The hosts tackle wheel alignments as a “necessity vs money grab” debate, arguing potholes, rough roads, and worn suspension components gradually knock steering geometry out of spec—often without any warning lights. They explain how alignment checks should include both front and rear tracking, show before/after printouts from the rack, and connect misalignment to wasted tire wear, reduced fuel economy, and poorer handling. The episode also pushes a broader “in the know” maintenance mindset, plus upcoming rust-proofing coverage.
Wheel alignments - necessary or just a money grab? Let's set the record straight.
With the road conditions we deal with every day- potholes, rough road surfaces, and constant wear - it's not a matter of if your alignment shifts, it's when.
In this episode, I break down:
1) What steering geometry does
2) How worn components affect your alignment
3) Why rough roads beat up your suspension
4) When an. alignment is necessary-and when it's not
If your car feels off, pulls, or just doesn't drive the way it used to, this isn't something to ignore.
A small issue here can turn into bigger wear, poor handling, and money out of your pocket .
Merchandise available in our online store at (ccbusnet.com) grab some Motormouth Merch join the crew in the fight against addiction. Supporting those ready for change get to a Total Freedom Addiction Campus Canada & USA where a New life awaits them there.Tnx for joining us ! Motormouth & Skippy
More Episodes and .... project Details & Links are available at Car Connection Business Network (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our homepage if you'd like to follow the build & Repair work we do & connect with or program partners, click on their logo to meet them. Thank You for giving them your business! NMJ
Like,Share,Follow,Subscribe, Comment, Ring the Notification Bell when new videos arrive, Join our community, all these little things help us to grow/build our platforms, enabling us to reach helping people just like you and me all around the world! Your support is appreciated so very much friends! Skippy & Motormouth.
Happy Healthy Motoring Friends, see you in the next one!
"you can save yourself not hundreds of dollars a year thousands of dollars a year just understanding your automobile a little bit more and no they are not maintenance free but that's the car game"
“Maintenance-free” is a marketing claim that usually means the car doesn’t require frequent routine service in the short term. In reality, all vehicles need periodic maintenance like fluid changes, inspections, and alignment checks. The podcast emphasizes that owners shouldn’t assume zero upkeep.
"here my job for you is this is the lane I'm in and have been in for over 32 years and 44 years as a service tech I'm carving I've been carving out and have been carving out for over 40 years"
A service technician is the person trained to diagnose and repair vehicles, often performing inspections and maintenance. Their experience can influence how they recommend services like alignment checks based on symptoms and wear patterns. The speaker is positioning their long tenure as credibility for the advice.
"I'm waiting for it because I have a vehicle that needs to be rust proof
we're going to be talking about that tomorrow Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. for motor mouse morning"
Rust proofing is a protective coating that helps stop your car from rusting. It’s meant to prevent expensive corrosion repairs later.
Rust proofing is a preventative treatment applied to protect a vehicle’s body and undercarriage from corrosion. It’s often discussed in terms of long-term cost savings because rust can become expensive to repair once it starts.
"Episode: "Wheel Alignment: Necessity Maintenance or Money Grab? ( The Truth About Steering Geometry)" ... slow the process down her on louise grant will walk you through it"
Wheel alignment means setting the wheels so they point the right way. If it’s off, the car can pull and the tires wear out faster. This episode is basically asking whether alignment is important maintenance or an upsell.
Wheel alignment is the adjustment of steering and suspension angles so the tires contact the road correctly. It affects how the car tracks, tire wear, and steering feel. The episode title suggests they’re debating whether alignment is a true maintenance need or something shops upsell.
"with the roads being as rough as they are if you think for one minute that your vehicle just handles that without issue think again not true we're going to be talking about steering geometry i know math class sucked for me too"
Steering geometry is basically the “alignment angles” built into the front suspension. If those angles aren’t right, the car won’t track straight and your tires can wear faster or unevenly.
Steering geometry is the set of angles and relationships in your front suspension that determine how the wheels point and how they track as you turn. If it’s off—often due to impact, wear, or improper adjustments—the car can feel vague, pull, or wear tires unevenly.
"if it's going on
[1586.8s] the alignment rack it's going on to be adjusted and what i like people to see is take a snapshot
[1593.6s] of all the readings as the vehicle sits on the rack"
An alignment rack is the machine/platform the car sits on while the shop measures wheel angles. It helps the technician see what’s out of spec.
An alignment rack is the platform and measurement setup used to hold the vehicle and measure wheel angles. It’s where the technician verifies readings before and after making adjustments.
"doing a printout before any adjustments
[1669.5s] are being done and then after will really show you how far out of whack your car really was
[1679.3s] and that's what's cost cost you money"
After an alignment, you should get a report showing the measurements before and after. It’s the easiest way to confirm the shop actually fixed the problem.
A printout (or digital report) from an alignment shows the measured angles before adjustments and the corrected values after. It’s a practical way to verify the work and understand how far out the vehicle was.
"and that's what's cost cost you money you're wearing out tires prematurely the vehicle's not
[1684.7s] handling the way it ought to"
Premature tire wear means your tires go bald faster than they should. Misalignment can make them wear out early because they’re not rolling the right way.
Premature tire wear means the tread wears out sooner than expected due to an underlying issue like misalignment. The speaker connects misalignment to increased friction and uneven wear, which costs money and reduces handling performance.
