Having your car’s wheels aligned to the preferred specs will improve fuel economy, make your tires last longer, and provide a smoother and safer ride. An important vehicle maintenance item, wheel alignment is simply the process of making sure the wheels of a car are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the road. When tires are misaligned, they wear out faster, your car won’t handle as well, braking can be affected, and traction can be reduced.

When tires are properly aligned, you will see a host of benefits like:

• Longer Lifespan for Tires and Other Parts:

Although it may not be the most obvious benefit at first, it will save you the most money in the long run. Keeping up with your tires, including their rotation and alignment, will help maintain your axles, brakes, shock absorbers, and suspension.

• A Smoother Ride: 

Regular tire rotations and keeping your alignment well maintained will provide you with a more comfortable ride. In fact, if your car begins to ride uneven or you start to feel bumps harder it is probably time to have someone check your alignment and suspension.

• A Safer Ride: 

It almost goes without saying, but your vehicle is safest when it is functioning properly and anything to do with the performance of your tires is critical for you to upkeep. If you’re worried about your car’s performance, it is probably time to take it in to your local auto body shop.

• Better Gas Mileage: 

That’s right, in addition to saving money on parts and service for your car you will also save money on gas. Proper alignment and inflation of your tires is key to maximizing this benefit.

How to Tell When You Should Have Your Tires Checked

The most obvious sign that your car needs an alignment is in the steering and tire wear. You may find that your vehicle pulls left or right, or your steering wheel may not be centered correctly. The tires themselves can also give you a clue that they’re misaligned, with uneven tread wear.

Causes for Tire Misalignment

Driving through potholes, bumping curbs, and minor collisions can all cause a vehicle’s wheels to go out of alignment. Worn and damaged parts can also cause issues that lead to improper alignment. In addition, some repairs require an alignment to be done, such as those involving the suspension, steering, struts, tie rods, or control arms.

What to Do About Alignment Problems

To keep your vehicle driving safely and efficiently, have your wheels checked by a qualified technician as soon as you notice a problem. Even if your car seems to be driving fine, it’s a good idea to have regular alignment checks during every other oil change to catch issues early. An alignment should be performed every 15,000 miles or sooner. If it seems like too much of a hassle or expense, remember that it’s much less expensive to align tires than it is to buy a whole new set, and vastly less expensive than repairing the damage misalignment can cause.

How Do Mechanics Check Tire Alignment? 

When one of our mechanics looks at your vehicle, they will investigate every part that is possibly related to any issue you’re having. When it comes to tire alignment, they will primarily focus on the camber, toe, and caster of your tires. What do these terms mean?

• Camber: This is the inward or outward angle of the tire when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Too much inward or outward tilt, also known as negative and positive camber, respectively, indicates improper alignment and will need to be adjusted. Worn bearings, ball joints, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment.
• Toe: Distinct from camber alignment, toe alignment is the extent to which your tires turn inward or outward when viewed from above. If that’s confusing, just stand up and look down at your feet. Angle them inward toward the center of your body. When the tires on your car are angled the same way (remember, we’re thinking in terms of birds-eye-view), we call this toe-in alignment. Angle your feet outward and you have toe-out alignment. Both require adjustment.
• Caster: Your caster angle helps balance steering, stability, and cornering. Specifically, it’s the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of your vehicle. If your vehicle has positive caster, the steering axis will tilt toward the driver. Negative caster means the steering axis tilts toward the front of your vehicle.

What Other Parts Are Impacted By Alignment?

Tires are the easiest to observe when it comes to the impacts of bad alignment, but your vehicle’s suspension and steering systems are impacted as well. Why is that important? Well, let’s look at what each one does:

• • Suspension System: Your car’s suspension system is responsible for smoothing out the ride and keeping the car in control. Specifically, the suspension system maximizes the friction between the tires and the road to provide steering stability and good handling. The suspension system also provides additional comfort for passengers by limiting the impact of road conditions on the vehicle’s ride. The suspension system is made up of several components, including the chassis, which holds the cab of the car. The springs support the vehicle weight and absorb and reduce excess energy from road shocks, along with the shock absorbers and struts. Worn suspension components may reduce the stability of the vehicle and reduce driver control, as well as accelerate wear on other suspension system components.
• Steering System: Made up of the steering wheel, steering box, and either controls arms or a rack-and-pinion, the steering system of course makes it easier to control the vehicle. With the advent of power steering and now computer assisted driving features, it is more important than ever to maintain and check on these complex parts. Wear from a poor alignment can mess with both the components themselves and the sensors that help automated systems make the best decisions when it comes to guiding your driving.

Where Can I go to get a Tire Alignment?

Right here to Skip’s Garage in Plaistow, NH. Our expert technicians are well versed in tire alignment and have plenty of experience with major OEMs. If you have questions about parts or service, want to know more about OEM vs aftermarket parts, or just need someone to check your vehicle our team is here for you. Give us a call or send us an online form and we will help you with all of your automotive needs.