Help
your vehicle’s tires last longer and perform properly by keeping in mind the
symptoms of bad alignment of tires.
Are you having trouble
keeping your vehicle straight on the road? Does your vehicle need alignment? Alignment
is a very important term in auto parts dictionary. This is because a tire or
wheel alignment not only keeps your vehicle in one direction but also improves
its handling and prevents unusual vibrations.
Wheel Alignment of car
means adjusting vehicle’s suspension system that connects vehicles to its
wheels. Vehicle’s alignment plays a pivotal role in vehicle’s performance. It
saves tires from premature tire wear and your money. Safety is one of the
critical aspects of driving. If the vehicle is pulling to one direction either
left or right, this could not only create risk for you but also the driver
behind you. As the car’s performance increases with perfectly aligned wheels,
your comfort also increases.
In this article, we
shall read about causes of misalignment of your car. It’s better to notice the
problem in its initial stage rather rushing to the mechanic when things go out
of hands.
What
are Symptoms of your car being out of alignment and some tips to prevent them?
Proper wheel or tire alignment
requires manufacturer recommended tools and equipments to be used for best
performance. Have a glance at some symptoms of misalignment.
Uneven
tire wear
Tire alignment refers
to vehicle’s steering and suspension components that controls the motion of
wheels. Improper tire alignment can cause the tire to wear prematurely. Various
tread wear patterns of car's tires can be noticed in this situation.
Excessive positive or
negative toe can cause the tread blocks to feel like a saw teeth when you touch
them. Misalignment also causes one side of the tire to wear faster than the
other side.
Also, don’t forget that
tires and wheels are made within certain degree of tolerance that include run
out and radial force variation. Any fluctuation in the tolerance can cause your
vehicle’s steering to pull. In this condition, to cancel the pull you can move
the worst tire to a non steering axle for the time being. But it is a temporary
solution, as the pull could return during next rotation.
Some balancers can be
installed to cancel the effect of steering pull on your vehicle and assign the correct
position to it.
Under the situations of
unusual wear patterns and premature tread wear, get the wheel alignment checked
by a professional mechanic.
Under
inflated tires
Most alignment problems
occur with tires and wheel so it is to be noted that tires are not perfect! Tires
and wheels should be of proper size and fitting. Tire pressure is a very
important factor. It not only increases the rate of tire wear but also
increases the possibility of car needing an alignment. Alignment service
depends upon size of tire gravely, if they do not match, then alignment service
is just impossible. The car will pull towards the side with wide or small tire.
So before getting
alignment service performed, it is wise to check the tire size and pressure and
consider manufacturer’s recommended specifications if any change is needed
regarding both factors.
Worn
out Steering and Suspension Components
There are some pre
checkups that should be performed before getting your car aligned. They are
essential because, alignment changes if there are some parts are not detected beforehand.
One of those important components is steering and suspension system.
You must inspect
steering components like ball joints, tie rods, steering arms for traces of
wear and excessive movement. Refer to the owner’s manual or get these auto
parts replaced according to manufacturer specifications for better alignment.
You can also shop for good quality car's upper and lower Ball joints, automotive tie rod ends and other steering components at Parts Avatar.
Car’s alignment can be
affected by leaky struts, missing and cracked suspension rubber bushings. Partsvatar also offers suspension replacement
parts and car's suspension struts at cheap prices. A worn suspension spring affects vehicle’s
ride height severely. So check the springs and height along with steering and
suspension parts. It is to be strictly noted that every replacement should be
done according to manufacturer’s specifications.
Vehicle
pulling to one side
Camber, caster and automotive toe
are the three main matters of concern for the mechanic when he proceeds to
check the alignment. There are certain things that you need to know about camber,
caster to get perfect alignment for your car.
CAMBER
When viewed from the
front of your car, it is outward or inward angle of a tire. Tilting too much
inward and tilting too much in outward direction is called negative and
positive camber respectively. car's Camber angles
should be properly inclined according to manufacturer specifications. Worn out
steering and suspension auto parts may contribute to camber misalignment. So
camber adjustment must be checked before proceeding further.
CASTER
The job of caster is to
adjust the steering, cornering and balancing stability of the vehicle. Caster angle of car
is the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of your car.
Positive caster means steering axis will tilt towards the driver and negative
caster means steering axis will tilt towards the front of your car.
Caster is only set on
the front suspension of your car. Most cars prefer positive caster manner for
better steering and stability of vehicle at high speeds.
As read above toe is
also an important part of alignment. It tells the extent to which tire turn
inwards or outwards when viewed from above. Toe wear could indicate
underinflated tires or lack of rotation.
Overall vehicle’s
performance is gravely affected by misalignment. So, it is important to
understand the wear pattern, steering axis and tilt angle for to analyze
alignment issues with your vehicle. You can also take help of some camber/caster tools of car and automotive camber/caster alignment kits available at aftermarket. If you are
unable to observe the angle and axis then you may take help of a professional.
Vibrating
Vehicle and Strange noises
Unbalanced tires,
warped brake rotors, worn out suspension parts and wrong caster angle of your
vehicle can cause the vehicle to vibrate.
Noises are very helpful
in detecting a problem. Same happens in misalignment situation. Strange noises
like creaking, knocking or squeaking may indicate loose or worn out suspension
and steering components. It is better to check and replace car's steering and suspension components that are causing your
car to go out of alignment.
Replacing tires is quite
expensive. To prevent frequent tire wear and other steering and suspension
damage, it is important to always be aware and get your tires and wheels
aligned 5000 miles to maximize their life along with your car’s performance and
your safety.
Parts avatar is one of
the best aftermarket dealers of auto parts across Canada, that offers good
quality and budgetary priced replacement and performance auto parts. You can get
free shipping of auto parts at your doorsteps for orders exceeding $99.
No comments:
Post a Comment