"but you won't even notice and why is that because the alignment goes
[1691.2s] out of whack so gradually unless there's a wheel facing outward when it's supposed to be facing
[1697.9s] forward"
They’re saying alignment usually gets worse slowly. Because it’s gradual, you might not notice right away, but your tires can still wear out.
The speaker argues that alignment typically changes slowly over time rather than suddenly, so drivers may not notice. This gradual drift can still lead to ongoing tire scrubbing and handling changes before it becomes obvious.
"because the alignment goes
[1691.2s] out of whack so gradually unless there's a wheel facing outward when it's supposed to be facing
[1697.9s] forward"
This means the wheel isn’t pointing straight ahead. When it’s angled the wrong way, the tire can drag and wear out faster.
“Wheel facing outward” describes a toe condition where a wheel points slightly away from the vehicle’s centerline. Toe misalignment is a common cause of tire scrubbing and uneven wear, and it can sometimes be noticed by how the car tracks.
"you might notice that you know that one wheel seems to be making a right hand turn even
[1703.8s] when the steering wheel is straight forward that's when you will notice but you it it comes on so
[1711.4s] gradual"
Sometimes your steering wheel looks straight, but the car still wants to turn. That can be a sign your alignment is off.
The speaker describes a symptom of misalignment: the steering wheel can appear straight while the vehicle pulls or turns slightly. That mismatch often indicates toe or other alignment angles are off, affecting how the tires generate forces.
"but you it it comes on so
[1711.4s] gradual from hitting all those bumps in those uh person hole covers yeah manhole covers yeah
[1719.0s] don't get me on that woke thing"
They’re saying bumps and road hazards can knock your wheels out of alignment. Hitting things like manhole covers repeatedly can make the problem worse.
The speaker blames alignment changes on impacts from road hazards like manhole covers. Repeated hits can shift suspension components or alter alignment settings, especially on vehicles with worn bushings or loose hardware.
"on your front end suspension potholes speed bumps slow down folks that makes a mess of your steering geometry"
Speed bumps are designed to slow vehicles, but taking them too fast can still produce suspension impacts. Those impacts can contribute to alignment changes over time.
"on your front end suspension potholes speed bumps slow down folks that makes a mess of your steering geometry all those things i just mentioned flying down the road and just nailing potholes"
Potholes are road impacts that can jolt suspension components and alter wheel angles. Repeated impacts can loosen suspension parts and push alignment out of spec.
"potholes i call them ball joint passers because that's exactly what they are they cause the the ball joints take a ton of pressure so if you really got to understand the components in the front end of your car"
Ball joints are little joints in your suspension that help the wheels move the right way. Rough roads can loosen or damage them, and once they’re worn, your alignment can go off.
Ball joints are suspension components that allow controlled movement between parts of the front suspension. When they’re hit hard by potholes and bumps, they can develop play, which changes steering angles and contributes to misalignment.
"that's your car so if you drew a tire on all four corners of the clean xbox you would have a picture of your car in its steering geometry that's what the alignment machine is looking for it's referencing the measurements on the rear wheels"
The alignment machine is the tool the shop uses to measure how your wheels are angled. It tells them exactly how far off your settings are.
An alignment machine measures the wheel angles and compares them to manufacturer specifications. It uses sensors/targets on the wheels to quantify how far the car is out of spec.
"the speed you go to get over railroad tracks... that's hard on the on the steering geometry big time"
Railroad tracks can be rough on your car. Hitting them can shake the suspension and throw off alignment over time.
Crossing railroad tracks can jolt the suspension and steering geometry, especially if you hit them at speed or at an angle. Repeated impacts can contribute to alignment drift and uneven tire wear.
"that's a fuel economy going out the door every single time you drive it"
If your wheels aren’t aligned, the tires can drag a little. That makes the engine work harder and can reduce gas mileage.
Misalignment increases rolling resistance and can cause the tires to scrub, which wastes energy. The speaker argues that alignment issues can reduce fuel economy every time you drive.
"when when vehicles are set up on the alignment rack there's what's called the crown of the road ... roadways are not flat they're crowned on purpose"
Most roads aren’t perfectly flat—they’re slightly higher in the middle. That shape helps rainwater run off, and it can make a car drift a little even if everything is aligned.
The “crown” is the intentional shape of many roads, higher in the middle and sloping toward the edges to help water drain. Because of this, a car may naturally drift slightly toward one side even when alignment is correct.
"but where the indicator is that you know there's a steering problem even though i told you the aren't any real indicators other than if you notice your tires are scrubbed"
Scrubbed tires usually means the tires are wearing unevenly because they’re not pointed quite right. Looking at the tread wear can be a clue that alignment needs attention.
“Scrubbed” tires typically means abnormal tire wear from misalignment or incorrect toe/camber settings. When tires scrub, they can show uneven wear patterns that indicate the alignment may be off.
"hardly anyone ever pre trips or does a circle check or checks anything on their vehicle anymore"
“Pre trips” refers to routine checks before driving, often used in fleet or commercial contexts. These checks can catch early warning signs (like abnormal noises, leaks, or handling changes) before they become expensive failures.
"hardly anyone ever pre trips or does a circle check or checks anything on their vehicle anymore"
A circle check is a walk-around inspection of the vehicle’s exterior and key systems. It’s commonly used to verify things like lights, tires, and visible leaks before driving.
