When your car’s wheels are aligned correctly, it can lead to significant benefits, including improved fuel efficiency, reduced vehicle wear, and a smoother, safer, more comfortable ride. Proper wheel alignment reduces friction and resistance between your tyres and the road, and also eliminates unnecessary stress that can be put on your car’s internal steering components. This helps your car run more efficiently and consume less fuel. It also ensures even tyre wear and saves you from having to replace expensive parts in your car that have been worn down due to misalignment. Additionally, aligned wheels offer a safer and more stable driving experience, giving you more control as you navigate corners, go over bumps, and make sudden maneuvers.
What is a Wheel Alignment?
Over time, as we drive our cars, our wheels become crooked and misaligned. This gradually happens when we hit speed bumps too hard, curbs, and potholes. Misalignment can also occur from other impacts, such as minor collisions.
As the parts that hold our wheels together (like bushings and ball joints) wear down, our vehicle becomes more prone to misalignment.
A wheel alignment is when a mechanic straightens your car’s wheels. They achieve this by adjusting the following components of your car:
- Tie Rods – these connect your steering wheel to your car’s tyres, transferring the movement of the steering wheel to direct your car.
- Control Arms – control arms hold your car’s wheels in place and let them move up and down.
- Struts – struts act as a shock absorber and provide structural support to your wheels, keeping them in place as your car moves over uneven surfaces.
- Toe and Camber Arm – for vehicles with independent suspension, the toe and camber arms control the alignment of each wheel individually. These components adjust the angle and tilt of the wheels.
Signs That Your Vehicle Needs a Wheel Alignment
There are several telltale signs that your car is ready for a wheel alignment. The signs are usually quite obvious.
Your Car Pulls to One Side
If your car drifts or pulls to the left or right as you drive on a straight road, it means that your wheels are out of alignment and are angled incorrectly, causing the vehicle to veer off instead of tracking straight.
Your Steering Wheel Vibrates as You Drive
Misalignment (especially toe misalignment) means the wheels aren’t pointing in the same direction. As you drive, the wheels pull against each other, causing a tug-of-war effect that you feel as a vibration in the steering wheel. This is especially noticeable while travelling at high speeds, as there is a more pronounced resistance between the wheels.
Your Vehicle’s Steering Feels Loose or Stiff
Misalignment in the camber or toe can cause your steering to feel stiff. This happens because the wheels make contact with the road at an awkward angle, increasing friction and making it harder for the wheels to turn smoothly. The components that direct the wheels are being put under stress as this happens.
Over time, as more and more stress is applied to the wheel components, the parts begin to wear down and eventually lead to a loose steering experience. By this point, not only do the wheels of your car need aligning, but the steering components also need replacing as they’ve been worn. These repairs can be costly.
Loose or stiff steering reduces the amount of control that you have over your vehicle. This can end up being very unsafe when going over bumps, manoeuvring corners, or dodging debris on the road.
Your Tyres are Wearing Down Unevenly
If the tread on your car’s tyres is wearing down unevenly, then there’s a good chance that your wheels need to be aligned. For example, if the edge of the tread has been worn down, while the centre of the tread is fine, the camber of your vehicle is likely out of alignment.
Misalignment can also cause uneven tyre wear across the left and right tyres. For example, if you’re having to replace the left-side tyres while the right-sides are still okay, it may indicate that the tyres on the left side of your vehicle are carrying more load, or dragging on the road more than the rights. This is due to misalignment. You can also visually inspect your tyres yourself to check for uneven tread wear.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it might be time to book your vehicle in for a wheel alignment service with a professional near you.
Three Benefits You Can Expect From Aligning Your Vehicle’s Wheels
Better Fuel Efficiency
When your car’s wheels are properly aligned, your car operates more efficiently. The tyres make contact with the road at an optimal angle, reducing unnecessary friction and resulting in a smoother drive. The wheels also point in the same direction, eliminating unnecessary resistance which is often caused by the tyres trying to pull away from each other.
With proper alignment, the wheels work together, in harmony, to smoothly move your car in the direction you’re steering it. This efficient movement requires less energy from the engine to propel your car, translating to less fuel used while driving. In the long run, this results in improved fuel efficiency, saving you money at the pump.
Reduced Vehicle Wear
When your tyres are making even, balanced contact with the road, they wear down at the same rate. They will also wear down more slowly, as the wear will be distributed across the whole surface of the tyre, saving you from having to replace them as frequently.
Aside from the tyres, the inner components of your vehicle’s steering won’t be getting put under unnecessary stress from the wheels pulling in opposite directions. This prevents components such as the tie rods, control arms, struts, toe, camber arm, and other joints/connections from degrading prematurely, saving you from costly repairs.
A Smoother, Safer, More Comfortable Ride
A properly aligned vehicle responds smoothly to your steering input, making the drive feel more stable and controlled. You’ll be less likely to experience vibrations in the steering wheel, pulling to one side, or loose or stiff steering. With all four wheels working together as they should, your car will drive smoothly over the surface of the road and will be easier to control while going over bumps, taking corners, or making sudden manoeuvres.
Book a Wheel Alignment Service With a Mechanic Near You
If it sounds like your car needs a wheel alignment, get in touch with JLA Automotive today. Our Perth-based team can help answer any of your questions and book you in for an appointment. We can also help you get more information about pricing and how much a wheel alignment might cost for your car.
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