Wheel Alignments Explained
When you’re driving down the road does your car pull one way or another? If it does this may mean your vehicle is out of alignment. You need to get in the shop and have it checked if you’re experiencing this.
Wheel alignments are part of normal automotive maintenance. What it does is makes sure your wheels are running down the road in a basic straight line. By design however when properly aligned you should experience an ever so slight drift to the right. This is a safety feature that if you were to fall asleep at the wheel you would drift off the road instead of into oncoming traffic.
Cars out of alignment can excessively wear out tires. Worn out tires present their own set of safety issues for blowout. A visible inspection of excessive tire wear on one side of the tire or the other is a clear indication you need to visit the shop. Additionally, worn tires will need to be replaced adding to the cost of repairs. Alignments can save you money!
Several things can be going on with your vehicle if it’s out of alignment. Your vehicle can become out of alignment by simply hitting a large pot hole or curb. Having your vehicle regularly checked will prolong the life of your tires and reduce drag because you’re having to over compensate the steering wheel.
From a safety stand point if your vehicles are out of alignment tires are running basically crooked down the road. What that does is heats up a tire to the point of potential blow out. At 70 MPH this is a scary thing to happen. With more drag to push the car down the road, you get less fuel economy because your engine is working harder to move the vehicle.
If you do any custom work such as wheels and tires, be sure you get an alignment check just to be sure. You certainly don’t want cool tires to begin to wear out prematurely.
Vehicle maintenance is never a fun thing to have to pay for. However, it is so much less to pay a little now than to get an alignment and a new set of tires. We understand that family budgets are stretched to the limits. So we give you information that though sounds self-serving it truly will save you money in the long run.
Doing regular scheduled maintenance following your car, truck or SUV OEM standards can literally save you thousands of dollars in repairs over the lifespan of your vehicle.