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How's the current wear on your tires? Is there uneven wear that makes you think you need an alignment? Are you pulling to one side? If tire wear is even and there are no other current issues, you may not NEED an alignment. In the last 40 years o f dealing with cars, owning over 100 of them and working on hundreds more (and on the recommendation of a good friend who worked at a race alignment shop), an alignment when only changing tires is often money wasted, as changing the tires doesn't touch any of the suspension. You only need an alignment of the tires are wearing wrong or the car is exhibiting some sort of pull or other weird effect of suspension.
Basically, what the point is, is get the good tires and leave the alignment alone. Cheap Chinese tires are bad juju even with a good alignment. And getting it "aligned" when nothing is wrong can introduce new issues.
There is uneven wear and when I turn right, my tire is making noise.
Then you definitely need an alignment, as it sounds like the toe is off. Maybe do a halfway solution, get something like Sumitomo (a name brand, but less expensive than Michelins) or Cooper and get the alignment. I'd stay away from the cheap Chinese brands.
My tire budget is limited. What is better: install new Michelin tires without alignment, or install new Cosmo tires (Chinese brand) with alignment?
Both.
Get quality tires. Made in USA tires are best but others may scream and holler about this. Get an alignment. Shop around for a 4 wheel alignment. On sale here for $59.00. Prices vary. You don't have to get the alignment at the same shop that sells you the tires.
With any alignment the suspension has to be in proper operational condition.
If the car is a junk box then get any cheap tires.
I can see with my eyes the uneven wear so I'll do the alignment.
But in the future, because I have a tread depth gauge, before buying new tires, do you know at what tread depth difference between the right and left tire I should do alignment? Or is it only with the eyes?
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