"one specific thing that could cost that vehicle to go into the you pull it recon yard as another victim of lack of maintenance and bringing the vehicle into the shop"
“Lack of maintenance” is presented as the root cause behind failures that lead to expensive outcomes. In the context of alignment and suspension, worn components can cause alignment to go out and tires to wear prematurely.
"also i've got the whole suspension ripped out on the driver's side and i get to do the passenger side but i have run into a problem"
“Suspension ripped out” indicates the suspension is being disassembled for diagnosis or repair. When suspension components are removed, it’s often because they’re worn or damaged enough to affect alignment and handling.
"i don't want plastic i don't want sheet metal that's like reynolds wrap reynolds aluminum and everything under the hood is plastic and it's decaying and costing people thousands of dollars in needless repairs"
The host criticizes plastic components under the hood, claiming they can decay and lead to expensive repairs. This is used as an example of how material choices can affect long-term maintenance costs.
"[2883.5s] you know my sunday school teacher taught us a term called gijo garbage in equals garbage out
[2893.4s] love you all very much tune in tomorrow we're going to be talking about uh rust proofing"
It means if you start with bad stuff, you’ll end up with bad results. With cars, it’s a reminder that skipping maintenance or ignoring issues usually makes things worse later.
“Garbage in, garbage out” is a principle that says bad inputs lead to bad outputs. In car care, it’s often used to argue that ignoring problems or using poor information/maintenance practices will eventually produce worse results.
"[2942.4s] how long would you keep your vehicle if you had a strategic plan to be able to do so
[2950.4s] to help you with that to put on 300 400 000 600 000 kilometers"
Instead of waiting for problems, you plan maintenance ahead of time. That way you catch issues early and avoid big repair bills later.
A “strategic plan” for vehicle upkeep is about scheduling maintenance based on time and mileage so issues are caught early. This reduces the chance of expensive failures and helps keep the car reliable over the long term.
"[2950.4s] to help you with that to put on 300 400 000 600 000 kilometers that's what our car connection
[2961.4s] main uh fleet maintenance system is all about"
A fleet maintenance system is a way to keep lots of vehicles maintained on a schedule. It helps prevent breakdowns and keeps cars running reliably.
A fleet maintenance system is a structured approach to keeping multiple vehicles serviced on schedule. It typically involves tracking service intervals, planning repairs, and standardizing maintenance so vehicles stay reliable and downtime is minimized.
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good morning folks you're tuned in to car connection where the coffee's hot the
tools are ready and the talk is always tuned up I'm your host dial motormouth
Jenkins coming to you straight from the car connection workshop where we mix a
little humor a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower here it's not
just about fixing cars it's about keeping you rolling and saving you money
giving you the confidence to understand what's under that hood from the
classics to the commuters the weird noises to the what the heck moments we've
got you covered so grab your coffee sit back join the crew because this is car
connection your Saturday morning and Monday through Friday morning pit stops
for stories smarts and a few good laughs I'm Nile motormouth Jenkins and we are
shifting into gear this morning so stand that clutch grab that shifter and pick
another gear if you can't find them grind them and we'll have a few of those
when you're finished it's called scrambled gears well lots to get through
hope you had a fabulous spring break and did a bunch of stuff the weather
really was kind of all over the roadmap wasn't it yeah up down and sideways
well let's let's hope that the tail end of March gives us a little more blue
sky and sunshine anybody in for that I've got both hands and both legs up in the
air yeah like a dead bug I'm in anytime because this wacky weather it's not my
favorite lots to get get through this week if you're joining us for the very
first time prepare your morning swiggy whatever that is whatever your morning
breakfast beverages if you're slipping through the drive through getting ready
to start a new week take it easy out there keep an eye on the other guy might
be some sleepy drivers out there lock down that beverage we'll have a swiggy in
just a few moments as we get things rolling you're gonna need crayons 16
pack of crayola crayons works perfect and a leaf bag you know one of those leaf
bags yeah perfect memo pad fold it up you can fold it up the size of a laptop and
take notes so if you have a co-pilot crayons leaf bag good to go if not the
homepage of our website is the biggest drawer in our toolbox that's where
everything we talk about on our YouTube channel Facebook Instagram I heart
radio we're on all platforms with our podcasts wherever you're pulling your
podcast from we're there I heart Spotify Apple Amazon we're there and we're
working on moving over all hundred and eighteen episodes of car connection
workshop over to our YouTube channel so you be able to snag them there very very
soon so by the end of this week that's the goal to have that done and also
providing you with YouTube shorts so I've been practicing with that so we'll
see how we do that's another another tool in the toolbox but all our program
partners and sponsors are available to you on the homepage as well their
logos are there click their logo and it'll open a profile page and you can
connect with them from there let them know that we sent you we'd really
appreciate that our YouTube channel is there to teach you five things what it is
where it is how it works how it breaks and what you could have learned as just
basic vehicle ship vehicle ownership and repairs and maintenance just the basics
you don't have to be thinking overthink it you just need to know some basics and
you can save yourself not hundreds of dollars a year thousands of dollars a
year just understanding your automobile a little bit more and no they are not
maintenance free but that's the car game and here my job for you is this is the
lane I'm in and have been in for over 32 years and 44 years as a service tech
I'm carving I've been carving out and have been carving out for over 40 years how to
teach you all to save thousands of dollars in car repairs and it is plenty doable to have a 10 or
15 year old car that still performs and runs like an absolute dream machine the talking heads don't
want you to do that the talking heads don't even like me because I'm an advocate for you
not for the manufacturer not for the parts suppliers not for even technicians I'm here
to educate you to help you if you're willing to listen then you're willing to learn and you're
