Let’s talk about wheel alignment in this blog post! Every time you get a new set of tires for your car, truck, or utility vehicle, you should have the wheels aligned. After this time, the general recommendation for wheel alignment is every one to two years depending on how much you drive. You should also have your wheels aligned if you knock them out of alignment prematurely. Don’t worry. Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostic’s and Repair can align your wheels when they need it.
Why Alignment Is Important
Wheel alignment is important because it ensures that the tire tread is flush with the pavement. This not only reduces uneven tire tread wear but also makes controlling your automobile easier, especially in inclement weather. Your wheels are aligned in several different ways. They are
- Toe-in and toe-out alignment to straighten the wheels from right to left
- Camber alignment to straighten the wheels from top to bottom
- Caster alignment for straight-line tracking
- Four-wheel alignment to align the wheels against each other
- Thrust-angle alignment to align the wheels against the thrust angle
When your wheels are perfectly aligned, all of the tire tread surfaces touch the pavement. In addition, controlling your automobile is optimal at this point. A perfectly aligned automobile also heads straight without any assistance from the driver.
Things That Knock the Alignment Out of Whack
As we mentioned above, you may need to get your wheels realigned before the one to two years are up if you knock the wheels out of alignment. It’s easier than you might think to knock the alignment out of whack, especially with the rough roads throughout the land. Things that will knock your wheel alignment out of whack include
- Road bumps
- Curbs
- Automobile accidents
- Space markers
- Potholes
- Speed bumps
- Road construction
It’s important to take these road hazards seriously in order to protect your wheel alignment. For example, did you know that the maximum speed you should drive over a speed bump is five miles per hour? Did you know that flying through a pothole cannot only knock your wheels out of alignment but also break an axle? Take it slow when dealing with road hazards.
Signs That My Wheels Are Not Aligned
It’s possible that your wheels are already out of alignment, especially if you haven’t had them aligned in over two years. If you fight to keep your vehicle headed in a straight direction, this is a sign that your wheels are not aligned properly. Another way to determine whether your wheels are aligned is to look at your steering wheel logo when the tires are pointed straight. If the logo is off-center, your wheels are not aligned.
Call Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostic’s and Repair in St. George, UT, today if you need to have your wheel alignment readjusted.
