Wheel Alignment

If you believe that car tyres encounter no problems apart from puncture and that they have nothing to do with the efficiency of the car, then you are under the wrong impression. In fact, tyres play an important role in the overall performance of the car and for that regular wheel alignment is very essential.

If the wheels are not properly aligned, then the tyres wear out very early. Also improper alignment can lead to develop unequal pressure on both sides of the car, which causes wheels to face more resistance while driving. To overcome this resistance, more energy is required to run smoothly and thus it results in more fuel consumption. Lack of wheel alignment can also lead to accidents, due to difficulty in driving straight.

If you want to keep your car and other components in a proper condition for long time, then car experts suggest aligning your wheels every year or after every 10000km. If you travel regularly over uneven roads, then wheel alignment is recommended every 6 months.

If you are not one to regularly service your car, then look for the following pointers that indicate your car needs wheel alignment.

1. While driving on a highway, if you feel that your car is dragging onto one side, irrespective of whether it is right or left, that is, if you have trouble driving straight, then there is a need of wheel alignment.
2. If one of your tyres exhibits more wear than the others, there is a need for wheel alignment.
3. Vibrations in steering wheel also give an indication as to when to go for wheel alignment.

While mending the problem of improper alignment, you need to see for a camber where both wheels are seen from the front of your car. If you find your wheels to be tilted, either outside or inside from the centerline, then it should be aligned. Also verify from above, to find how much your car wheels are inside or outside, which is also known as toes in and toes out respectively. Finally, steering axis is checked from the side of your car to see if it is tilting toward right or left side.

Thus, wheel alignment needs to be done regularly to maintain your car performance. Always align all four wheels and not just the front two.