willing to do because remember the do does and the did is done you're going to move forward and
you're going to save a ton of money coming up as we get closer and closer to more spring like
weather I'm waiting for it because I have a vehicle that needs to be rust proof
we're going to be talking about that tomorrow Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. for motor mouse morning
drive is it worth it well you'll have to tune in and find out because my vehicles are 19 years old
18 years old and beyond and it has to do with one simple application
saves you thousands of dollars this morning yes we we have a topic season two episode 118 this
morning so there's all kinds of podcasts if you're just joining us and you have not been
tuning in from the very beginning you haven't missed anything they're all on our i heart radio
library and again all going well by the end of the week we'll have all 118 plus episodes
available to you through our youtube channel so i'm working on that that is on the on the table
this week and firing off youtube shorts alignments necessity or not money crab
don't worry motor mouth is going to explain so don't go too far car connection brought to you by
tony mealy and larry tea trope are certified financial planning professionals for over 50
years with ig wealth management if you've got questions regarding investment portfolio
debt dealing with a lot of debt estate planning how many of you have an estate plan powers of
attorney beneficiaries health proxies yeah it's not something you do yourself folks you don't go
get a do it yourself packet because if you do the somewhere in that kit tells you to have
a lawyer check it for you otherwise you leave yourself you're you yourself those behind
in an estate upside down and sideways mess and cra is rubbing their hands together going
thank you thank you for putting all that working all those years and putting that together so we
can just snatch it out from underneath you mortgages they arrange mortgages i haven't had mortgage
with a bank for about 15 years their rates are fantastic and their mortgage team outstanding
service and more here's what i would suggest you have the opportunity through me tony and larry
have been my financial planners for over 20 years that's why i call them my brothers from other
mothers you get an hour and a coffee that's what we call it it's a discovery meeting and it's free
and leave your wallet leave your purse at home they're not going to be selling you anything
it's a discovery meeting to figure out where you're at where you want to go and they'll draft a plan
to get there and it's not a 10 minute deal to draft that plan they're willing to give you
their time to get you on track and if you choose either one tony or larry to connect with hang on
to their coattails i'm speaking from the position of been there done that more than once yeah been
there done that thank you to uh city auto sales and leasing or louise grant are your your husband
and wife team there they're car guys and have been for over 20 plus years if you're in the market
or someone you know and you want to buy with confidence and be traded with nothing less than
honesty and integrity city auto sales and leasing they also have in-house financing quality vehicles
fair prices and i'll tell you they sell no junk there they are gta's the greater toronto areas
premier pre-owned auto store that's where you need to go if it's 90 minutes one way to get there for
you this is the second largest purchase you're going to make next to a home or property so slow
the process down it's not like getting a fast food burger a cup of joe in the morning through the
drive-through slow the process down her on louise grant will walk you through it but i'll tell you
what they won't do they won't let you go out the the door car broke they'll have a little chitty
chat with you and say you know what use something as a stepping stone to get to where you really want
to be but the worst thing is to be upside down and sideways in a car payment and you lose your job
or finances change in the household something goes awry so check in with her on louise grant let them
we sent you they have quite an inventory but if you're looking for something specific
they can help you find it they have 20 plus years and a lot of resources to find the quality
vehicles that are out there thank you to Niagara block 5000 Montrose road Niagara Falls
canada building canada since 1931 providing building supplies and hardscape landscaping
materials connect with them today if you're looking to build something special in your backyard
your very own oasis that hideaway get in touch with them they can connect you with contractors
that can best of it and get the work started and finished and you can enjoy that backyard
outdoor space crystal ridge dream center is our non-profit faith-based organization fund
razor for this year in 2026 they're out there working hard in the Niagara region changing
lives one at a time serving men women seniors single moms children they have after-school
programs for them they mentor them help them with their homework they feed them and they also play
really good games with them like chocolate bingo still trying to get a seat in there you just
it's tight it's tight love hope and changing lives one at a time especially in times when
community sport is crucial crystal ridge deemed dream center shines as a beacon of compassion
and transformation located at 385 derby road in crystal beach and they're serving hot meals
out the door tuesdays and fridays almost reaching 300 people per day twice a week so if there's
anything that you feel on your heart that you could do to help them they don't get any outside
funding whatsoever they have to raise their own funds so my job for them is that all the car shows
and all the events we go to fundraising events is to promote promote promote and let people
know who they are where they are and what they're doing so if you can help them out with a being a
weekly or monthly donator or maybe donating your time being one of their amazing volunteers
check them out on our website would you do that i very very much appreciate that as well total
freedom uh usa and canada they are an addiction campus for those who've made the decision that
now is the time to deal with it and i've been attached to them for many years now and to see
lives being changed there as well as absolutely outstanding well let's get let's get into
this morning's program shall we so i thank our sponsors because without them we wouldn't be here
they've been helping us for many years and when we decided to make the change up and give you more
ways to watch and listen and engage by going digital it's changed everything and having
some of our sponsors come along with us has been just outstanding as well uh weather forecast this
morning brought to you by city auto sales and leasing 31 degrees right now and cloudy wind is
making it feel a whole lot colder at 23 degrees cloudy conditions will continue all day today
