Proper wheel alignment and suspension is important for your tires and overall health of your vehicle. Learn why below.
Each day in the United States, nearly 50,000 vehicles sell on the market.
If you own a vehicle then you know that taking care of it is important. From changing the oil to new wheels, everything you do to prolong the life of the car makes your investment pay off more. Wheel alignment is one of those maintenance issues that you need to make sure and have done, and there are several reasons why.
Let’s break down some of the reasons why you should get your wheels aligned.
1. The Impact on Tires
If a vehicle isn’t aligned, the tires are going to take a beating. They will begin to show wear and tear in specific areas because they aren’t making contact with the road the way they should. This will lower the life expectancy of your tires and can lead you to have to replace tires that should still be good.
The average tire for a car costs around $100 and if you are driving a pickup they can cost double that. SUVs will also cost more for a tire, and if you are driving around a vehicle that isn’t aligned, you will have to replace all of your tires. This means you are looking at $400 minimum over time.
Tires wear and tear can cost a lot of money. If you’re buying nice tires or cheap tires won’t matter if you’re suffering from alignment issues. Each tire you replace can cost up to hundreds of dollars, and you can avoid all of that by making sure your alignment is checked and set.
2. Balancing Tires
If your tires are out of balance and your vehicle isn’t in alignment, you’ll begin to notice vibrations. These can be distracting, disorientating, and dangerous. A lot of this has to do with the fact that as the wheels wear down, they will unbalance and pressure won’t distribute evenly.
Even if you get your tires balanced and the wheels are out of alignment, you will continue to suffer. This can lead you to lose money trying to fix a problem, instead of addressing the problem head-on. The last thing you want is deformed tires or a vibrating vehicle to drive around.
3. Staying on the Road
One of the big symptoms of a vehicle needing alignment is that it will pull one way or the other. You may not have much warning before you end up on the shoulder of the highway or hitting a curb. In a worst-case scenario, you could be in an accident caused by not having your wheels aligned.
When your vehicle suffers from wheel misalignment, driving becomes more complicated. You will have to make constant corrections in order to stay going in a straight line. These corrections will be continuous, and if you let go of the wheel your vehicle will begin to turn on its own.
The handling of the vehicle will be bad, even if the issue is small and the wheels remain on the road. This increases stress and distraction which can also lead to an accident. If you continue to drive like this, you will do increasing damage to your tires as well.
4. Gas Mileage
One aspect of wheel alignment that people don’t think about is that when your vehicle is misaligned it will have higher gas usage. Anything which interferes with the smooth operation of your vehicle and the proper distribution of weight on your tires will increase the amount of gas you burn.
As your tires become damaged from misalignment, they will begin to square off on several sides. This means that the wheel won’t roll well, and that will increase the amount of drag and friction that is created. As a result, your engine will have to work harder in order to keep the vehicle going at the same speed.
The more the engine works, the more gas it requires. Don’t risk having your vehicle cost you even more money to drive around. With just a few alignment measurements a good shop can have you back up and running, though you may have to replace your tires.
Warning Signs
There could be other warning signs to look out for when it comes to wheel alignment. If you pay attention to how your vehicle feels when you drive it, you should begin to notice a difference if the wheels are out of alignment. Vibrations when you accelerate and at first you may notice a little pull in the steering wheel.
With a good sense of how your car drives, you can figure out something is wrong before you begin to suffer too many problems. Remember that not all shops work on wheel alignment, so make sure that you choose one that does. This will help you get the best possible service for your vehicle.
Wheel Alignment
When you hear about wheel alignment, it refers to adjusting the tire so that it is straight up and down or angled as the manufacturer requires. This adjustment doesn’t take long, but it will improve handling, tire wear, and other aspects of your vehicle. A lot of things can throw alignment out, such as impacts or normal wear and tear.
If you want to maintain optimal wheel alignment and safety of your vehicle, consider getting it aligned every 2-3 years. The process isn’t long or difficult and most shops will charge around $100 for the work. This makes it easy for anyone to afford proper maintenance every few years.
Your Tires, Your Car
Remember that having wheel alignment work done isn’t just to make the car feel better driving. It is an earnest safety issue and consideration to make. You want the car to go where you point it without having to wrestle the steering wheel.
Fast corrections and other maneuvers are not as easy to pull off without wheel alignment, which could lead you to big trouble on the highway. If you have any questions or want to schedule a service, please feel free to contact us.