A complete guide to wheel alignment: Essential maintenance and servicing for your car.

What decides your vehicle’s safety and performance? Most car owners think it is the brakes or the clutch. However, they tend to forget about their wheels and tyres. Proper wheel alignment is the checkpoint that ensures your tyres are functioning efficiently. For the utmost security, you must regularly inspect your wheels for fitting, alignment, and balancing. But, in the day-to-day rush, it is quite common that vehicle owners neglect them. This is why it is important to always be on the lookout for signs of a malfunctioning vehicle. Find out the top symptoms of a misaligned wheel in this guide. Ensure your vehicle’s top condition with such essential Car servicing Corby. 

What are the signs of a misaligned wheel? 

A misaligned wheel could lead to a 10 percent decrease in your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. That leads to frequent refuelling and increased expenses. If you have been experiencing this currently, check your vehicle’s wheel alignment. The following are some simple signs of this issue: 

• Tread damage: Regularly check your tyre’s tread wear. It has been noticed that wheel alignment often causes uneven tread wear. One of your tyres could have more damage than the others. All of these point to inappropriate wheel alignment. 

• Excessive tyre wear: If changing your tyres frequently is becoming a headache, there could be problems with their fitting. This might include improper balancing, fitting or alignment. Such wheels cause excessive tread wear in one or more of your tyres. Therefore, pay attention to frequent tyre replacements, as it could signify poor alignment. 

• Vehicle pull: While driving, if your car is pulling or swerving to a particular side, there might be a misalignment in your wheels. A properly aligned wheel will move straight even without the use of a steering wheel. The misalignment is quite severe if you are experiencing excessive drifting in your vehicle. 

• Crooked steering wheel: A lot about your tyre’s conditions is known by your steering wheel’s functioning. For example, if your steering wheel’s position is uneven or crooked, even while driving on a straight and smooth path, it could point to a misaligned wheel. Any steering wheel that leans off-centre requires immediate alignment. 

• Overall discomfort: Excessive vibrations felt in the cabin while driving means your wheels have poor alignment. This also results in squealing or other unusual sounds from your tyres. Although such discomforts can often arise due to other issues, they mostly signify that it is high time you need to get your car serviced. 

• Inefficient vehicle control: Are you experiencing low braking efficiency on the road? Has your steering wheel become sloppy? Are you frequently losing vehicle control while cornering or turning? If your response to all or any of these questions was positive, then you must check your wheels. Although these signs could be due to a variety of reasons, improper wheel alignment is a major one of them. 

• Decreased fuel efficiency: A common cause of increased fuel consumption is tyre issues. This also includes improper wheel alignment. When they are misaligned, more energy is required to move the vehicle. This means there is an increase in the rolling resistance. All of this results in increased fuel consumption, and you need to check your tyres for alignment.

How to avoid wheel misalignment? 

Now that you know of misaligned wheels, how could you fix them? Fixing wheels that are poorly aligned is a professional task. You would have to get help from a skilled technician at any garage Corby. However, you can learn to avoid misalignment of wheels. The following are some tips for every car owner to avoid misalignment:  

• Maintain proper inflation of tyres. Check your car’s manual to find out the recommended inflation levels. 

• Regularly check your tyre’s conditions. 

• Rotate them frequently and on time. 

• Maintain a good driving style. Try to avoid rough terrain and roads with excessive potholes. 

• Use tyres that are appropriate for your driving pattern. If you are frequently driving on rough or rocky roads, select a fit that is specifically designed to handle the pressure. 

Why should poor alignment be fixed immediately? 

Fixing a poorly aligned wheel is essential for your car’s smooth functioning. If you tend to avoid the symptoms of improper wheel alignment, it could lead to major safety hazards. It is quite common for vehicle owners and drivers to avoid re-aligning their wheels. This could be due to many reasons. It is often considered unimportant and a waste of money. But it is essential to understand that improper wheel alignment cannot be fixed on its own. It requires the skills and experience of knowledgeable technicians. Avoiding this could even lead to irreparable damage to your tyres and car. 

 

At a garage, technicians work swiftly to offer efficient re-alignment of wheels. It is important to note that improper wheel alignment can cause overconsumption of fuel. It can lead to frequent tyre damage and tread wear. Inaccurate wheel alignment can also cause discomfort on the road. Driving with misaligned wheels can result in safety risks for you and your loved ones, along with others on the road. Hence, it is of utmost importance that you get your tyres realigned immediately. 

Prevent potential damages to your car due to misaligned wheels with routine servicing and checks. Choose services that ensure you get the most comfort and safety in every ride.