today's temperature range 26 to 36 fahrenheit and it's going to feel more like 15 to 31 on the
precip scale uh chance of rain 0.2 of an inch that's what we're looking at today uh for the
monday morning weather forecast well with that let's uh grab a swiggy together so we can get
some high octane in us and get moving we do it we count it down and we do it on three two one
you're ready so whatever your favorite morning beverage is thanks for joining us this morning
and allowing us into your world is we allow you into mind and that's scary three two one
uh i can't beat that you just can't second swiggy what do you say
mm-hmm very very good so remember the homepage of our website everything we talk about every video
we shoot uh mondays or shoot days so it's a busy day here around the car connection workshop a
bunch of new videos coming out and on some repairs that you're tying in with the program today
alignments necessity or not money grabbed or actually a benefit to your automobile
and yes we will have uh as the weather gets better and we can maintain 50 i want to see at
least 55 60 degrees and maintaining that and then we will fire off our 30 day fuel savings challenge
you want to put an extra 100 bucks back in your pocket per vehicle i can do it for you
i can lead you but you have to do the you have to do the work and it's not that big a deal if you
can put your socks on in the morning and dress yourself that's about it that's about the effort
so don't like don't get spooked thinking oh this is i'm already exhausted i'm working 150 hours a
week and there's only 168 hours that that is total i'm almost at the max one more thing i can't do
one more thing yes you can absolutely you want to get something done give it to a busy person
but if you can put a hundred dollar bill back in your pocket per month would that excite you
you're going to get a $1,200 raise this year a little tap on the shoulder a little sticky note
in your paycheck saying thanks for coming out and being a team player i don't know about you but
i would say gegens you're late oh glad you noticed i didn't even go home how about that
you're late i've been here all night and that's uh that was pretty often let's jump into this
well i'm i can't speak for where you live but the roadways where we live and play
and have the car connection workshop they're they're rougher than a stucco toilet seat
that's all i got to say about that and i'm not beating up on our road crew but you know what if
we're paying all the taxes out of the fuel to fix the roads my question is at casca say uh when
are we getting started on spending that money on fixing the freaking roads you clowns come on
send in the clowns oh sorry they're already here yeah our roadways are rough and a lot of roadways
are rough so that's where my big question comes in you know the taxes on the fuel oh yeah that goes
to fixing roads roads where we're going there are no roads where have i heard that before quick
reminder fun friday you've got to check in with us on fun friday that's where we just let
our hair down and just you know like a box of donuts and a beaker of fresh coffee on the work
bench and we just talk about stuff you know how cars can be a love hate relationship funny things
that have happened to us with our automobiles and others and uh just have a good time on friday
working into the weekend and then saturday is q and a saturday that's eight till nine a
m every saturday morning i answer your questions so we've had some fantastic questions getting
emailed in so where are your questions uh huh gotcha nile at ccbusnet.com or motormouth.jankins
at gmail.com and i include all kinds of tips tricks and ideas in the descriptions of our youtube
videos and our podcasts so anything i'm referring to on the air or on video you'll find that information
for yourself in our description boxes so here's my recommendation on the description boxes for
the videos in the podcast if you ain't reading them you are missing out on a ton of automotive
advice that i do not always get to in the videos and on our podcasts so if you're one of those dudes
or dudettes that's a skimmer when it comes to stuff coming into your email box this is an opportunity
for you to actually collect a lot of information that will help you a lot and save you from being
ripped off in the automotive service and repair business because i've received thousands and
thousands of emails over the course of 31 years on radio hey motormouth can you take a look at this
repair bill do you think they ripped me off so let's let's not go there let's head that off at the
curve right and how i can help you to do that is read the description boxes i put the intel in
there specifically not for me for you to help you because that's that's why we now have more ways
for you to watch and listen i'm in your corner i'm that golden tech that you'd like to get
your hands on because there are two ways to own a car you're either living in the unknown
or you're living in the know one creates stress in the other gives you freedom mental freedom and
i don't know about you but if i if they took away my sticky notes i'd be drawn and quartered i've
done i'm done at that point i can't always remember every single thing and it's rattling
around in your brain along with everything else you got to remember for everybody else in the
household right ladies that's how it kind of works so if you can get some peace of mind because you
cannot put price tag on peace of mind so with the roads being as rough as they are
if you think for one minute that your vehicle just handles that without issue think again
not true we're going to be talking about steering geometry i know math class sucked for me too
with a k and a t sucked yeah it did but then i decided i think i better hang on to
my math teacher because i'm gonna need to know formulas and stuff and in automotive there's
measurements converting decimal fractions to decimals and then you throw met the metric system
in there is the tool of the devil and you got quite a stew of numbers to constantly figure out
measurements volume capacity swept volume horsepower inch inch pounds of torque to feet
pounds of torque it just doesn't stop the math just keeps on coming so um god bless mr leslie
the uh our librarian who was also i ended up getting out of a math class because the teacher
was an idiot and uh that was the information i got for mr leslie who is a math teacher he wouldn't
even eat with the other teachers in the student lounge he said they just talk about crap crappy crap
so he he taught me and tutored me and i went from barely getting a 60 to like almost 90 in math
instructors teachers they make a difference and he'd say they only talk about whining and crying
about their paycheck and this that and the other thing i'm here for you people for the students
so we used to call him boss and uh he let us eat in the library yeah he he put a table together
for us and he called us the knights of the round table in the library it was really cool those were
