Driving with your car's wheels out of alignment can not only affect your ability to properly steer your car, but can also wear down your tires excessively and unevenly. If you're reading this, you're probably wondering how you can tell if your car needs an alignment and what you can do to test it. Let's talk about how to identify bad wheel alignment and the benefits of having it fixed!
Getting a wheel alignment performed will realign the angles of your wheels so that your car travels straight and true. Over time, your wheels can fall out of alignment just with normal use of your vehicle. Also, you may find that your wheels are forced out of alignment if, for example, you hit a pothole or a speed bump at a high speed. Typically, your car will need a wheel alignment every 2 years or so.
So, how can you tell if you need a wheel alignment performed? Here are some of the symptoms to look out for:
- First and foremost, to test if you need a wheel alignment, see how your vehicle reacts when you drive straight. Do you find that your vehicle pulls to the left or right, especially when you don't put pressure on the steering wheel? This can be a tell-tale sign that you need a wheel alignment.
- Do you notice that your tires look very worn and have uneven tread? This can also be caused by driving for an extended period of time with misaligned wheels.
- Is your steering wheel crooked?
- Are your tires squealing when you turn your vehicle?
If you're experiencing any of the signs listed above, chances are you are due for a wheel alignment. The sooner you have this service performed, the better off your tires will be. You don't want to have to shell out hundreds on new tires, so pay attention to these warning signs.
The most successful test, however, is whether or not your vehicle travels straight. Veering to the left or right is almost always a symptom of bad wheel alignment.
If you need a wheel alignment in Palmer, AK, we invite you to bring your car to Edmonds today!