Whats the difference between a front-end alignment and a four-wheel alignment (besides the price)?
The “completeness” or thoroughness of the job. A front-wheel alignment only aligns the front wheels. A four-wheel alignment aligns all four wheels. All vehicles can benefit from a four-wheel alignment, but it is especially important on front-wheel drive cars and minivans as well as rear-wheel drive cars that have independent rear suspensions. Until a decade ago, two-wheel alignments were the norm for all cars and trucks. But the arrival of front-wheel drive changed all of that. It’s always been important to align all four wheels to one another because the rear wheels can have just as much influence on steering as the ones up front do. But on most rear-wheel drive vehicles, there are no adjustments on the rear suspension. So even though the need to check rear wheel alignment is there, there’s not much a technician can do if the rear wheels aren’t true with respect to the ones up front. If the rear axle is cocked slightly to one side or the other, it creates a “thrust angle” that causes