cool times because mr leslie was an older teacher and uh he was there for the students and he would
tutor us on the side and he helped me get a mark in math that's really counted today being
an automotive service tech for 40 plus years i could not do it without being able to do math
simple so steering geometry is all math that's where i'm going with it it's all math and measurements
so when your car is bouncing and you're driving like a maniac and you're hitting those potholes
big enough to be something on the moon a crater it knocks out your steering geometry
there's going to be no warning light there's going to be nothing flashing or saying time for an
alignment it's a decision that needs to be made and twice a year uh when you're having your vehicle
evaluated a checkup a health check we want to make sure for you that we're checking all the steering
components tie rod ends enters outer tie rod ends sway bar links ball joints control arm bushings
struts shocks coil springs we got to make sure that not only is everything good in the front
suspension but today's modern vehicles have rear suspension as well that's adjustable
so if the if the rear wheels are not tracking we call it the tailwags the dog so the rear wheels
are actually trying to tell the front wheels how to steer so and that's not good but you won't even
notice that you won't but if you were tracking your fuel economy and doing the math you go oh wait
a minute we're like that one car in the in the household is using more fuel than the other two
so if the alignment is out you're burning fuel big time because the vehicle's not rolling down the
road it's actually being pushed down the road so if you on some vehicles i've seen going down the
highway the rear wheels look like a tr six you know like an mgb where the rear wheels are kind
of cocked in at the top out at the bottom they're not straight up and down that look is not correct
yeah on a european car different whole different setup but on today's automobiles
whether it's foreign or domestic the wheels should be perpendicular straight up and down
and if they're not even by an eighth of an inch the tires are getting scrubbed off at the back
just as well as the ones at the front so you're eating you're costing yourself money you're eating
up tires because the tires are rolling they're scraping across the road surface but you'll never
know because unless somebody's checking it for you you don't check an alignment if it's going on
the alignment rack it's going on to be adjusted and what i like people to see is take a snapshot
of all the readings as the vehicle sits on the rack on the alignment rack and with digital
alignment racks you know not everybody can do an alignment i say the equipment is only as good as
the user so you want to get an alignment done by a really good alignment fella
or fella there's a lot of women that have gotten into uh auto mechanics and i think that is so
so cool and i keep an eye on a little young lady on youtube her name is fey and uh she's quite quirky
but she does know her stuff and so i you know i do uh kibitz back and forth with her and give her
a little poke on things once in a while but she has her own shop at her home and uh she's quirky
and you'll see what i mean if you check her out on youtube so let her let her know that
motormouth sent you over um she she does a great job she really really does and you know you've
got to have a mechanic that either knows how to use the alignment rack or thinks he knows but the new
alignment machines are very very accurate very accurate so doing a printout before any adjustments
are being done and then after will really show you how far out of whack your car really was
and that's what's cost cost you money you're wearing out tires prematurely the vehicle's not
handling the way it ought to but you won't even notice and why is that because the alignment goes
out of whack so gradually unless there's a wheel facing outward when it's supposed to be facing
forward you might notice that you know that one wheel seems to be making a right hand turn even
when the steering wheel is straight forward that's when you will notice but you it it comes on so
gradual from hitting all those bumps in those uh person hole covers yeah manhole covers yeah
don't get me on that woke thing because i'll eat your lunch and take your milk money god bless you
good luck um but anyways we won't get into that manhole covers they're wickedly wickedly evil
on your front end suspension potholes speed bumps slow down folks that makes a mess of
your steering geometry all those things i just mentioned flying down the road and just nailing
potholes i call them ball joint passers because that's exactly what they are they cause the the
ball joints take a ton of pressure so if you really got to understand the components in the front
end of your car and what they do and the hammering they take every day from you driving because most
of you do not slow down or move out of a lane we've got one lane here in uh the hometown of
fort eerie the south shores of lake eerie that i'll tell you if you stay in that lane you'll
need a wheel alignment by the time you get to tim hortons honest to goodness yeah i grew up doing
farming and i'll tell you what there were smoother laneways going back to the hayfields
then that stretch of road uh they call uh the garrison yeah the garrison road highway three that
goes all the way to the peace bridge to buffalo yeah the the out the curb lane you don't want to be
in the curb lane get in the left lane trust me that stretch of road would definitely definitely
put you in an alignment position so again scary geometry your vehicle is like a if you think of
a clean xbox and i have one right here can you see it probably not yeah that's your car so if you
drew a tire on all four corners of the clean xbox you would have a picture of your car
in its steering geometry that's what the alignment machine is looking for it's referencing
referencing the measurements on the rear wheels as compared to the measurements on the front wheels
so rear wheels have to be in alignment so do the front wheels and all the steering geometry has to be
the same in order for it to track down the road now you some people say well i let go of the steering
wheel and it goes to the right the alignment should be okay right no the machine's going to tell us
how far out of whack it is and i can tell you 10 out of 10 vehicles goes on the rack they're all out
of whack they are it's not a maintenance-free steering geometry system so again the talking heads
are selling you that idea it doesn't need a wheel alignment it should have a wheel alignment once a
year maximum once every two years once every 24 months because if you don't you're wearing tires
as far as i know i have not yet seen a three for one tire sale anywhere
or even a two for one yeah it doesn't happen anymore you're lucky you can get a super duper
deal but i do have my sources by the way yeah i won't spell that out on the air getting tires
