Baltimore Auto Repair

Well it's that time of year again, snow & ice on the roads being treated with salt. The salt and cold combine to create potholes that we seem to find every time we go out to drive. Generally, it takes a couple of weeks for the potholes to be filled so until that time try to remember where they are. If you are unfortunate enough to hit a deep pothole and you notice your vehicle is not handling the same, get it checked out immediately. Small changes in your alignment can cause rapid tire wear. Sometimes damage to the tire and or wheel occurs that will cause shaking or pulling to one side or the other. At Framerite Auto Repair we have been correcting problems like these for over 67 years. Just give us a call and we will get you back to smooth driving again

I slid into a curb, now what do I do? If you have been unfortunate enough to slide into a curb, the first thing to check is the tire. You need to make sure it is safe to drive on. If you can drive your vehicle, see if there is a change in how it handles. Any change would indicate damage that needs to be checked by an ASE certified technician. Even slight damage will cause rapid tire wear and extremely poor handling, especially in wet conditions. A tire can wear so fast and cause a blowout, resulting in loss of control of your vehicle. When an alignment is performed, we make adjustments down to a 1/16th of an inch so any change can cause rapid tire wear. At Framerite Auto Repair we have been taking care of these situations for 67 years. Chances are we may have worked on your parents or grandparent’s car, as we hear this quite often. Give us a call and we will return your vehicle to safe and reliable driving again!  

Should I be worried about my suspension with the condition of the streets in Baltimore? The answer is yes! Anywhere you travel the system that connects your wheels to your vehicle is your suspension. Every time you hit a pothole, a bump or an object in the road your suspension has to absorb that punishment.  As you can imagine, the suspension on your vehicle has lots of joints, bushings and pivot points that allow your wheels to move up and down and allow you to turn and steer. These parts include ball joints, tie rod ends, pitman and idler arms as well as many bushings. They simply wear out over time or become damaged due to the harshness they have to endure. As they wear handling and steering develop a loose feel and may include strange noises. Sometimes a loose or worn suspension part can put stress on another part causing premature failure. Usually the first sign of suspension problems is you will notice that your tires are wearing irregularly. If you feel the handling on your ... read more

Why does your alignment cost more than the tire store? We receive many calls inquiring about the price of an alignment and how long does it take. When we answer what our price is and the length of time it takes to perform a proper alignment is we often hear "Well I can get that alignment for $49.95". If you can remember what the old saying is, “You get what you pay for!” Proper alignment is very important to the handling of the vehicle, making sure your tires wear to their rated design and for your best fuel mileage. Generally it takes 1-1 1/2  hours to perform an alignment correctly. The manufacturer gives us specifications that sometimes have a wide parameter. The best alignment is usually in the middle of the parameter of preferred settings. Experience has shown us that sometimes the manufacturers specifications are not the best for the vehicle. If you take your vehicle to have an alignment for the cheap price you are not going to get the be ... read more

  Who is working on your vehicle? We have a first time client referred to us that had quite a few suspension parts replaced. Unfortunately everything that was installed was performed incorrectly. As you can see in the videos that everything that was replaced was not secured properly to the vehicle creating a very dangerous situation. Retainers are missing and left loose. After inspection the parts left loose caused more damage to other parts. Taking your vehicle to a reputable repair facilty is imperative these days. At Framerite Auto Repair our technicians have over 100 years experience. Give us a call so we can take care of you

I hit a pothole very hard and my truck does not feel right. Should I get my alignment checked? Absolutely have your vehicle checked for any damage that may have occurred. Small changes to the alignment can cause major tire wear in a short period of time. Sometimes suspension and steering components bend or break due to the impact. Sometimes a dangerous situation has occured where as the ball joint stud has spread the tapered mounting hole in the steering knuckle. A situation like this is dangerous as the ball joint stud could snap off as the only thing keeping it from coming out of the knuckle is the lock nut. Having your vehicle inspected by our experienced technicians to determine what has happened to your vehicle at Framerite Auto Repair will keep you driving safely and securely

Why did my tires wear out prematurely even though I had an alignment? We see this situation often. When checking the alignment we find that only one adjustment was made and that is toe-in. Frequently caster and camber, the other angles we measure, have not been adjusted. The type of vehicle determines whether the factory gives us a way to adjust these angles, or sometimes we have to install adjustments to correct a tire wear problem. We have many ways to correct an out of specification alignment thanks to adjustable aftermarket parts we can install. If your vehicle suffers from premature tire wear, Framerite AutoRepair is the place to go. We may have aligned your Grandfathers car since we have been here since 1954! Call us today and we will take care of you

We hear this question about alignments several times a day. First it depends on the year, make and model of your vehicle. Does your vehicle need a 2 wheel or 4 wheel alignment? Your vehicle has specifications with a wide area of tolerance but also has a preferred setting. Our technicians always try to get your vehicle at the preferred setting. Did you know that driving a properly aligned car will not only give you better handling, but it will also help improve your gas mileage. This is because there is a decrease in the rolling resistance. If you are noticing uneven tire wear, your steering wheel is off center or your vehicle is pulling to one side or the other, be sure to have your alignment checked. Framerite and our technicians have been aligning vehicles in the Baltimore area since 1954 and we have the equipment, training and experience to keep your vehicle running smooth ... read more