Most car owners tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to maintaining their car’s components under the hood. After all, the engine powers the entire vehicle. However, it’s also essential to give credit to the impact wheels contribute to your driving. They improve your car’s handling, ride quality, braking capacity, and even fuel usage.
Besides dealing with pressure issues, tires can also have complications due to improper wheel alignment. Without an aligned set of wheels, your car can have difficulties with steering response, shortened life span, poor maneuverability, and more.
The Damage Your Wheels Sustain on the Road
Your car’s wheels receive the brunt of the wear and tear of driving on the road. Although damage to a car’s bumpers and body is more noticeable, these generally have little to no bearing on your car’s handling. In contrast, wheels will gradually degrade and even come loose over time.
Reckless driving habits and poor road conditions can lead to wheel misalignment of your car’s front wheels. Although it’s more common to have alignment issues with your front wheels, it’s not unheard of to affect rear wheels as well. This will require a different alignment procedure for cars with four-wheel suspensions.
The Disadvantages of Having Misaligned Wheels
Misaligned wheels can lead to several forms of damage, each with a specific impact on how you drive your car. Listed below are some disadvantages of having misaligned wheels:
- Imprecise turns: Most car owners take for granted the value of having aligned wheels. Since turning and braking are common maneuvers, drivers don’t realize their true value unless they become more difficult. With proper wheel alignment, your vehicle will not accidentally pull to one side. This can occur even if you’re steering correctly. Although it may not be noticeable at first, it will be a matter of life or death if you’re making precise turns at high speeds.
- Poor grip: Besides affecting your car’s handling, good wheel alignment also reinforces your grip on the road. If your wheels tilt toward the wrong direction, you will have braking issues, especially during harsh weather conditions.
- Tire deterioration: Although your tires naturally take on significant wear and tear over time, they can deteriorate more quickly if they are under more stress than usual. Misaligned wheels can cause tires to tread in an imbalanced manner. This will lead to greater tensions on some tires, causing your tires to be uneven while driving. While you can solve this issue by buying a fresh set of tires, the same problems will occur eventually if your car doesn’t undergo a car alignment treatment.
The Types of Wheel Misalignment
Knowing the terms above will let you communicate your concerns better with your car service provider. Listed below are three kinds of car misalignment that your car could develop:
- Positive and negative caster: Positive caster occurs when your car’s steering axis is in front of the vertical. In contrast, a negative caster is present if the steering axis is behind the vertical.
- Positive and negative camber: Positive camber occurs when the wheel’s positioning is tilted outwards. In contrast, negative camber is present if the wheel’s positioning is tilted inwards.
- Toe-in and toe-out: Toe-in occurs when the wheel’s face points inward. In contrast, negative camber is present if the wheel’s face positioning is pointing outwards.
Conclusion
Wheel alignment is a subtle yet essential treatment to maintain the longevity of your car’s lifespan. Since car models have specific alignment needs, you’ll need to look for a garage familiar with your vehicle’s precise requirements.
If you want experts to handle your car alignment in Hoover, AL, we’re the right company to call. At Hoover Automotive, we understand your car’s need for professional repairs and replacements. If you want to see how our service differs from others, contact us now at 205-509-3085 to experience our top-notch customer service.