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

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

Are your tires wearing in an unusual way? Your tires can be wearing out for many different reasons. You may need an alignment, your tires may be over or under inflated, or you may have a strut/suspension issue. The best course of action is to have an experienced technician evaluate your tires and vehicle. Our technicians are always happy to help you care for your vehicle. TIP: Check your tire pressures when the weather changes. Hot or cold temps affect the pressures in your tires