Why is Wheel alignment important? All you need to know.

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Think of this! You are driving straight, but your car is pulling to one side or another. Your drive is leading you to a way you don’t plan to ride to. You are also likely to notice that your car is vibrating. This can indicate alignment issues with the wheel. But what exactly does wheel alignment mean?

It means the angle of the wheels must be in the correct relative position with the vehicle’s body. The steering and suspension components should be in appropriate specifications. If you have noisy steering or squealing tires, know that your car is out of alignment.

But why is wheel alignment important? It can save you from the risk of accidents. Yes, you read that right. Misaligned wheels can put your lives at risk as it can cause the tires to wear out which can blowout anytime.

Continue reading. We have compiled a list of reasons to help you figure out WHY, in detail.

How important is wheel alignment?

Wheel alignment is extremely important for a number of reasons. It can yield various benefits and avoid damage to your car. The crucial pointers discussed below will help you know the benefits of wheel alignment.

1. Ensures safety

Do you want to drive your car with a fear of risking your life? Of course not! Nobody wants that. But if the wheels of your car are not aligned properly it can be risky to continue driving.

Misalignment can cause you difficulty in rotating the steering wheel. It can lead you to compromise with the handling of your car and invite trouble wherever you travel.

Wheel alignment is also important so that the movement of the tires is not hampered. Misaligned tires can cause uneven movement. It can increase the stress on the components of vehicle suspension that can result in wear and tear of the tyres, making it unsafe for you to drive.

Thus, it is important to improve the handling of your vehicle. Your safety comes first. So that is why wheel alignment is important.

2. Smooth Ride

If the wheels are not properly aligned, it can cause your car to go left or right, even if the steering is aimed straight. It can be tiring, distracting and inefficient to keep adjusting the steering wheel. To make amends for bad tires, you should take it to the nearest service centre.

Proper wheel adjustment can help you achieve a smooth drive. Aligned steering wheel and car tires mean everything is properly functioning. It implies that the wheels won’t wear out before time and you won’t experience any steering difficulties. It will ensure appropriate acceleration and save a lot of fuel.

3. Increased longevity of your vehicle

By now it is very clear that tire alignment is necessary. This will ensure an increased life-span of the tires by avoiding acceleration tread wear on the car components. Subsequently, it is beneficial by increasing the life of your vehicle.

Basically, aligned wheels also protect the suspension of the car. It helps you prevent the bumpy ride or any vibrations that you might experience as a result of misaligned tires. This also helps in keeping your vehicle’s handling characteristics in place without affecting its performance.

That is one of the reasons why wheel alignment is important.

4. Prevent expensive repairs

Continuing to drive your car with misaligned tires can cause premature wearing of the car components. This can cause further damage to the suspension and steering systems.

Sooner or later, you will have to take your car to a mechanic to get the repairs done and fix the harm caused to the suspension and steering system. This will result in draining a lot of money on getting these repairs.

To avoid these expensive auto repairs, you must ensure that the wheels are aligned properly.

5. Increase fuel efficiency

It is crucial to ensure that the wheels are aligned at proper angles. Improperly aligned tires can lead to bad mileage. The engine’s work is increased as it has to now work harder to set your car in motion. This results in reduced fuel efficiency.

To conserve the fuel and save more on the car gas, you must take a note of keeping the wheels aligned. Aligned tires provide higher mileage as the resistance to rolling is reduced. You will be able to save the fuel by 7-10%.

How does the wheel alignment get affected?

There are some factors that can change the alignment of the wheel. Some of them are discussed below-

• Driving your car on rough terrain can be the culprit in changing the wheel alignment. Any potholes on the way can drastically damage the tires and cause them to misalign.
• A minor accident can definitely affect the alignment of the car’s tires. It can cause your car to experience a shock. As a result, the car strut, which is a major structural part of the suspension, can become loose affecting the wheel alignment.
• If you have modified the height of your vehicle, especially considered lifting, it can get your car out of alignment. The suspension of the car works within the specified height. Consider adjusting the suspension along with lifting to avoid the wheel alignment going bad.

How to know if the car wheel needs alignment?

To identify the symptoms of the car out alignment, you must notice for the following things -

• See if you are experiencing a bumpy ride even while driving on smooth roads without any potholes.
• Pay attention to steering wheel shakes. You might feel vibrations through the steering wheel and struggling to keep it straight.
• Even after aiming a straight steering, you are going different directions. Your vehicle might pull you to the left and right.

These warning signs of misaligned wheels indicate that it is time to check the wheels and get the wheels aligned.

How much can wheel alignment cost you?

Now that you can identify the symptoms and know that the wheel needs alignment, let’s figure out how much it can cost.

Wheel alignment costs can be somewhere between $125 to $160. The mechanics and technicians identify the angles at which the misalignment can be corrected. They analyse three important checkpoints- the camber, caster and the toe. It is usually inspected visually but nowadays, most of them use an alignment machine.

The alignment costs depend upon various factors -

• The type of car you use is the primary factor that determines the cost. Owning a luxury car can mean expensive alignment costs. Such models require specialised design and equipment which is a time consuming task.
• Number of wheels that require alignment is another deciding factor. A front-end alignment is typically inexpensive as only two wheels on the front are involved. While a four wheel alignment would be much costlier.
• The wheel alignment costs also depend upon the location. Labour costs differ in local areas as compared to a well- equipped service centre.

Conclusion

Even though it can cost you extra dollars, adjusting your wheels offer you several benefits as discussed. Not only will it keep you safe on the road during the drive but also reduce rolling resistance.

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