# Turning the wheel while parked on a hill **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936 "2016-10-02T03:03:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SireEby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@SireEby](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SireEby)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/1 "2016-10-02T03:03:07Z")
A co-worker and I have a dispute. When you park your vehicle on an incline, I was taught to turn the wheels into the curb, so if the brakes fail, it will roll into the curb and not go anywhere. My co-worker claims that doing this will throw off the alignment of the vehicle and should, therefore, be avoided. Who is more correct? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/2 "2016-10-02T04:03:23Z")
That’s what we were taught in drivers training way back in 1974. Turn the wheels in or out depending if its up hill or down hill. It would be very rare though that the park setting in an automatic would fail though. More likely a manual transmission with the parking brake could slip a little. At any rate that’s the standard practice and tested on the drivers test. But if you don’t bang the wheels against the curb, and the wheels never touch the curb, it would have no more effect on alignment than steering. Now some people will roll the wheels into the curb and then put it in park. That could affect the alignment. So just practice the no touch method and no problem IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 4:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/3 "2016-10-02T04:57:37Z")
In Bangor Maine the cars would go in the river if you didn’t turn the wheel when you parked. This hasn’t happened in the last few years but it’s about to start again. Turn the wheel before putting it in park and you will be able to get it out of park a lot easier. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 12:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/4 "2016-10-02T12:48:27Z")
> [@SireEby](#): > > My co-worker claims that doing this will throw off the alignment Nonsense. Just look at the abuse your suspension takes on a daily basis compared to this- even if you butt up against the curb. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/5 "2016-10-02T13:21:52Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > Nonsense. Just look at the abuse your suspension takes on a daily basis compared to this- even if you butt up against the curb. Yup! +1 Additionally, even if this practice did “throw off” the alignment, ask yourself this question: Which of these scenarios is preferable…Would you rather pay for realignment of your wheels, or would you rather deal with a collision with another vehicle in the event that your vehicle rolls away? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/6 "2016-10-02T13:44:00Z")
If the car hits the curb at very low speed, it won’t damage anything, including the car in front of it. Don’t turn the wheels, and you might do the latter. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/7 "2016-10-02T15:59:36Z")
You win. Your friend owes you lunch. The reasons have already been mentioned, but I wanted to add that even if hypothetically turning the wheels COULD affect your alignment (it absolutely cannot, but just for the sake of argument let’s say it could), isn’t that better than having the car roll out into an intersection and get slammed by a passing truck? Or roll away and roll over someone’s child or elderly grandparent? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/8 "2016-10-02T23:49:23Z")
If turning the steering wheel to orient the front wheels properly with the curb when the car is not in motion affected the alignment, it seems like every car on the road would have an alignment problem. After all we do this all the time during parking maneuvers. Maybe the concern is about turning the steering until the front wheel is fully against the curb. I suppose that could damage the steering rack or even the power steering pump if you did it forcefully enough. But it isn’t necessary for the wheel to make contact with the curb to just get it in the right orientation. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/9 "2016-10-04T04:55:25Z")
There are signs along the streets all over San Francisco saying CURB YOUR WHEELS! Worrying about the effect on the suspension is like refusing to step on your brakes until the situation is desperate, to make them last longer. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/10 "2016-10-04T12:24:33Z")
I would not like to do it if my wheels were right against the curb before turning them, not sure if that could mess with your alignment ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/11 "2016-10-04T13:27:23Z")
I think the OP’s co-workers concern is if the parking brake fails and the vehicle rolls into the curb the impact will affect alignment. Unless the hill is very steep the speed will be very low, \<1 mph, since it will roll less than a foot or so. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/12 "2016-10-04T14:09:29Z")
Barky, you’d have to use all your strength and slam the wheel against the burb for even the possibility of affecting the alignment to exist… and even then I’d be amazed if you could affect it. The parts are designed to be able to withstand far more force than you could muster. If you did change the alignment by turning the steering wheel until the wheel touched the curb, it would mean you have some serious front end wear that needs to be addressed. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/13 "2016-10-05T14:12:29Z")
> [@circuitsmith](#): > > I think the OP’s co-workers concern is if the parking brake fails and the vehicle rolls into the curb the impact will affect alignment. Someone already pointed out that the alternative consequences would likely be much more severe than a relatively simple alignment issue. It’s an irrational fear that has much more dire consequences if the conventional wisdom is not followed… ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/14 "2016-10-05T14:20:53Z")
Co-Workers concern. How about the fact that the co-worker just doesn’t know what their talking about. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/15 "2016-10-05T14:23:53Z")
That co-worker’s misinformation brings to mind one of my favorite quotations: **_The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt._** — Bertrand Russell ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/16 "2016-10-05T14:37:52Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > Someone already pointed out that the alternative consequences would likely be much more severe than a relatively simple alignment issue. Yes, and that’s why I didn’t feel the need to repeat that again. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/17 "2016-10-05T15:40:04Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. > — Bertrand Russell I absolutely love that statement. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/18 "2016-10-05T17:01:49Z")
Well, in California if you don’t turn the wheel you could get a ticket that would cost you more than an alignment or two. I, for now, would make sure you don’t park your car around that friend’s car! ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/19 "2016-10-05T18:47:36Z")
> [@the\_same\_mountainbik](#): > > I absolutely love that statement. Are you sure? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936/20 "2016-10-05T22:08:18Z")
I’m not sure… I’m full of doubt. 😜 [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-the-wheel-while-parked-on-a-hill/95936.md?page=2)