When Does Your Car Need Wheel Alignment?

Owning a car comes with a lot of responsibilities that car owners ignore. You have to take care of your vehicle and maintain it regularly to get the most out of it. If you don’t take proper care, then it would not only damage your vehicle but also leads to accidents. So, being a car owner, car wheel alignment is one of the major things that you need to take care of.

However, Did you ever noticed that your car is pulling to one side while driving? If yes, then your car tyre is not properly aligned, Apart from this, some other signs show your misaligned wheel as well.

As part of the tire alignment process, each wheel is checked and adjusted with respect to its neighbor as well as the car. Incorrect car wheel alignment would result in the reduction of the life of the tire. Proper wheel alignment is needed for good handling capability and plays an important role in increasing tire life.

But, you might ask, “How often do you need wheel alignment service?” We are writing this article to answer your question and give an efficient solution to your problem.

Therefore, in this blog, we will be discussing the signs that indicate when your vehicle needs a wheel alignment. Before discussing the different scenarios, we must know what wheel alignment is. So, keep reading this to learn more about tyre alignment.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT

Contrary to popular belief, wheel alignment has nothing to do with the wheels or the tires. Instead, wheel alignment is the alignment of the suspension system. The suspension is what connects the vehicle with the wheels. Ultimately, wheel alignment comes down to the angles at which the tyres make contact with the road.

Therefore, if the angles are incorrect, you will suffer from misalignment. Even, tyres get damaged by driving over potholes, accidents, or even hitting the curb. Worn-out parts in the suspension system and modifications to the car’s height are also responsible for misalignment.

Now you know what wheel alignment is. Therefore, it is time to discuss the different scenarios in which your car needs a wheel alignment.

Signs You Need Car Wheel Alignment

Irregular Tread Wear

When the vehicle is suffering from misalignment, you will experience uneven tread wear in your tires. By having a quick look at your tyres, you can decide whether they are suffering from irregular tread wear or not. If your wheel is not properly aligned, you will see abnormal wear patterns on your tyre. You will notice that your tires get wearing down more on one side than on the other. Ideally, the safest option is to get your alignment checked after 8000 km by a professional.

The Vehicle Pulls To One Side

As mentioned above, if the vehicle starts pulling to the left or right side, you will need to get a wheel alignment. The pull is not something that you will not realize as it is very obvious when a car pulls to one side.

Steering Wheel Is Off-Center

How do you get to know the sign of a misaligned vehicle? If the steering wheel remains off-center even while driving straight, you need to book an appointment with a professional mechanic quickly. When you drive down a straight road, then check whether your steering wheel is aligned. An easy way to identify whether the steering is off-center or not is to check if the logo in the middle of the wheel is centered.

Steering Wheel Vibration

Despite the perfectly smooth road, if you feel vibrations in the steering wheel when you are accelerating, then it is a sign that you need to get your wheels properly aligned. It happens because the car tyres are pulling in opposite directions.

Improper Wheel Alignment Of Front & Rear Wheels

The front and rear wheel angles of your car are distorted prior to wheel alignment, which affects your car's thrustline. This indicates that your car is not moving in a straight path when you are driving.

But, when both your vehicle’s rear and front wheels are measured and properly aligned, the thrustline gets in a straight line. This results in getting the wheel properly aligned with the center line which helps in the stable movement of your vehicle while driving. Having properly aligned front and rear wheels helps in providing a smooth, stable, and secure ride.

How Often Should You Need Car Tire Alignment?

The time when you need to do car wheel alignment can vary significantly depending on the type of vehicle you drive, your driving style, and other factors. Most car mechanics suggest getting a proper wheels alignment service after every two to three years. Also, one of the best things to do is to follow the car’s manual.

If the owner’s manual doesn’t specify the time interval how often you should have your wheels realigned, then bring your car to your nearest PitStopArabia online car tyre shop once a year. Usually, tyre alignment will get slightly off after one or two years of driving. Well, you may not need your wheels realigned every year if your car doesn’t drift to one side, holds the road well, or has evenly worn tires.

Additionally, some other things to note are that there are specific circumstances that may cause your car to require wheel alignment and wheel balancing more often. Cars with large tires or high-performance vehicles usually need to have their wheels aligned on a more frequent basis. On average, you should consider getting a tire alignment and wheel balancing service whenever you install new tires on your vehicle, and get it checked every 5,000 to 6,000 kilometers.

Which Tyre Misalignment Issues You Can Treat Yourself?

It is considered best to leave the wheel alignment problem in the hands of professionals, but there are some steps you can take by yourself to avoid misalignment. Some of the steps include:

• Remove the heavy items from your car trunk. If you put too much weight on your vehicle's back end, it can throw off your alignment. So, remove the items which you don’t need, and then make sure to check your alignment.
• Maintain car tire pressure.
• Make sure you drive conservatively. By doing so, less strain will be placed on steering and suspension components, which are essential in maintaining proper alignment.

Conclusion

With this guide, you will learn how often you need a car wheel alignment and what happens if you don’t do it. You might not even realize that you have a misaligned tire. If you want to check the tire alignment of your car, but are unsure about it how to perform it, search ‘car wheel alignment near me’. At PitStopArabia, we provide tire alignment services on many vehicles. So, if you want to get your tires aligned, book an appointment for service.