Wheel Alignment
Staying on the Straight and Narrow Why wheel alignment is important
When a vehicle's wheels are properly aligned the ride is more comfortable and handling is more precise. There are fuel efficiency gains and tyres will perform better. We recommend a wheel alignment every 6 months or immediately if you’ve hit something which may have thrown it, like a large pothole or curb.
What exactly is the alignment? It is an important suspension-tuning tool that influences the operation of your vehicle's tyres. The alignment of your car describes a complex system of suspension angles that are being measured and a variety of suspension components that are being adjusted.
Wheel Alignment explained
How do I know when I need a wheel alignment?
If your vehicle is pulling to the left or right, the steering wheel of off centre when driving straight or you have uneven tyre wear - then you probably need a wheel alignment.
The reason is suspension parts do wear over time. Or maybe you’ve hit a curb or pothole. A minor impact is often enough to throw the alignment out and when this happens, it can affect your vehicle's handling characteristics and potentially damage your tyres.
Wheel Alignment: What happens if I need one and don't get one?
It depends how long you run misaligned wheels for and how badly they're out of alignment. But generally misaligned wheels will impact the life and performance of your tyres - here's how:
Tyre Performance
Uneven wear means replacing tyres sooner
If the suspension is out of alignment, there is an uneven pressure on the tyres that can cause your vehicle to work harder on the tyres than it needs to. This happens because of the resistance between the tyre and the road surface. That resistance can cause the tyres to wear unevenly and become worn on one side, which can become dangerous over time and lead to the premature replacement of the tyre.
Comfort
Road noise and ride quality
When tyres begin to wear unevenly, you may feel a vibration in the steering wheel. The tyres may also produce more road noise when the tread is uneven. This is important to be aware of as while a wheel alignment should stop more uneven wear from occuring, it's very hard to reverse the extra tyre noise created by the existing tyre wear.
Fuel Efficiency
Misaligned wheels mean increased rolling resistance
Uneven tyres make your vehicle work harder and burn more fuel. When your tyres are unaligned the fuel efficiency of the vehicle is decreased and you’ll need to refuel with increasing regularity.