Schedule Brakes Steering And Suspension Inspection
The most popular service booked by readers of this article is Brakes, Steering and Suspension Inspection. Once the problem has been diagnosed, you will be provided with an upfront quote for the recommended fix and receive $20.00 off as a credit towards the repair. YourMechanicâs technicians bring the dealership to you by performing this job at your home or office 7-days a week between 7AM-9PM. We currently cover over 2,000 cities and have 100k+ 5-star reviews… LEARN MORE
Youve Been In Any Sort Of Accident
A minor fender bender can majorly throw off your suspension. Whether you hit them or they hit you, your car withstood an impact and you should take it in for a check up. An impact that is strong enough to bend steel will likely result in knocking off your alignment. It is smart to have your wheel alignment reset after a minor or major car accident.
The 4 Suspension Angles
These four components together affect tire movement and positioning.
After your alignment is complete it is appropriate to ask for a print out of the service. Most mechanics will have no problem providing this. A print out should include before and after photos of the alignment
If youre wanting to check your toe, camber or caster, I found this video to be extremely helpful. Jump to about the 7 minute mark in for this video if you want a more condensed experience.
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Why Choose Chloes Auto Repair
Car Pulling in One Direction The most obvious sign that its time to get an alignment is if your vehicle starts to pull to one side of the road while driving. If you let go of the steering wheel and your car pulls into one lane or the other, you may need to get your wheels aligned.
Uneven Tire Wear Check the pattern of the wear on your front tires and your back tires. If the wear seems to be the same, youre good to go. If the wear on the tires seems inconsistent, you may need to get your vehicle checked for misalignment. Next time you bring your vehicle in for service, have the mechanics check for any inconsistencies.
Crooked Steering Wheel Test letting go of your wheel . If its crooked or steering one way over another, your tires are likely not aligned correctly. Your wheel should be almost completely straight. Pay attention to if you are subconsciously correcting your steering wheel as you drive.
Squealing Tires Squealing tires can also be a sign of a misalignment. If you notice your tires are noisier than usual despite driving at normal speed, get your tires checked. Of course, they might squeal if you floor it at a red light, but they definitely shouldnt as you should be driving the speed limit, right?
Loose Steering Wheel A loose steering wheel is another especially dangerous sign of a misalignment. If your car feels generally wrong while driving around a corner or even while switching lanes in the road, bring your car in for a checkup.
Will Bad Tires Effect Your Alignment
Yes bad tires can definitely affect the alignment of your vehicle but its very rare that this happens. Unless youre driving on bald tires that really jar the suspension of your car you will most likely not run into this problem.
Time matters here though. If you constantly drive on bad tires your suspension will likely be in pretty rough shape after some time. Alignment is not something that breaks all at once it is something that gradually gets out of whack.
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The Purpose Of An Alignment
The entire purpose of getting an alignment on your vehicle is to make sure the angle measurements that your tires sit are all equivalent, essentially that they make a rectangle. Getting your wheels aligned also ensures that the tires meet the road at an angle that wears them all relatively evenly.
This does a couple of things for you and your vehicle. First off, you will get much better gas mileage if your tires have been aligned properly. They should be pointing straight and will be centered in their wheel well after a good alignment which ensures there is no unnecessary drag from a wheel that is at an off angle.
A good alignment will also make sure that your tires are all getting worn at the same rate helping to extend the usable life of all your tires and prevent blowouts. It will additionally prevent you from having to replace one tire before the other three.
Tire alignment also impacts how smoothly your car rides. Wheel alignment reduces vibrations by keeping your car as even with the road as possible. Think about it this way: if one wheel is slightly aligned to the right its going to pull your entire vehicle in that direction. You can feel it. If you are struggling to keep your car driving straight to the point where you are fighting even a bit with the steering wheel its probably time to get your wheels aligned.
Vehicle Is Pulling To The Left Or Right
You are driving your vehicle straight, but you feel the car drifting slowly to the left or right. Whether this feeling is obvious or more subtle, if your car is pulling to either side while driving, this is one of the most common symptoms of a bad wheel alignment. Just take a moment when you are driving on a safe straightaway next time and hold your steering wheel very lightly in your hands as you drive, do you need to make constant small steering corrections to keep the car straight? If you do, then this may mean you need to book a wheel alignment appointment.
