Driving on rough terrain, hitting pot holes, and bumping curbs can make your wheel alignment off center and uneven. In addition to changing the way your car drives, misaligned wheels can also cause uneven wear on your tires which can shorten their lifespan and require a costly replacement sooner than should be necessary.
However, there are some tell-tale ways your vehicle can show you that the wheels have become misaligned. Check out MASRepairs list of the easiest ways to know that you need a steering wheel alignment so you can recognize them quickly before they cause you to need a new set of tires or worse – cause a life threatening accident.
Top 3 Tips for Alignment Checkups
Sign 1: You Have to Turn your Wheel to Drive Straight
Driving straight should be easy and you should be able to do so without turning the wheel at all. If you find yourself keeping the wheel at an angle all day in order to simply go straight, there is a good chance that you should have your alignment checked.
Sign 2: Your Vehicle Drives at an Angle
If you suspect that your tires are not aligned properly, take your vehicle into a large empty parking lot and slowly drive without touching the wheel. It should drive straight without any assistance from you. However, if it seems to be pulling to one side or consistently driving at an angle that is a sign that one or two of your wheels are not in alignment with the others.
Sign 3: Uneven Tire Wear
While more difficult to diagnose as only an alignment problem, uneven tire wear can also be a sign that your tires are not in alignment. If the tread is worn off of one side of your tire but not the others, that could be due to steering wheel alignment issues – or alignment issues coupled with other issues. You should take your vehicle to an auto body shop to have the alignment checked.
Recognizing Alignment Issues Can Save You Money
Uneven wear and tear on your tires can cause you to need to replace them much sooner than you would if your car maintained proper wheel alignment. Buying a new set of tires could run you anywhere from $100-$500 depending on the number of tires that need replacing. However, checking for proper alignment, and having your wheels realigned when necessary, usually only costs $60-$100 – which saves you a lot of money in the long run!
Here at MAS Repair, we love to help our customers save money on their car maintenance and repair problems. That’s why we offer an economical and convenient repair and refurbishment service for broken or malfunctioning vehicle control units from our Buford workshop.
Save money on your vehicle control unit repairs and get your car safely back on the road at a fraction of the price of what it would cost at expensive dealerships and auto body shops. Learn more about our repair service and contact us for more information.