How do driving conditions affect my vehicle’s wheel alignment?

Bad roads can your wheels’ worst enemy. If you drive down poorly maintained roads, drive through pot holes, or even hit a curb, your alignment can be greatly affected.

This can cause even the slightest, tiniest alignment issue, which can accelerate uneven tire wear. Make sure you have your alignment checked every 6,000 miles or so. Your tires and your wallet will thank you later.

Repeat after us: A wheel alignment ensures optimal drivability. It will help your tires last longer, your vehicle drive smoother, ultimately keeping your wheels pointed in the right direction. And, when it drives more smoothly, it’s smooth sailing—or should we say cruising—ahead. Plus, your car will require less energy to keep going, potentially saving a ton of fuel depending on how much alignment was required.

When your car rolled off the manufacturer assembly line, it came preset with special angles that position your tires correctly. And for good reason. In order for your vehicle to travel the way it’s supposed to, it will need precise alignment. Mis-alignment can lead to uneven tire wear, poor handling and shorter tire life. Tires are expensive. Keeping them aligned isn’t.

Are there any warning lights that indicate an alignment problem?

Nope. Sorry. Regular checkups are a good defense though.

What does tire wear mean to my car’s alignment?

The name of the poor alignment game is uneven tire wear. Ideally, tires should wear evenly across the tread. If you’re noticing excessive wear on the rear inside tires, you may have too much junk in the trunk or need an alignment adjustment. Uneven tire wear can also result in less MPGs and more pain at the gas pump.

Quick Fact: Poor alignment can shorten a tire’s life by thousands of miles and compromise very crucial steering and suspension parts. That’s a big hit to the wallet. If you don’t want to replace tires as often and enjoy the benefits of better fuel economy, have your alignment checked, at the very least, with every other oil change or at the first sign of uneven or premature tire wear.

How can I tell if my car’s alignment is off?

There are some noticeable signs that could indicate a misalignment. Just use your eyes, ears and hands. Your senses (and even the good old personal hunch) are good human capital for spotting poor alignment. Here are some common signs that you are dealing with wheels with poor alignment:

• Vehicle pulling to the left or right
• Uneven or rapid tire wear
• Your steering wheel is crooked when driving straight
• Squealing tires

Quick Tip: If you are unsure about your current alignment, please give us a call. Tire misalignment can be so subtle, you may not even realize it. Luckily for your wheels, we have the precision equipment and expertise to check your alignment and fix it if needed.

What are some misalignment issues I can remedy myself?

Looks like we’ve got an avid problem solver in the house. Well, let’s put your skills to work and do some solving. Even if everything feels right, and no symptoms are present, there are some more alignment issues that you can remedy yourself.

Try these out:

• Remove junk from your trunk. Alignment is based on tire angles, which go hand-in-hand with vehicle chassis height. If you have too much weight loading down your back end, that lowers your vehicle height, throwing off your alignment. Remove what you don’t need, and make sure to have your alignment check since your alignment can’t adjust itself.
• Maintain correct air pressure in your tires.
• Embrace conservative driving. It will place less strain on steering and suspension components which are key to maintaining proper alignment.