We get it here at Stringer Auto Repair. You don’t think about your wheel alignment. Most people don’t, which is why it’s easy for your wheels to become misaligned. The primary reason why wheel alignment is important is that it helps you control your automobile. Properly aligned wheels ensure that all of the tire’s tread meets the road. Let’s talk about wheel alignment and your car, truck, crossover, SUV, or van.
Signs Your Wheels Aren’t Aligned
You might not notice that your wheels aren’t aligned at first. Unless you knock them out of alignment severely in one instance, they will slowly misalign as you drive your car. Consequently, the signs that your wheels aren’t aligned are subtle at first and not noticeable until there is a greater problem. These signs are easy to spot once the wheel misalignment gets worse.
For example, you may find that you have to continually correct your steering to prevent your automobile from heading toward the right or the left. Your wheels are aligned to go straight when the steering wheel is straight and misaligned wheels will cause your automobile to pull to one side. Another sign is the steering wheel itself. If the logo in the center is off-center even though your wheels are straight, the wheels are not aligned.
Things That Knock the Alignment Off
You can easily knock your wheels out of alignment yourself by accident or if you engage in some bad driving habits. Things that knock wheels out of alignment include
- Automobile accidents
- Hitting concrete markers
- Hitting curbs
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Speeding over bumps
- Speeding over speed bumps
- Speeding through potholes
Some of these things happen by accident. For example, you may not see the pothole until it’s too late. Flying over bumps, speed bumps and through potholes, however, is something you can avoid. Protect your wheel alignment by handling these road hazards at slow speeds.
Best Times to Align the Wheels
It’s also important to keep your wheels maintained. As we said above, poor vehicle maintenance can cause your wheels to misalign. Wheel and tire maintenance should be done per your manufacturer’s recommendations just as you do the other factory-scheduled services. Generally, tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles, and the wheels should be balanced at that time, too. The best time to align your wheels is when you buy new tires when you’ve knocked them out of alignment, or every two years.
Stringer Auto Repair in Johnstown, OH, can check your wheel alignment and if your wheels need to be relined, we’d be happy to do so. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
