How do you know whether your car needs allignment or balancing?

Balancing when there is vibration at the steering wheel at high speed

Alignment shows - uneven wear on the tires/ when you let go of the steering wheel while going down a straight road and the car wanders to the left or right / when you turn a corner and let go of the steering wheel at the end of the corner and the wheel doesn't try to straighten out on its own ("arm-strong" steering - - not power)

Front end alignment is necessary if, when the steering wheel is in the center or straight ahead position, the car wanders either to the left or right or if the front tires are wearing down unevenly. "Cupping" of the tires is likely to result from improper alignment; "cupping" means either the outer or inner part of the tread is wearing down much fatsre than the center, reuslting in a concave area of the tire's tread becoming worn.

Tire balancing is most frequently required when there is a wobble or bouncing sensation at certain speeds (typically thirty-five to forty-five miles per hour) which disappears either below or above the speeds I've indicated.

Generally speaking if it pulls to one side or the other the alignment may need corrected. If the front end shakes or vibrates it may just need the tires balanced. Before doing either though i would recommend checking the tire pressures to make sure they are correct and the same on all 4 tires.

i own a shop ,and try letting go of the steering wheel at about 50 miles per hour and see if it starts to pull really bad or try,s to dart off the road,,and also notice if there's any bad vibrations in it,,and look a the tires on it,if there worn on the inside or out side real bad but seem to be good in the middle ,it probably needs a good alignment done on it,good luck i hope this helps.

first check your tire pressure, then on a straight road, set your car straight and release the steering wheel if the car pulls to one side then you need alignment. check the tread on your tires if the wear is unbalanced from tire to tire then you need alignment. excessive road noise from tires while driving is also an indicator that the tires may be off. if you hit anything pretty hard, a pothole, curb etc then tires may be off

Uneven wear on the tires. second is if your car pulls by itself to the left or right with your hands off of the wheel.

If your steering wheel is not straight then you need a alignment. If your steering wheel shakes then you need a balanced.