There are many reasons why this might be happening, and one of the most common reason is that you may have recently either hit a large pothole with one of your wheels, or perhaps you have driven over a curb accidentally of course. When this happens, the mechanical infrastructure in your axle may have been damaged or readjusted slightly, and this has affected your alignment.
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Wheel Alignment And New Tires
Generally, when you purchase new tires, when they are installed, the technician will do a wheel alignment as part of the installation process. This is to ensure that your new tires are perfectly balanced and can perform optimally in terms of tread wear and steerability. If you have recently bought new tires, you should ensure that the installation package comes with a wheel alignment.
So, if your current driving experience makes you feel like you are driving a shopping cart more than a car, it may just be time to schedule an appointment for a wheel alignment. Taking care of your tires is important, and regularly checking your wheel alignment, and knowing the signs of alignment issues can help ensure that your tires last a long time, and that your driving experience is optimal. You have likely made a good investment in your tires and aligned wheels will help ensure your investment lasts.
Other Times To Get An Alignment
- When you get new tires.
- Its been over a year since you last aligned your tires.
- Youve driven 6,000 miles
- Youve been in any sort of accident
- You lifted or lowered your vehicle or you had some sort of work done on your suspension
- Any sort of minor collision like hitting road debris or driving through a large pothole or you accidentally drove over a curb
Before we get into the specifics, lets have a very brief lesson on what an alignment is and why they are important.
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How Do I Know When My Car Needs An Alignment
In order to get a smooth ride, your car wheels need to be in the right position. But we have so many people ask us how do I know when my car needs an alignment? Well, thats a question that were highly qualified to answer. And when you bring your car to our auto technicians at Mountain View Automotive in Thornton, we can tell you if your car needs an alignment.
So, lets get to the question, how do I know when my car needs an alignment? There are several warning signs that should get your attention. And if you notice any, just bring it to us and we will check it out.
- Steering Wheel
If your steering wheel is off center when driving straight, that is a sign that you may need an alignment.
- Pulling to One Side
If your car seems to be pulling to one side like that annoying grocery cart with one bad wheel, an alignment may be needed.
- Uneven Tire Wear
If you have driven for a while with your wheels out of alignment, you will notice uneven tire wear. Usually, either the outside or inside of the tire is noticeably worn down more than the center.
Causes of a Bad Alignment
- Loose Joints
Your car has a lot of steering and suspension components joined together. Sometimes ordinary driving over time can make your cars wheels fall out of alignment because the joints have loosened up.
- Suspension and Steering Components
The Importance of Regular Alignments
Do I Need A 2 Or 4 Wheel Alignment
The type of alignment you need is completely dependent on what type of car you own and the variation of suspension the vehicle has.
You will need a four wheel alignment if you have a four wheel drive vehicle. Or if you have a vehicle that has a front wheel suspension with an independent or adjustable rear wheel suspension. If you have either of these suspension variations all four wheels will need to be aligned with each other to make a rectangle.
A two wheel suspension also known as a front-end suspension, which is generally less expensive, will typically suffice for most other types of vehicle. So two wheel drive vehicles will only need to have their front axle aligned or adjusted.
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Wearing In Your Tires
So much can be said about wear patterns on your tires. Mechanics use them as a type of road map to better understand alignment issues, suspension issues, and tire pressure adjustments. If you have a wheel alignment issue, you will notice wear on only the inside or outside edges of your tires. More significant wear such as feathering or scalloping of the tires means you should get your car into a mechanic right away.
Your Steering Wheel Is Not Centered
If youre driving straight down a flat, level road, your steering wheel should be sitting close to perfectly straight. Theres usually a small amount of discrepancy allowed depending on the crown of the road, but overall the wheel should be sitting centered and straight, and your vehicle emblem in the center of the steering wheel should appear level to you. If the wheel is off center by more than a few degrees in either direction, its time to have an alignment performed. This will return your steering wheel to center, and may improve the overall drivability as well.
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How Do I Know If I Need A Tire Alignment
There are a couple ways to tell if your car needs a tire alignment. If you’ve noticed one or more of these indicators, you should have your alignment checked by a licensed service technician immediately.
