Precise Alignment Service
Why Cars Need Alignment!
When your vehicle is out of alignment, three basic problems may occur. You may experience irregular tire wear, handling problems or a crooked steering wheel.
With irregular tire wear you will notice the wear begin on the should of your tires and will continue until it is corrected. This issue may lead to a shorter tire life, costing you more money in the long term.
You may also experience pulling to one side or the other, requiring you to constantly correct your vehicle to maintain a straight path. You may also notice a crooked steering wheel, which is just another indicator of misalignment.
If you have noticed any of these issues on your vehicle then we suggest you come in for an alignment as soon as possible. Ignoring these problems can make your alignment repair significantly more expensive down the road.
3 Signs Your Vehicle Needs Alignment
When you drive your vehicle, if you let go of your steering wheel, it should stay centered. It may drift a little if the road is curved downwards to the left or right for drainage purposes, but your steering wheel should stay straight for the most part. If you let go of your steering wheel while you are driving and it pulls harshly to the left or the right, that is a string signs that your vehicle is out of alignment. You may also feel this pull when you are driving. It shouldn’t take a lot of effort to keep your vehicle driving straight. This warning sign is more obvious with front-wheel drive vehicles and less obvious with four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles. When you get your tires aligned, the mechanic will make sure your tires align with your steering column. This should eliminate the pull you feel and see on your steering wheel while you drive.
All of your tires should ideally wear down at the same rate, provided you properly rotate them at the recommended mileage for your vehicle. The tread should wear down in the center of your tires, where your tires have the most contact with your vehicle. When your vehicle is not properly aligned, you may start to see abnormal wear patterns on your tires. Specifically, you will notice that your tires seem to be wearing down more on one side or edge than on the other. Your vehicle being out of alignment generally causes this type f abnormal wear pattern. You want your tires to wear down evenly. This will provide you with the smoothest ride. When your tires wear evenly, you will also be able to replace them all at the same time, which is the ideal way to replace your tires.
When you hold onto your steering wheel, you may feel the bumps in the road as you go over them but you shouldn’t feel your steering wheel move at all. Your steering wheel should not vibrate. When your alignment is off, your steering wheel may vibrate. If your tires are off balance of out of alignment, they can cause vibrations in your steering wheel. They can get off balance if you drive over a pothole or participate in general off-raoding activities. You may not feel your steering wheel vibrate when you are driving at slower speeds through town. However, when you get on the freeway or drive roads with a higher speed limit, you will start o feel the vibrations more. You feel the vibrations more at higher speeds because your tires are rotating faster. Over time, if you don’t get your vehicle aligned, the vibrations will get worse. This can compromise your ability to keep a good grip on your steering wheel and drive safely down the road.
