When driving your car it’s not unreasonable to expect all four wheels to point in the same direction!
However, over the course of time and everyday driving, a number of factors can affect the geometry of your car’s wheels, causing them to become misaligned. Wheel misalignment needs to be corrected if your car is to run safely, smoothly and efficiently.
The way that cars are designed and built has changed beyond all recognition over the last few decades – car components have evolved and so has the way that the steering and suspension set up is measured. Whilst modern cars are designed to offer great performance, handling and comfort, to make this possible the suspension and steering must be measured and then adjusted to meet the specifications of the manufacturer. The only way to achieve proper alignment is by measuring all four wheels with a professional four wheel alignment.
Your car may need a wheel alignment because over time the geometry of the wheels can become misaligned. Misalignment can happen for a wide variety of reasons but the most common tend to be everyday driving such as hitting potholes or kerbs, wearing out of suspension parts and incorrect initial adjustment.
Having your car’s wheels aligned will bring a wide range of benefits and is something that should be done at least once per year or every 12000-15000 miles. Incorrect wheel alignment is one of the most frequent causes of excessive tyre wear and if you arrange to have your car’s wheels aligned regularly, this can add thousands of miles to the life of your tyres.
Correct wheel alignment can also help you improve the fuel consumption of your vehicle. This is achieved by reducing the drag or rolling resistance – four wheel alignments will set the wheels in straight, parallel lines and this, combined with correct tyre pressures, will minimise drag.
Wheel alignment will also improve the handling of your car which is essential for safe and enjoyable driving. The majority of handling problems can be resolved by four wheel alignment, making your car more stable when cornering or taking emergency action to avoid a collision. The four wheel alignment procedure also includes a suspension system inspection, allowing for the identification of any worn parts which can then be replaced before they lead to more expensive problems.
It’s not always obvious that a car’s wheels are misaligned; if you’re wondering how to spot the signs, you need to look for uneven wear on the back or fronts of your tyres. This can be difficult to see so if you’re not sure, try running your hands over the tyre and you should be able to feel any areas on the edges that might have worn excessively. Another sign of misalignment is when a car pulls to the right and left – this will be especially noticeable if you are driving along a flat, straight road and you find yourself having to compensate through the steering to prevent the car from drifting. Finally a crooked steering wheel, even when you are driving in a straight line is a sure sign of wheel misalignment!
Four wheel alignments shouldn’t be confused with wheel tracking which is now recognised as being far less effective on modern cars. Tracking was generally used on the front wheels of a vehicle only without taking into account whether the rear wheels were also aligned. This often resulted in the front wheels being correctly aligned with the rear wheels out of alignment, leading to handling and tyre wear problems.
You’ll find that there are many garages and workshops offering wheel alignment checks and services. Unlike other garages, here at Ladyroyd Garage our wheel alignment service covers all four wheels and we measure all four wheels simultaneously. So if you’re looking for a reliable, effective and professional wheel alignment service, why not book your car in for a wheel alignment check with us today?
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