wheel return to center on its own and gives the car stability at speed. When it's off or uneven side to side, you can feel it as wandering or a pull that isn't tied to obvious tire wear.

04

Thrust angle

How the rear wheels track relative to the vehicle's centerline. If the rear is pointing slightly off, the car can go straight with the steering wheel cocked to one side. A four-wheel alignment accounts for this so the front is set to how the rear is actually tracking.

Symptom Explorer

Signs your alignment is off

A car that's out of alignment tells on itself through the steering, the tires, and the way it tracks down the road. These signs point to a likely alignment issue that a measurement can confirm.

A note on symptoms — These are common signs of misalignment, but pulling and uneven wear can also come from tire or suspension problems. A measurement and inspection confirm the real cause.

If you have to hold slight pressure on the wheel to keep going straight on a level road, the alignment angles may be off on one side. Pulling can also come from uneven tire pressure or a suspension issue, so we check those too — but misalignment is one of the most common causes and the easiest to measure.

When the car tracks straight but the wheel sits cocked to one side, the alignment is usually off even if the pull is subtle. It's a clear sign the geometry needs correcting, and centering the wheel is part of a proper alignment rather than a separate fix.

Tread that's worn down on the inside or outside shoulder while the rest looks fine is a classic alignment signature — the tire is being dragged at an angle instead of rolling flat. Catching it early can save the tire; left alone, it can ruin an otherwise good set of rubber.

Running your hand across the tread and feeling a sawtooth or feathered edge often points to a toe angle that's out of spec. It can also get noisy as it worsens. A measurement tells us which angle is driving the wear so the correction actually solves it.

If the car darts with small bumps or needs constant correction to hold a lane, alignment may be part of it — though worn steering or suspension parts can feel similar. That overlap is exactly why we inspect those components before and during an alignment rather than just setting the angles.

A solid hit can knock the alignment out in an instant, even if nothing looks damaged. If the car started pulling or the wheel went off-center after an impact, it's worth a check — both to reset the angles and to rule out bent or damaged suspension parts.

When To Come In№ 05

When you need an alignment

Some alignments are about fixing a problem; others are about protecting work you've just paid for. Both matter.

Watch for
  • The car pulls or drifts on a level road
  • The steering wheel sits off-center going straight
  • Tires wearing unevenly on one edge
  • You've recently hit a pothole or curb hard
If you wait
  • Misalignment can ruin a tire in just a few thousand miles
  • A constant pull is tiring and harder to control
  • Scrubbing tires lose grip in rain and emergency stops
  • Driving new tires on bad angles wastes the new tread
Stay ahead
  • Have alignment checked when you buy new tires
  • Get an alignment after suspension or steering repairs
  • Check it after a hard pothole or curb impact
  • Have it inspected if you notice uneven tread wear
Safety first
  • Even tire wear keeps grip predictable in the wet
  • A car that tracks straight is easier to control in a panic stop
  • Centered steering reduces fatigue on long drives
  • A pull after an impact can mean a bent part, worth checking
The Process

What to expect, start to finish

The same disciplined workflow on every job — so you always know what's happening and why.

  1. 01

    Initial inspection

    We start by listening to how the vehicle is behaving, then put it on the lift for a hands-on look at the system you came in for.

  2. 02

    Diagnostic testing

    Where a fault is electronic or intermittent, we scan control modules and test live data instead of guessing at parts.

  3. 03

    Findings & explanation

    You get a plain-language rundown of what we found — often with photos — so the problem is clear before any work is quoted.

  4. 04

    Repair recommendations

    We separate what needs attention now from what can safely wait, with an honest written estimate.

  5. 05

    Your authorization

    Nothing happens until you approve it. No surprise add-ons, no pressure.

  6. 06

    Professional repair

    ASE-certified technicians complete the work with quality parts, torqued and fitted to spec.

  7. 07

    Quality verification

    We re-test and road-check the repair, then hand the vehicle back backed by our nationwide warranty.

