Wheel alignment refers to the adjustment of your vehicle’s wheel position. Typically, wheel alignment should be readjusted every six months or every 6,000 miles. Misalignment isn’t just about comfortable driving or keeping your wheels on the road—it’s a significant safety risk. Driving without proper wheel alignment can increase the chances of accidents and costly repairs. Here’s how misalignment affects your vehicle and why potholes are one of the most common road hazards impacting your wheel alignment.
The Importance of Wheel Alignment: How Misalignment Affects Your Vehicle and How Potholes Can Affect Your Alignment
What is Wheel Alignment?
Wheel alignment adjusts the position and angle of your wheels, ensuring they make proper, safe contact with the road’s surface. Doing this also keeps your car’s trajectory straight.
Here are some signs of misalignment in your vehicle:
- Steering wheel vibrations
- Increased likelihood of slipping or losing traction
- Damage to the car’s steering and suspension system
- Wheels will not brake as safely as those that have been adjusted
- Fast and uneven tire wear
Wheel misalignment can also cause a vehicle to veer off course, reducing a driver’s control in an emergency and creating a dangerous driving situation.
Why Tire Alignment is a Regular Vehicle Maintenance Job
Wheel alignment (also sometimes called balancing) is an essential car maintenance task. A professional auto mechanic should perform wheel alignment services, though for some vehicles, you can also rely on the dealership to handle the alignment.
The driver is responsible for ensuring their tires remain balanced. This is a crucial part of regular car maintenance and should be done every few months.
If you drive in harsh or rocky conditions, you may need more frequent adjustments. Many factors, including hitting a pothole, can affect your wheel alignment and throw your car off balance.
When to Balance Your Tires
To ensure a smooth ride and avoid potential alignment issues, you should keep up with regular wheel alignments and balance your tires if you experience any of the following:
- Installing new tires
- Rotating tires
- Hitting a pothole
- Noticing vibration or wobbling while driving
- Feeling your car pull to one side
How Potholes Affect Wheel Alignment
Wheels are designed to adhere to the road, creating traction and stability for a safe drive. However, misalignment means that your wheels aren’t gripping the road as they should, making it more likely for your vehicle to veer off course or lose control in an emergency.
Road conditions are one of the main culprits behind wheel misalignment. Drivers who frequently travel on rough roads or through pothole-filled streets will need more frequent checks and adjustments.
A pothole can impact your car’s tires, wheels, and suspension components. The more potholes you hit—and the faster you’re driving—the greater the impact on your alignment.
Professional wheel alignment is recommended, especially if you frequently drive through areas with many potholes. As your car and its suspension take a beating from rough roads, your risk for alignment problems increases. In such cases, your vehicle’s alignment should be checked more often than the average driver’s.
Wheel Alignment and Road Safety
Never skip this essential car maintenance task. Misalignment significantly affects driver safety and increases the risk of accidents. Misaligned wheels are more likely to skid or slip, reducing your control in an emergency.
Wheel alignment is just as important as checking your car’s braking system and ensuring all components are well-maintained and functioning properly.
Proper wheel alignment offers additional benefits beyond safety. For example, properly aligned wheels can improve fuel efficiency. When your vehicle moves smoothly along the road, there’s less resistance, meaning your car requires less fuel to maintain forward motion.
Wheel alignment is an essential and regular part of vehicle maintenance.
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