Uneven tread wear
Vehicle pulling to the left or right
Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight
Steering wheel vibration
A Wheel Alignment Will Cure Vibrations
If your car vibratesespecially when youre driving at high speedsalignment is most likely not the issue. More likely: damaged tires bent wheels transmission problems or damaged or worn drive axle, brake components, or suspension components. Unevenly worn tires can also cause vibrations, in which case an alignment might be required. However, without new or rotated tires, the vibrations will persist.
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Steering Wheel Does Not Recenter
After making a turn, your steering wheel should return to a natural rest point. The easiest way to know is by looking at the emblem on the center of the steering wheel. The off-center steering wheel can do more than just be an annoyance, it will affect fuel efficiency and even be a safety issue. Remember, if the Toyota logo looks like a confused dog with his head cocked to one side, then your car needs an alignment.
Your Vehicle Pulls To One Side Or The Other
Similar to the first point, vehicle pull is most easily noticed while driving straight down a level road. There is a common misconception that the vehicle should drive perfectly straight with your hands off the steering wheel. In a perfect world, this would be true, but in reality this isnt the case because all roads have some degree of crowning which causes a slight pull to one side. Completely removing your hands from the steering wheel is also very dangerous. Instead, the vehicle should drive straight ahead with very little effort on the steering wheel. If your car pulls to one side or the other, its time to have your alignment checked and corrected, which usually corrects the vehicle pull and improves overall drivability.
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What Does Tire Wear Mean To My Cars Alignment
Poor alignment is a common cause of uneven tire wear. Ideally, you should see even wear across your tires treads if you are keeping up with rotations. If youre noticing excessive wear, you may need an alignment adjustment or have too much junk in your trunk.
Poor alignment can shorten your tires lifespan by thousands of miles and compromise crucial steering and suspension components resulting in a big hit to your wallet. Enjoy better fuel economy and longer-lasting tires by having your alignment checked, at the very least, with every other oil change or at the first sign of uneven or premature tire wear.
Caster Determines Vehicle Stability
Caster is a very important front end alignment angle because it determines vehicle stability. It is the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of your vehicle. Looking at your front wheel from the side, imagine a line going straight through the center of the tire from top to bottom. That line represents the position of your front suspension. If your caster is within specs, that line will start towards the rear side of center at the top of the tire, go straight through the center, finishing at the front side of center at the bottom of the tire. This is positive caster. When the caster angle is negative, the axis line will start in front of center and finish behind center.
Caster is measured in degrees, and its essential that the caster angle at both front wheels is equal. The vehicle will always pull to the side of the negative caster. So if your right side caster angle measures at 1 degree positive, and the left side is 1 degree negative, your vehicle will pull to the left.
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What’s The Difference Between Wheel Alignment And Balancing
Wheel alignment describes how your wheels sit when they are mounted on your car. It has more to do with the vehicle suspension system than the wheels itself. It is all about what angles and direction your wheels roll along. There are three variables in the mechanics of wheel alignment, namely: toe, camber and caster alignment.
Possible causes of wheel misalignment:
Also, the stress caused by your day-to-day driving for years can eventually lead to one or more of the wheels getting out of alignment.
Wheel balancing, on the other hand, is what you do to make the car wheel balanced perfectly all way round. The goal is to avoid the weight of the wheel from being one-sided. When one side of the wheel is heavier or thinner than another, the wheel will vibrate as it rotates, causing a wobbly ride.
Even with modern designs and the technology we have today, it is impossible to acquire equal weight distribution in tyre productions. So, the process of wheel balancing is needed to fix these abnormalities each time you replace your tyres with new ones.
Is Tire Alignment Really Necessary
Yes, tire alignment is one of the most important maintenance tasks. If your wheels are misaligned, your vehicle will experience a dramatic drop in handling capability. It’ll constantly pull in one direction, which can greatly inhibit its ability to turn or move in a straight line. This not only makes driving more difficult and reduces ride comfort, but it can jeopardize you and your passengers’ safety.
In addition, failure to realign your wheels regularly can cause your cost of car ownership to go up considerably. Wheels that aren’t properly aligned may lead to uneven tire wear, which means you’ll have to replace your tires more frequently. It isn’t uncommon for wheel misalignment to result in flat spots and tire blowouts because it can cause your tires to experience added tension. Also, misaligned wheels can lead to damaged wheel rims and suspension, which can affect the performance and longevity of your vehicle.
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