When you get your car serviced, sometimes it feels your mechanic or dealership is recommending work be done on your car you may not need. But that’s not the case when it comes to wheel alignments.
You might not notice the issues that crop up with misaligned wheels but eventually things start to change. You drift a bit more one way or the other on the road, the steering wheel being in the center definitely doesnt place the car in a straight line along the road - now it's definitely time to get your alignment looked at.
While not as glamourous as getting a shiny new set of tyres, it can provide some added benefit to your car and can save you money in the long run.
What happens during a wheel alignment?
Depending on your car’s make, your mechanic will need to set the camber (inward or outward tilt of the wheels when looking head on), caster (wheel tilt front or back looking from the side) and toe-in or toe-out (looking down at the wheels from above). Using highly specialised alignment equipment, he or she will measure the adjustments in fractions of an inch.
Why’s it so important?
There are many reasons why wheel alignment makes good sense. Here are just a few:
- Your tyres are showing abnormal wear. If the mechanic notices strange tyre wear, that your car wanders, it screeches when it turns a corner, or veers to the right or left when road tested, the first thing he or she will do is check your tyre pressure, steering and suspension for problems. If nothing’s amiss, they’ll move on to the wheel alignment.
- It will save you more in the long run. Driving every day changes your car's wheel alignment – you can thank all those potholes, speed bumps and uneven roads. A wheel alignment might look like an unnecessary expense but compare the price to having to get a new set of tyres or tyre repairs. When your alignment is off, your tyres wear unevenly, and you could be replacing them at twice the usual rate. At the end of the day, getting your wheel alignment right saves you money.
- Proper alignment increases your fuel efficiency. Poor wheel alignment creates rolling resistance with the road, which in turn means you’ll burn more fuel while your car tries to keep an even keel. Getting your alignment fixed will, therefore, save you extra dollars at the petrol pump.
- Your steering is tighter. Sometimes, when you have an alignment problem, your steering wheel starts to feel sloppy and loose. You might go to turn the wheel, and there's a small lag in response time – your car doesn't move in the right direction as quickly as it used to. You might also feel a vibration through the steering wheel as you drive (this could also be a symptom of a more significant problem, so make sure you see a professional as soon as possible).
- Your car performs better. A lot of things affect your car’s performance – including tyre misalignment. When it’s really off, you’ll be able to tell – the car will pull right or left when you let go of the wheel, even if the road is perfectly straight and flat. The further it veers out, the worse your problem and the sooner you’ll need to get it fixed. All these factors add up to you being less safe on the road – if you need to make a fast turn or dodge an obstruction, whether your wheels are aligned could save you and your loved ones’ lives.
Simply put, proper wheel alignment means added peace of mind while driving – and that’s priceless.