Alignment

[DonSor]

I got a 2K Acura 3.2TL which I bought new. I've kept up on the required maintenance however, I was wondering if it is necessary to have the front end alignment checked although there don't seemed to be any indication that there is misalignment. The tires seemed to be wearing out even, no unusual vibration, no bouncing, car rides smooth at high speed. The car has not undergone any alignment work since I bought it as there seemed to have no reason to do it. However, at 129K miles, it might be prudent just to have the front end checked, not that I want to spend the money, but just as a precautinary measure.

[BullShifter]

If you don't see any abnormal wear on the tires I'd say you could skip it. The toe is probably off by a tad.

[DonSor]

I decided to have it checked anyway. The alignment needed attention. The left, right and total toe measurements were off. The rear right and total toe measurements were also off. I'm going to need new struts on all four wheels soon. Also my rear brakes has about 40% pad left. So after ten years and 132K miles driving, the car is in reasonably good shape.

[BullShifter]

If you do struts I highly recommend OEM struts. You can find great deals @ www.acuraautomotiveparts.org They sell cheaper to the public than we pay wholesale at our local Honda dealers but you have to pay shipping and still should come out cheaper. Another option is Honda's E Store which you can have the parts shipped to your local dealer for no shipping charges, but the prices are a bit higher. Here is that website - http://estore.honda.com/asp/logon.asp?bhcp=1