City streets and winter freeze-thaw cycles leave Baltimore with plenty of potholes, and a hard hit can move suspension angles out of specification. Alignment problems rarely announce themselves loudly — they show up as steering feel and tire wear.
The car pulls to one side
If you have to hold pressure on the wheel to drive straight on a level road, something is off. Uneven tire pressure can do this too, so start by setting all four tires to the pressure on the door placard and see whether the pull remains.
Off-center steering wheel
When the car drives straight but the wheel logo sits crooked, the alignment angles were likely disturbed — often after a pothole hit or curb strike. It is a comfort issue and a wear issue at the same time.
Uneven or feathered tire wear
Run your hand across the tread. Wear concentrated on one edge, or a sawtooth feel across the blocks, points to alignment. Correcting it early protects the tires you already paid for.
Vibration is a different clue
Shaking at highway speed is more often balance, a bent wheel, or a worn suspension part than alignment. We check steering and suspension components along with the angles, since a loose part has to be addressed before an alignment will hold.