An aligned wheel steers fluidly. Making turns should be seamless. A driver should never be battling their own vehicle and physically have to force a turn- especially after a collision. For purposes of safety, comfort, and practicality, as a driver you need your wheel alignment to be intact so your steering functions effectively and easily. Unfortunately, it is easy to disrupt the functionality of your steering wheel, at which point it is critical to professionally service your car to identify what type of realignment needs to be performed.
Common Driving Situation that can cause Misalignment
Daily situations every driver faces on the road can influence your vehicle’s wheel alignment. Just the action of driving progressively influences the proper functionality of your wheel alignment because your tires are facing daily stress and pressure. Potential reason your wheel alignment may be influenced for the worse include:
- Automotive Accidents
- Curb Collision
- Contact with Potholes
- Reluctance to slow down over speed bumps
The more intense one of these contacts occur, the higher possibility / higher severity the status of your wheel alignment will need professional examination and repairing. Wheel alignment is a common, frequent repair request because it is not only an intense occurrence that would prompt a visit to the mechanic, but simply a series of these daily occurrence as well.
What are signs that my alignment may be affected?
There are clear warning signs an issue with your diving experience may be credited to poor wheel alignment. Signs to look out for include:
- Squealing for your tires
- Visible wear on you tires
- Tires that are not leveled
- Pulling of your vehicle when operating
Figuring out how to go about fixing your wheel alignment depends on specific factor pertaining to your case including the severity, and the type of vehicle being worked on, hence why it is a repair that should only be performed by a professional. Depending on the specific stance of you wheel alignment, the technician can have a variety of manual operations she or he undergoes and will at a point will connect your car to an alignment machine that will detail which of the 3 types of wheel re-alignments is necessary.
Wheel Alignment Procedures
1. When the front axle is adjusted, a front-end wheel alignment was completed.
2. When all wheels are checked and a front-end alignment is conducted, it is a thrust alignment
3. When the rear axle angles are arranged and a front-end and thrust are conducted, it is a four-wheel alignment.
A professional will determine which alignment procedure is necessary for your vehicle. It is important as a driver or owner of an automotive vehicle to be proactive and aware of possible warning signs. Regardless if a warning sign is noticed, routine maintenance should include wheel alignment examination as it is a driving factor that is easily influenced.