TIRECRAFT’s Guide To Revolutionizing Your Ride With Proper Wheel Alignment
Whether you’re commuting to work, going on a road trip, or simply driving around town, the way your vehicle handles the road can significantly impact your driving experience. An overlooked aspect of a vehicle’s maintenance that plays a crucial role in optimizing performance and enhancing safety is wheel alignment. Let’s take a look at how proper wheel alignment can revolutionize your ride in this short guide.
What Is Wheel Alignment?
Wheel alignment is the adjustment of the angles of your vehicle’s wheels, ensuring they are parallel to each other. It is done to get your car’s wheels back in the right position. It involves adjusting the angles of the steering and suspension parts to match the original specifications. This ensures the front and rear wheels are straight and aligned with the center of the car. Over time, factors such as potholes, rough roads, and general wear and tear can cause your wheels to fall out of alignment.
When And Why Is Wheel Alignment Done?
Our skilled technicians can inspect your vehicle and decide how often you should receive an alignment. Generally, during every oil change or when you have driven about 9,500 Kilometers, your vehicle could also receive a wheel alignment. If you do not undertake wheel alignment, it can negatively impact your gas mileage, cause the vehicle’s tires to wear out sooner and reduce your ability to drive. These are all important considerations that should not be overlooked.
Reasons That Cause Misalignment Of Wheels
You can figure out if your car needs a tire alignment by looking for a few signs. If you notice any of these things happening, it’s a good idea to have a licensed service technician check your alignment right away.
- The tires wearing out unevenly.
- Car drifting to the left or right when you’re driving.
- The steering wheel is not being straight when you’re going straight.
- Feeling vibrations in the steering wheel.
The Technician’s Role
When a technician assesses your vehicle’s alignment, they focus on three crucial components: camber, toe, and caster. These aspects play a pivotal role in ensuring that your vehicle’s wheels are properly aligned, which is essential for maintaining optimal performance and safety on the road.
Camber: The chamber is how much your tire tilts in or out when you look at it from the front of your vehicle. If it tilts in or out too much, it means the alignment is off, and it should be fixed. Worn-out bearings, ball joints, and other parts in the wheel suspension can cause this misalignment.
Toe: Toe alignment is about how much your tires turn in or out when you look down at them from above. If they angle inward, it’s called toe-in alignment and if they angle outward, it’s called toe-out alignment. Both types need adjusting to make sure your tires are set correctly.
Caster: The caster angle is important for steering balance and stability. When you look at it from the side of your car, a positive caster tilts the steering axis toward the driver, while a negative caster tilts it toward the front of your car.
At TIRECRAFT, our skilled technicians are experts in performing wheel alignments. To access our services, simply utilize the ‘Find a TIRECRAFT’ tool on our website to locate our nearest facility. We’re eager to help you address not only your wheel alignment concerns but also any other issues your vehicle may be experiencing.
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