Hi, my name is Angela, and as the wife of a mechanic, I was constantly tripping over car parts and complaining about the rows of project cars lining our garden. However, after a few years, I quit complaining and actually found joy in the art of auto repair. Inspired by that classic book, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", I decided to start working on cars with my husband. This blog is the culmination of everything I have learned and more. I hope you enjoy reading it and that my tips and ideas guide you toward a healthier car and a happier, safer driving experience.
Vehicle maintenance is very important, and you need to be keen to spot any problems early enough before they get serious. One of the easily forgettable car problems is alignment. Car alignment is about the adjustment of the angles of your wheels. You may not know exactly when you should take your vehicle to your mechanic for an alignment, but it's an essential component of vehicle maintenance.
Issues with bad alignment can lead to steering problems and premature tyre wear. Fortunately, here are some signs and symptoms of a bad car alignment that you should watch out for.
Pulling
If your car pulls to one side while you are driving, you could be having an alignment problem. If you find yourself applying pressure to your steering wheel continually in order to keep the car straight, you may want to have it checked by your mechanic.
Bad alignment leads to pulling because of a shift in the angle at which your car's wheels line up with the road. A wrong adjustment of the wheels will make your car drift or veer off.
However, sometimes your car may drift only because you are driving on a banked road. Therefore, watch out for a drift that occurs on a flat road.
Uneven Tyre Wear
If your tyres wear with an uneven pattern, the probable cause is bad wheel alignment. This is simply because misalignment or bad wheel alignment will make some parts of the tyre be overused, leading to reduced service life.
One easy way to identify uneven tyre wear is to measure the rubber's depth on each side of the tyre on all tyres. The results should be the same for all tyres on properly aligned wheels.
A Crooked/Cockeyed Logo
When you are driving straight ahead, the logo of your vehicle's manufacturer at the centre of your steering wheel should be perfectly horizontal. However, if you have a car alignment problem, the sign may appear crooked.
Poor Recovery When Negotiating Turns
Poor alignment can also affect the ability of your vehicle to recover on turns. If you notice that your steering wheel feels difficult to control after you make a turn, you may first have a problem with the steering wheel itself. However, if your steering wheel doesn't have a problem, the most probable cause would be a misalignment.
Being watchful on these red flags can help save your tyres, improve your fuel efficiency, and enhance your safety. If you think you may have an alignment issues, don't hesitate to take your car to a local mechanic.
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