Proper tire alignment is often a very common area of oversight in vehicles for most vehicle owners. Problems caused by this include efficiency in fuel intake, wasted tires, and in rare cases, serious safety issues. In this post, we will explore what makes having your tires in proper alignment important, its signs it’s time for alignment, and the good practices which ensure that all your vehicles’ tires stay in right alignment.
What is Tire Alignment?
Tire alignment, also known as wheel alignment, is the adjustment of a vehicle’s suspension system to ensure that its tires are positioned correctly relative to each other and the road. This is adjusting the angle of the wheels, which is the camber, caster, and toe, to make sure the tires are pointing in the right direction and are making proper contact with the road surface.
Why Do You Need Tire Alignment?
There are many reasons that proper tire alignment is significant:
- Better Fuel Economy: When your tires are inappropriately aligned, they roll more than necessary, that increases fuel consumption and in turn increases fuel costs
- Longer Tire Life: It is not easy to replace tires as often as we do because misaligned tires wear unevenly, cause early tire wear, thus require frequent tire replacement; properly aligned tires can endure much longer.
- Enhanced Handling and Stability: It would allow better handling and improve steering response and enhance vehicle stability so that your car is easier to handle and safer to drive. In addition, misaligned tires produce vibrations and noise that could be irritating and warning signals of possible mechanical faults in the vehicle.
- Compliance with Safety Standards: Tire alignment differs from state to state. If a car is not aligned properly, it is most likely to get into violation and can even be unsafe.
When to Get an Alignment?
If the tires wear more than others, it may be that the tires are not in good alignment. In addition, if your car keeps pulling to one side while driving, a sign that points that you may not be in proper alignment. Steering wheel vibrations also point to misalignment as they often mean a poorly balanced uneven device that might need to be leveled. Even if they seem aligned, it’s a good practice to have them checked and aligned at recommended intervals-that is, most every six to twelve months, or after you’ve installed a new set of tires.
Getting a Tire Alignment
An auto shop can do its work when it feels the need to perform alignment with specialized equipment including computerized alignment systems; thereby determining and adjusting with exact measurements the camber, caster, and toe for its own wheels.
In this step, the technician may recommend that you change the best tire mounting lubricant. It helps facilitate and ensure that the new tires are installed properly by ensuring that the chances of damage caused by mounting your tire onto the wheel are low.
Once the technician is through with the process, they will provide you with a report of measurements taken before and after with possible recommendations for further maintenance or repair.
Proper Tire Pressure is Highly Important
Correct tire pressure also makes for a well-performance vehicle along with being safe, where over-inflation and under-inflation could give some poor handling that causes improper wear, along with some decrease in fuel efficiency; over-inflation and under-inflation are also the leading cause of the most frequent case of blowout.
Factors Affecting Tire Alignment
A tire alignment may be caused by a host of factors, including hitting a pothole or running over speed bumps and even gradual changes in time with the suspension parts. Regular inspections and alignments can prevent these issues.
Alignment measurements
During an alignment, technicians will tweak the camber, caster, and toe to the manufacturer’s specifications. Camber refers to the tire’s tilt inward or outward. Caster refers to the forward or backward tilt of the steering pivot. Toe is the turn angle of the wheels from each other. These angles need to be set so that the contact between the tires with the road and steering response will be proper, as well as vehicle stability.
Leveled or lowered raised vehicles
Geometric changes to suspension lifts or other modifications to vehicles can often necessitate specific alignment adjustments, as geometry is impacted. Many shops with experience can properly align such customized vehicles.
Conclusion
It is important not to miss even the smallest detail when it comes to proper tire alignment as a maintenance activity for vehicles. Through proper tire alignment, one will have the experience of improved fuel efficiency, long-lasting tires, excellent handling and stability, and an easier, safer drive. The signs of misalignment can be observed and aligned periodically for your vehicle’s maximum performance.
