The Importance of Checking Wheel Alignment

A wheel alignment, often referred to as tire alignment, doesn't pertain to adjusting the wheels and tires themselves. Instead, this service involves the adjustment of your car's steering and suspension components, which connect your vehicle to its wheels.

The fundamental aim of proper alignment is to modify the angles of the tires, thereby influencing their interaction with the road surface. Alignment plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and preventing excessive tire wear, making it an essential aspect of regular vehicle maintenance.

How do you determine if you need a wheel alignment?

If you observe any of these signs, it's advisable to quickly schedule an alignment check with a certified service technician.

• Uneven tread wear

• Your vehicle veers to the left or right while driving

• Your steering wheel is not centered when driving straight

• You feel vibrations in the steering wheel

• Your tires emit a squealing sound

• The steering wheel feels loose or unresponsive

How frequently should you consider a wheel alignment?

The frequency with which you should schedule a wheel alignment depends on your typical driving conditions and your driving habits. It's essential to recognize that adverse road conditions can often be a root cause of alignment problems. If you frequently encounter potholes, traverse poorly maintained roads, or have occasional encounters with curbs, your alignment may become compromised.

Additionally, your vehicle's manufacturer may recommend including an alignment inspection as part of your routine vehicle maintenance.

Camber, Toe, and Caster alignment

When a technician checks your tire alignment, they focus on three important things - Camber, Toe, and Castor

Correct camber, along with toe and caster, helps keep your tire treads flat on the road. If camber is wrong, your tires can wear out unevenly – too much negative camber wears the inside edge, and too much positive camber wears the outside edge.

Toe-in helps prevent the tires from spreading out under power, like when you accelerate quickly. On the other hand, toe-out counteracts the tendency for the front wheels to turn inward when making turns at high speeds. Having the wrong toe alignment can cause uneven wear on your tire treads – too much toe-in leads to wear on the outer edges, and too much toe-out causes wear on the inner edges.

Proper caster is usually positive. Think of a bicycle – the front forks tilt backward, giving it a positive caster. The purpose of a caster is to make your car (or bike) self-center the steering. It helps your vehicle go straight.

In simpler terms, these three factors are important for making sure your tires wear evenly and your car drives straight and safely. If any of them are out of whack, it's time to see a technician for an alignment check and possible adjustments.

How can you prevent wheel misalignment?

One of the simplest ways to prevent wheel misalignment is by keeping up with regular maintenance to ensure that all the suspension parts are working well.

Additionally, when you're behind the wheel, pay attention to the road and try to steer clear of potholes and curbs. If you can't avoid them, slow down as much as you can to lessen the impact. Being overly aggressive in your driving can put extra strain on the suspension components, potentially leading to wheel misalignment. So, it's best to avoid sudden braking or acceleration and take turns slowly and smoothly.