What does a wheel alignment do for your car?
Accurate wheel alignment for a car is one of the most important factors for a good performing car. Having a wheel alignment is one of the most essential services your vehicle needs. If you have not done this There are several key reasons why you should book your car for a wheel alignment services, including:
Prolong tyre lifespan: Correctly aligned car wheel ensures that tyres wear evenly. This not only saves money on frequent replacements but also contributes to safer driving conditions.
Improved vehicle handling: Correct alignment improves the handling of your vehicle, offering a stable and predictable driving experience. It prevents erratic steering and helps maintain control, especially in emergency situations.
Improved fuel efficiency: Misaligned wheels create drag, forcing the engine to work harder and consume more fuel. Proper alignment reduces resistance, thus enhancing fuel efficiency.
How to know if your car needs a wheel alignment?
If your wheels are not aligned properly, you may feel your car pulling to one side or vibrating slightly. You may also feel like you need to grip the steering wheel tighter than usual to keep your vehicle in the centre of your lane.
What is included in a wheel alignment service?
Caster: This involves the angle of the steering axis viewed from the side of the vehicle. An imaginary line drawn between the centers of the upper and lower ball joints forms an angle with the vertical. Caster affects steering feel and high-speed stability.
Camber: This refers to the inward or outward tilt of the tire when viewed from the front. It maximizes tire-to-road contact and is adjusted according to driving habits, with variations for different types of driving.
Toe: This is the alignment of the front and back of your tires, affecting how far they point inward or outward. Toe alignment ensures that tires roll in parallel when the vehicle is in motion.
Thrust Alignment: For vehicles with a solid rear axle, we will conduct a thrust angle alignment. This process involves ensuring that the rear wheels are properly aligned with the vehicle’s centerline. Adjustments are made to ensure that all four wheels are square with each other, preventing the vehicle from pulling to one side.
Ride Height Measurement and Adjustment: We measure the ride height, which is the distance between the vehicle’s chassis and the road. If necessary, we will adjust the suspension to get the correct ride height. This is crucial as ride height is the reference point for all other alignment measurements and can change with modifications to the vehicle’s suspension or tire size.
All you need to know about our wheel alignment service
How often do you need a wheel alignment?
Many motorists are probably wondering if it is necessary to align car wheels, and how often should it be done? When it comes to knowing if your vehicle is due for this service, there are two main signals
- Has your vehicle been involved in a collision? If so, you should definitely have your wheel alignment checked. Even if you consider the collision to be a minor one, or just a relatively straightforward nose to tail at low speed, it’s important to have it checked. There may be hidden damage, or there may have been previous alignment issues that have now become worse with this seemingly minor incident.
- Has it been more than 6 months since your last wheel alignment? We recommend having a wheel alignment every 6 months (depending on how much driving you do) or after every 10,000 kms. If you’re a heavy use driver (kms per year), it’s best to have your tyres and wheel alignment checked at least twice a year. The same frequency also applies if you live rurally and regularly drive on unsealed or bumpy roads, or you drive off-road a lot.
The experienced team at Mt Roskill Collision Centre can give you advice on how often you need to have a wheel alignment based on your specific vehicle and driving conditions.
When do I need a wheel alignment service?
The vehicle pulls to the right or left while driving. There can be several reasons – from the slope of the road and a flat tire to the need to replace the steering rods or wheel bearing. But most often it is the adjustment of the toe-camber that helps to return the correct trajectory of the car.
It is easy to check this: on a flat and straight section of the road where there are not many cars, release the steering wheel and follow the movement of the car. If the car is not moving in a straight line but is pulling to the side, wobbling and taxiing, that’s when you know you need a to service your wheel alignment.
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