yep mm-hmm you have to email me to get that information get some great deals on on top brand
tires i don't buy any of that offshore stuff it doesn't last i mean in a pinch if you had to
but you got to have a good set of tires that why that's the only that's the only thing that's between
you and the road surface that's going to keep you safe and your occupants is a quality tire the
distance from the rim to the road to the tire surface that's your insurance and so you know what
brakes and steering and tires don't don't go cheap don't never go cheap on that stuff no siree
because that is your life and that's the life of the occupants and if you need that vehicle to perform
well to get out of the way of somebody else's potential problem gets sucked into their nightmare
you want that vehicle to steer quickly and perform so
you know the roadways they're not friendly we've talked about that but you know what we
haven't talked about the speed you go to get over railroad tracks mm-hmm that's a killer right there
oh yeah i know where the train tracks are around ford area and i'll tell you people just fly across
them that's hard on the on the steering geometry big time it really really is
so where where do we go from here well if your vehicle's pushing your vehicle down the road
instead of rolling there's friction the tires are wearing out that's money if you have worn
steering suspension components and the vehicle's not really steering and going down the road correctly
on the front of the vehicle that's money if the rear wheels are out of rat out of whack and it's
pushing the vehicle down the road instead of rolling that's a fuel economy going out the door
every single time you drive it the performance is gone so we need the vehicle to look like a
Kleenex box and as i said if you you know i hear people all the time well i let go of the steering
wheel it goes to the right do you think i need alignment okay roads are not flat that's what
you have to know it's all about steering geometry the roads and here i'm going to tie it together
and then we're going to wrap this up and then i'm going to give you a promotion promoting on the
videos we're shooting today because just happens to fall right into this category a hundred percent
and you'll get to see the video today and you'll see the blood the guts and the gore
in the front end of this van that i'm working on and i'll tell you what it beat me up until
like 10 o'clock saturday night it was just horrific job horrific i wanted to run away put my tools
down and run away i'm not coming back i'm not going to finish that that's beating me up anyways
you'll get to see that as well so when you're going down the road and you let go of the steering
wheel and eventually your vehicle starts to cruise off to the right hand side there's a reason for that
but if you let go of the steering wheel and it's like it wants to go in the ditch you got a steering
geometry problem when when vehicles are set up on the alignment rack there's what's called the crown
of the road so if you were actually able to see it with the naked eye roadways are not flat
they're crowned on purpose for a couple of reasons number one so it's not flat it's it's up in the
middle like a bridge it's shaped the roads are shaped like a bridge and the reason for that
is to get the water to run off the road and head towards the road side the other reason is the
steering geometry has to be set up on the alignment machine so that if if you were to fall asleep
behind the wheel the car will drift off to the right hand side not go into traffic so when the
steering geometry is set up on the alignment rack the left side tires are set up different than the
right side tires so that you it tracks fairly straight but drifts just slightly off to the right so
you're driving down the road and you're thinking you're in a flat road straight in the line and you
you see the vehicle starting to go over to the right gradually that's normal that's so again
if you were to fall asleep behind the wheel the steering geometry and the road surface being crowned
saves you from that vehicle going into head-on collision and drifting into the
oncoming traffic the other lane so it's all designed together to do its job to drift off to the right
but where the indicator is that you know there's a steering problem even though i told you the
aren't any real indicators other than if you notice your tires are scrubbed but most people
don't even notice anything really they don't because one technician the other week said
hardly anyone ever pre trips or does a circle check or checks anything on their vehicle anymore
and in a video today that i'm shooting i'm going to show you that to be the absolute 100
percent truth i will show you that in a video today and the vehicle is telling the person
one specific thing that could cost that vehicle to go into the you pull it recon yard
as another victim of lack of maintenance and bringing the vehicle into the shop
i'm reading the message and going holy crap i better shut this thing off i don't think i want
to be the guy running it when things implode yeah so i'm going to share that with you today on a video
we're going to shoot that in the service space today and also i've got the whole suspension
ripped out on the driver's side and i get to do the passenger side but i have run into a problem
there that i have to overcome so i'm going to show you that in a video as today as well so when
all is said and done this van will have to go on the alignment rack because it is going to be totally
out of whack but it was already before i even got started things are worn out so you want to make sure
that your service tech is checking the suspension properly not just a a snakey lick at it or a
peekaboo or he's got his welding mask on and looking your vehicle over you want to know
again there are only two ways to own a car two ways living in the unknown not knowing zippity
duda bupkus not a zilch about what's going on with your car you'd rather just keep the blinders on
and wait and react when something goes wrong that is many of you out there you haven't learned yet
i'm trying to help you here i'm not here to hurt you i'm here to try and help you that kind of
vehicle ownership gives you 100 no additives no preservatives stress and honestly people
i don't know about you but i don't want any any more stress or drama from anyone i'm full
my dipstick on that drama meter and everything else and stress meter is about it's about done
it's over full so i just say no to drama no to stress it's gotta go so i'm not sure
what part of knowing not what's knowing what's going on with your vehicle and having peace of
mind and the freedom of knowing your vehicle's tender has been kept with tender loving care
that saves you thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars driving it like you believe
it's maintenance free is going to put you in that corner one day at the shop when the tech goes
it needs 5800 worth of work to bring it back to functional condition and that's when you have the
