Tires & Alignments
With Locations Throughout Chicagoland & The Greater Milwaukee Area
Tires and Alignments 101
Your tires are your car's most important safety system. Most people know that a worn tire can lose traction, but you may not know that tire issues can also cost you gas. If your vehicle's weight is poorly distributed over the four wheels, it drives less efficiently, burning more fuel. So regular maintenance and quality alignments are crucial to keeping fuel and repair costs low.
At Velasquez Complete Auto Care, we offer tires and alignments for every make and model. Car, Truck, van, or SUV, we'll quickly and safely get you back on the road.
At Velasquez Complete Auto Care, we carry all the top tire brands and with 11 locations in Chicagoland & the greater Milwaukee area, we are your local tire shop! We are more than just a discount tire shop, we service all tires, from new tires, tire repair, tire maintenance & more. For over 30 years, we have been the discount tire shop with excellent customer service you can trust!
Top Tire Brands We Carry
Bridgestone Tires – Bridgestone has tires to fit every driver, including drivers looking for better fuel efficiency, longer mileage warranties, traction on wet or dry roads, and unparalleled tires for every auto enthusiast. Bridgestone believes in performance and having a tire for every customer.
Continental Tires – Continental creates intelligent, highly developed technologies for processing, transport, and mobility. A variety of warranties are available for each type of Continental tire, so you will be covered no matter what the road has in store.
Cooper Tires – We believe that manufacturing a quality product is key to ensuring your peace of mind. All Cooper Tires are backed by a standard or premium limited warranty, and select products are also backed by a 45-day road test or mileage warranty, helping to give you peace of mind on the road.
Dunlop Tires – For the last 125 years, Dunlop has introduced numerous tire innovations and paved the way for the future of tires. No matter what your driving preferences or vehicle characteristics, Dunlop has the tires for you, because Dunlop is driving to the future.
Firestone Tires – Was founded on a determination to offer the quality and service it takes to win the race, wherever that race may be. It’s how we made the non-skid tread pattern an industry standard
Goodyear Tires – Whether you drive a sedan or a pickup truck, a sports car or a minivan, Goodyear has the tires to fit your needs. After all, more people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind.
Hankook Tires – We will indulge in tireless research, wage a fearless battle, and embrace daring innovation to lay out high technologies that will define the global mobility industry.
Toyo Tires – ensuring safe performance and improving tire stability. Toyo is built on the foundation of a few principles: quality, technical capabilities, and merchandising capabilities.
Pirelli Tires – Aims to change the driving experience by pushing the boundaries of tire technology, style, and sustainability, and set trends in the tire industry around the world.
Tire Maintenance
Your tires contribute to vehicle performance. Tire maintenance can protect your investment by extending the life of your tires. Checking tire pressure, rotating your tires, balancing your tires, and choosing the right set of replacement tires based on safety and handling will all contribute to consistent performance.
- Check Tire Pressure – Underinflation can lead to excess heat, uneven tire wear & decreased braking and handling capabilities, which may cause structural failures like blowouts & tread separation. Properly inflated tires will maximize tread life, improve handling & increase fuel efficiency
- Tire Rotation – Routine tire rotations equalize and enhance front-to-rear and side-to-side tire wear. As recommended by the automobile manufacturer, or after 5K miles, you should rotate your tires.
- Balance Tires – Out-of-balance tires may be detected in bumps that become more noticeable at higher speeds. Balancing tires is necessary during initial installation & during a remount. Tires must be checked for balance every 4K to 6K miles. Our balancing can detect 1/4 of an ounce difference in weight because even minor differences are amplified at higher speeds.
- Install Tires in Pairs – The addition of one new tire to the rotation cycle can cause instability and create vehicle handling issues. When new tires are needed, 2 new tires should be installed on the rear of a vehicle, and the partially worn tires should be moved to the front of the vehicle. Getting 4 new tires is always a good idea too.
By taking proper care of your tires, you can remain safe during all types of travel, experience the benefits of better fuel economy, and extend tire life, which will positively impact the environment.
Alignments
Your tires should be checked during routine maintenance, but driving on extremely bumpy roads including potholes, can affect your wheel alignment. If you notice that your car pulls to one side, hear a new vibration, or see uneven wear on your tires, you should schedule an appointment or drive into a Velasquez Complete Auto Care for a look. We can precisely adjust the wheels' angles to meet the manufacturer's specifications, so your vehicle drives like new.
A wheel alignment consists of adjusting the wheels of your vehicle so that all wheels are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. 3 basic angles contribute to proper wheel alignment: camber, caster & toe. Camber is the measure of the degree of perpendicular offset from the road. Caster is the angle of your wheel’s pivot, which is attached to the suspension, and when this angle is out of alignment, straight-line tracking is affected. Toe refers to the angle of directional difference between the tire & the centerline of the vehicle. The front & rear wheels on your vehicle should always be perpendicular to the ground and parallel to the tire beside it. Routine wheel alignments have the potential to save you money in the long run along with sustaining optimal vehicle performance.
Benefits of Wheel Alignment
A wheel alignment will keep your vehicle running safely and efficiently by promoting reduced tire wear, better gas mileage, and safer driving conditions. Wheels out of alignment will contribute to uneven tire wear. Uneven tread wear can be felt in a vehicle pulling to the right or left while in motion. If not properly treated, wheel alignment issues have the potential to turn into steering and suspension issues, since driving with wheels out of alignment not only puts stress on your tires but also on suspension components. Wheel maintenance has its perks, for example:
- Wheel alignments are designed to realign wheels to a straighter roll position on the road for less roll resistance. Less roll resistance means less friction, and ultimately, better fuel economy, tire life, and component wear.
- A wheel alignment reduces tire wear and straightens your vehicle, so you're not pulled to the left or right while driving. A wheel alignment is an important service that fixes the angle of your tires and wheels after potholes and curb sides alter it.
Is your vehicle pulling strongly to one side? Do your tires have an abnormal or uneven wear pattern? These are signs that your vehicle is in need of a wheel alignment. Call Velasquez Complete Auto Care today for an appointment.