TIRES & WHEEL SERVICE

Buy 3 Get 1 FREE on Select DUNLOP Tires (Details below)

(not valid with any other offer)

Tires, Alignment, Suspension & Steering

Four things decide how your car rides and how long a set of tires lasts: the tires themselves, the alignment, the suspension holding the wheels where they belong, and the steering that points them. They are not separate problems. A worn control arm eats a tire; bad alignment eats two; a pothole in February can cost you all four by August.

We handle the whole system in our own bays — tire sales and installation, computerized four-wheel alignment, balancing, rotation, TPMS sensor service, suspension work on struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints and bushings, and steering repair from tie rods to rack-and-pinion. One inspection, one diagnosis, one shop.

We are a NAPA AutoCare Center.

Qualifying repairs carry the NAPA Peace of Mind Warranty — 24 months or 24,000 miles on parts and labor, honored at thousands of NAPA AutoCare Centers nationwide. If a covered repair gives you trouble three states from here, it is still covered. Within 25 miles of the shop, bring it back to us.

What Your Car Is Telling You

Tires and the parts that hold them are the one system you can diagnose a little from the driver's seat. If any of this is familiar, get it looked at before it turns into a set of tires you did not budget for:

  • The car pulls to one side when you loosen your grip on a straight, level road
  • The steering wheel sits crooked when the wheels are pointed straight ahead
  • Vibration at highway speed — through the wheel, the seat, or the floor
  • Uneven wear: one edge going bald, scalloped cupping, or feathered ridges you can feel by running a hand across the tread
  • A tire that keeps going low, or a TPMS light that will not stay off
  • Floating, bouncing, or leaning more than it used to over bumps and through turns
  • Clunks, knocks, or squeaks from underneath on rough pavement
  • Steering that feels loose or vague, or gets heavy at parking-lot speeds
  • Clicking or popping when turning, especially at full lock
  • It has been more than 5,000 to 7,500 miles since the last rotation
  • Tread is low. Stand a penny upside down in a groove — if the top of Lincoln's head clears the tread, you are at or below 2/32" and legally worn out

Why People Buy Tires Here

  • NAPA AutoCare Center, 24/24 nationwide warranty. Qualifying repairs covered for 24 months or 24,000 miles on parts and labor, at thousands of NAPA AutoCare shops across the country.
  • Buy 3, get 1 free on select Dunlop tires. Standing offer, year-round, no coupon to print. Installed with road hazard warranty and alignment.
  • Computerized four-wheel alignment. Set to the manufacturer's spec, not eyeballed. It is the cheapest thing you can do to make a new set of tires last as long as it should.
  • The whole system, one shop. Tires, alignment, suspension, and steering all under one roof — so the shop that sells you tires is the shop that can find out why the last set wore out early.
  • ASE-certified technicians. Trained, tested, and re-certified on the work they do.
  • Up-front pricing. Mounting, balancing, valve stems, disposal — the quote includes them. Tire pricing is where surprise fees live, and ours are in the number you agree to.
  • Over twenty years at this address. New name on the sign, same building on Westerville Rd., same crew under the hood.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when I need new tires?

The penny test settles most of it: stand a penny upside down in a tread groove, and if the top of Lincoln's head is visible you are at 2/32" or less and the tire is done. But tread depth is not the only way a tire dies — sidewall cracking, a bulge, or exposed cords mean replace it now regardless of depth, and rubber hardens with age even on a car that barely gets driven. If the wear is uneven, the tires are a symptom and something else is the cause.

What is the tire deal?

Buy 3, get 1 free on select Dunlop tires. It runs year-round with no coupon or code. The free tire applies to installed service and requires the road hazard warranty and an alignment, which is not a gimmick — putting four new tires on a car that is out of alignment is how you buy the same set twice. Most cars and light trucks qualify; it cannot be combined with other offers. Ask at check-in and we will walk you through which Dunlop lines are eligible for your vehicle.

Do I have to replace all four at once?

Not always, but more often than people expect. On all-wheel drive, yes in almost every case — a meaningful difference in rolling diameter between axles makes the drivetrain fight itself, and that is an expensive failure. On front- or rear-wheel drive you can usually replace in pairs, and the new pair goes on the rear regardless of which wheels drive the car, because the rear losing grip first is how a car spins. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

What is the difference between balancing and alignment?

They fix two different complaints and get confused constantly. Balancing corrects weight distribution around the wheel and tire — the symptom is vibration, usually at a specific speed range. Alignment corrects the angles the wheels sit at relative to the road and each other — the symptoms are pulling, a crooked steering wheel, and uneven tread wear. A vibration is almost never fixed by an alignment, and a pull is almost never fixed by balancing.

How often should tires be rotated?

Every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, which conveniently lands on the same visit as an oil change for most people. Rotation is the cheapest tire-life extension there is: it spreads the wear that the drive wheels and the front end would otherwise concentrate on two tires.

How often do I need an alignment?

Once a year or every 12,000 to 15,000 miles as maintenance — and immediately after new tires, after any suspension or steering work, and after the pothole that made you say something out loud. Central Ohio winters are hard on alignment. If the car is pulling or the wheel is off-center, do not wait for the interval.

Why is my car pulling to one side?

Usually alignment, but not always. Unequal pressure side to side will do it, so will uneven wear, a dragging brake caliper, or a worn suspension component letting a wheel wander. It is one of the easier complaints to track down because the inspection covers all of those at once.

My TPMS light is on. Is that serious?

Check your pressures first — a cold snap alone can drop them enough to trigger it, which is why the light shows up on the first genuinely cold morning every year. If the pressures are correct and the light stays on, or it flashes before staying lit, the sensor itself is likely at fault. The batteries in those sensors last roughly seven to ten years and are not replaceable on their own. We test the sensors, not just the tire pressure.

Is the work warrantied?

Yes. We are a NAPA AutoCare Center, so qualifying repairs carry the NAPA Peace of Mind Warranty — 24 months or 24,000 miles, parts and labor. It follows the vehicle rather than staying with our shop: if a covered repair acts up while you are out of state, any of the thousands of NAPA AutoCare Centers nationwide can take care of it. Inside a 25-mile radius of here, bring it back to us.

How long will it take?

A four-wheel alignment on its own is about an hour. Tire installation with an alignment typically runs one to two hours. Suspension work — struts, shocks, control arms — is usually two to four hours depending on the vehicle and how cooperative the hardware is. Steering repairs depend on what the diagnosis turns up. You get a time estimate with the quote.

Do I need an appointment?

It is worth it here more than on most services, because tire and alignment work needs dedicated rack time and the spring and fall changeover rushes fill the schedule. Request a slot or call (614) 471-5388.

We sell and service tires for drivers across Columbus and the surrounding communities — Worthington, Gahanna, Westerville, Bexley, Whitehall, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Minerva Park, and the Clintonville and Northland neighborhoods. See everything we do on our auto repair services page.