what the heck moment right but it shouldn't be a surprise because you've been driving it and
not putting any money into it not taking care of it imagine if that was a a pet your car imagine your
vehicle's a pet oh we might feed you next month oh you gotta go outside no well you can just stay
outside then that way you know you can do your business and i you don't have to bother me because
i'm busy watching Netflix or something that sucks my brain out like a turkey baster anyways um i go
down a rabbit hole there anyhow if it was a pet how would you treat it like a bad bad doggy
change your mindset and become a vehicle owner that's in the know you don't have any pressure
about the car because it's being looked after you're actually actually taking the wheel
and looking after it that's going to save you so much money i can't even believe that people would
just want to drive it into the ground and then keep trading time for money making car payments and
interest payments and running like that little hamster on the wheel run run run run run run run
get off lick the little ball grab a pellet jump back on and be in the hole for 800 600 1200 1500
2200 a month paying for a piece of sheet metal and rubber they make the sheet metal any thinner
it will only have one side and everybody including your neighbors will be able to see
through your vehicle whether you're a car slob or not because they'll be able to see everything
everything yeah that's what i'm talking about couldn't you couldn't park a 2026 in my driveway
and say please get that piece of junk out of here yeah they're they're going downhill especially
the domestics oh my goodness the price tag does not reflect the quality of good sold period i don't
want plastic i don't want sheet metal that's like reynolds wrap reynolds aluminum and everything under
the hood is plastic and it's decaying and costing people thousands of dollars in needless repairs
and guess what we take the rotted plastic off the engine and we put the same plastic back on
are you getting it i hope so yeah it's called planned get this in your head today i'll leave
you with this planned obsolescence you pick it out you wear and tear it they they sell you that
it's maintenance free by the time you pay it off you gotta go get another one but they'll give you
100 bucks for it yeah they'll give you like a couple of i say that sarcastically just slightly
because it's true at trade-in time what do they give you for it yeah a coffee card for timmies
and maybe a coupon for a slice of pizza and a cola i don't know next to nothing they give you
nothing for it well you know we can take it off your hands we really can't give you much for it
but you know we'll take yeah well you know we'll take it and we'll take it off your
hands like you know they're doing you a favor you know they have the wholesaler guys that are just
waiting with baited breath to get hold of it so they can put lipstick on a pig and sell it to
somebody else and make a profit that's the card game folks i've been around this thing this mountain
a few times i've been behind the curtains there's things that i have seen that go on at dealerships
that if if i spoke the word the unheard message there probably would be
unfriendly people at my door so i'm trying to educate you the best i can without poking people
in the chest without taking out an eye without drawing any blood or a limb or anything and trying
to you know keep the fang sway swaying because there's a lot of nasty stuff that goes on behind
there the politicking the talking heads the sales pitch and you guys a lot of you guys fall for it
honestly you really do so keep an eye out for the video coming up that we're shooting today
is going to teach you all about what i have been talking about alignments if your vehicle
presently has not had alignment since you bought it shame on you you're costing yourself a lot of
money be that person that's in the know living in peace of mind and freedom and not waiting for
something to break before the vehicle has to go to the shop if it ain't broke don't fix it right
that attitude is costing a lot of you a lot of wasted cash so you're out there home to work home
to work home to work home to work home to work home to work home to work home to work and that's
just one week and you're wasting a ton of money the latter will save you a lot of money being
in the know getting your vehicle checked treating it like a pet cleaning it looking after it
making sure the mechanicals are all caught up nothing's going to come out of the boogeyman isn't
going to come out from under the hood suddenly and now your car down and now you're faced with
well over 74 plus percent of canadians are less than $200 from being broke
you don't need a huge service repair bill right ignoring it doesn't make it go away ignoring it
doesn't mean it's going to self heal if you park in a specific direction
um facing whatever east west north or south properly will heal the vehicle yeah the car
goblins will just fix it for you that doesn't happen that's not reality that's netflix yeah
and i don't have that i haven't had tv since 2009 i feel more human than ever yeah because
you know my sunday school teacher taught us a term called gijo garbage in equals garbage out
love you all very much tune in tomorrow we're going to be talking about uh rust proofing and
what that means what it what it is what it means and what it should mean to you because that is one
of my trade secrets that that's the reason i can be driving a 19 year old vehicle that still looks
like and looks and runs and acts like it's brand new and that's when i get people saying you know
every time i see your vehicle it looks better than the last time like it seems to get newer
how does that happen oh i bought the right one on the right day and the right shift
really no not really so keep it under 100 happy healthy motoring to you all and don't forget
how long would you keep your vehicle if you had a strategic plan to be able to do so
to help you with that to put on 300 400 000 600 000 kilometers that's what our car connection
main uh fleet maintenance system is all about we're putting together the whole page
so that you can see it look at it read about how i developed it and how it can work for you
at the cost of a cup of coffee or an oil change a month so if you went one cup of coffee less
per month per week you could pay for it yeah any cheaper and i would probably be paying you so
we're offering it up uh to those who are subscribed to our youtube channel and be able to buy it for
59 bucks for those who are not subscribed 69 and 93 percent of you haven't subscribed but your love
in the videos how come it is do us a favor help us out to grow so that we can help others just like
you and me subscribe like subscribe share follow connect to our community listen to the podcast
share us with all your buddies and we appreciate that we'll see you tomorrow morning so happy
healthy motoring peace patience kindness always bye for now
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