Why is a Wheel Alignment
Important?
It’s no surprise that your vehicle will drive better during rush
hour, weekend cruising, or in daily stop-n-go traffic if all the wheels are pointed in the same
direction. That’s called wheel alignment. If your wheels are out of alignment you may
notice that your car pulls to one side or the other.
Something that you won’t notice right
away, but you will if you keep driving around town when
you’re out of alignment, is that your tires are
wearing unevenly and fairly quickly. That’s because when the
vehicle is pulling to one side, you have to steer it back
straight. The outside of the tire just wears out fast because
you’re constantly turning, which can be very exhausting on a
family
road trip – fighting to keep the vehicle
going straight down the road.
Some of the things that commonly throw a wheel out of
alignment are slamming into a pothole, smacking a curb or something like a rock. And it
doesn’t have to be a big shock, it can just be the regular bumps
and bangs of daily driving that add up and eventually take your
vehicle out of alignment. That’s why one of our advisors
may
suggest having your alignment checked periodically.
With an alignment service, we measure each wheel’s alignment
and to see where they are relative to factory specifications.
While we have the vehicle on the alignment rack, we inspect the
tires for wear as well as the suspension and steering components
for damage or wear – things that can contribute to
alignment problems. With some sedans you can adjust all
four wheels so we bring all wheels into alignment. On those
vehicles where you can only adjust the front wheels, we bring the
front into alignment relative to the rear.
Cost varies by whether or not it’s two or
four wheel adjustable. Four-wheel drive vehicles may have an
additional charge because they’re more difficult to align. At any
rate, it’s cheaper than having to replace tires every few months.
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