The name of the poor wheel alignment game is uneven tire wear. Ideally, tires should wear evenly across the tread. If you’re noticing excessive wear on the rear inside tires, you may have too much junk in the trunk or need an alignment adjustment. Uneven tire wear can also result in less MPGs and more pain at the gas pump.
Quick Fact: Poor alignment can shorten a tire’s life by thousands of miles and compromise very crucial steering and suspension parts. That’s a big hit to the wallet. If you don’t want to replace tires as often and enjoy the benefits of better fuel economy, have your alignment checked, at the very least, with every other oil change or at the first sign of uneven or premature tire wear.
How can I tell if my car’s alignment is off?
There are some noticeable signs that could indicate a misalignment. Just use your eyes, ears and hands. Your senses (and even the good old personal hunch) are good human capital for spotting poor alignment. Here are some common signs that you are dealing with wheels with poor alignment:
- Vehicle pulling to the left or right
- Uneven or rapid tire wear
- Your steering wheel is crooked when driving straight
- Squealing tires
Noticing any of these alignment issues? Let’s get your ride pointing in the right direction again. Schedule an Appointment Today
What are some misalignment issues I can remedy myself?
Looks like we’ve got an avid problem solver in the house. Well, let’s put your skills to work and do some solving. Even if everything feels right, and no symptoms are present, there are some more alignment issues that you can remedy yourself.
Try these out:
- Remove junk from your trunk. Alignment is based on tire angles, which go hand-in-hand with vehicle chassis height. If you have too much weight loading down your back end, that lowers your vehicle height, throwing off your alignment. Remove what you don’t need, and make sure to have your alignment check since your alignment can’t adjust itself.
- Maintain correct air pressure in your tires.
- Embrace conservative driving. It will place less strain on steering and suspension components which are key to maintaining proper alignment.