What's Included№ 07 — Scope of Work

Alignment services we provide

Beyond setting the angles, a good alignment service includes the inspection that makes the correction last. Here's what that covers.

01

Four-wheel alignment

Measuring and adjusting all four wheels to factory specification so the car tracks straight and the tires wear evenly.

02

Front-end (two-wheel) alignment

Setting the front wheels on vehicles where that's the appropriate service, after confirming the rear is tracking true.

03

Alignment check & printout

Measuring your current angles against spec and showing you the before-and-after numbers so the result is verifiable.

04

Steering-wheel centering

Squaring the steering wheel as part of the alignment so it sits level when you're driving straight.

05

Alignment after new tires

Checking alignment when you install a new set so you're not driving fresh tread on angles that will wear it unevenly.

06

Alignment after suspension or steering work

Resetting the angles whenever a repair disturbs the geometry, since many suspension and steering parts directly affect alignment.

07

Pre-alignment suspension inspection

Checking for worn joints, bushings, and bearings first, because an alignment can't hold if the parts that set it are loose.

08

Pull & tire-wear diagnosis

Pinpointing whether a pull or wear pattern is coming from alignment, tires, or suspension so the right fix is applied.

Why Diagnostics Matter

The parts have to be right before the angles can be

An alignment sets angles, but it can't hold them if the parts that locate the wheel are worn. A loose tie rod, a tired bushing, or a bad ball joint lets the geometry move around under load, so the car can read perfectly on the rack and still pull on the road. Setting angles on worn parts is a short-lived fix.

That's why an alignment here starts with a hands-on look at the steering and suspension. If something's worn enough to affect the result, we'll show it to you before we align, so you're not paying to set angles that won't stay put — and so the correction actually lasts.

  • 01Steering & suspension inspected before aligning
  • 02All four wheels measured against factory spec
  • 03Before-and-after numbers shown on a printout
  • 04Pull diagnosed as alignment, tire, or suspension
Related ServicesKeep exploring
TiresTire Services SuspensionSuspension Repair SteeringSteering Repair
QuestionsFAQ

Frequently asked questions

They're related but different. Uneven wear on one edge is often an alignment problem, while even wear across the whole tread is just normal aging. We measure the alignment and inspect the tires together, because an alignment won't fix a worn-out tire and new tires won't last on bad angles.
It's one of the best times to do it. New tires are a real investment, and installing them on angles that are even slightly out means they'll start wearing unevenly from day one. A quick alignment check confirms the new set will wear flat and last the way it should.
A four-wheel alignment measures and accounts for how the rear wheels are tracking, then sets the front to match, which is the right approach for most modern vehicles. A two-wheel alignment adjusts only the front and is appropriate for some vehicles. We'll recommend the one that fits yours and explain why.
Yes — a hard enough impact can shift the angles instantly, and sometimes bend a part in the process. If the car started pulling or the steering wheel went off-center right after an impact, it's worth having checked, both to reset the alignment and to make sure nothing is damaged underneath.
There's no fixed interval, because it depends on roads, driving, and the condition of your suspension. Smooth driving on good roads holds alignment longer than frequent potholes and curb contact. The clearest signals to check are a new pull, an off-center wheel, or the start of uneven tire wear.
Find A LocationFive Johnson County shops

Service near you

Book at the New Concept shop that's most convenient — same ASE-certified standards and nationwide warranty at every location.

01

Overland Park

9573 W 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212
Book Call (913) 557-8344
02

Merriam

6032 Merriam Dr, Merriam, KS 66203
Book Call (913) 346-8169
03

Shawnee

4119 Bonner Industrial Dr, Shawnee, KS 66226
Book Call (913) 586-2430
04

Olathe

128 N Mahaffie St, Olathe, KS 66061
Book Call (913) 586-2660
05

South Overland Park

7601 W 119th St, Overland Park, KS 66213
Book Call (913) 398-3402
Book an Appointment

Ready when you are.

Book online in under a minute, or call and talk to a real person. Honest estimates, no pressure — your dealership alternative in Johnson County.

Book Service Call (913) 557-8344