Misalignment Causes And Tire Maintenance
Each vehicle that is manufactured has alignment specifications. A set of tires should remain aligned, to ensure proper wear of the tread and adequate control of a vehicle. Learn some common reasons why tires become misaligned and some ways that you can maintain your vehicle's tires and possibly save money.
Misalignment Causes
Hitting a curb with your tires, driving over a parking block, or traveling across roads that contain potholes can cause your vehicle's tires to become misaligned. Even normal wear and tear to a set of wheels or ball joints can impact the manner in which your vehicle drives. It is fairly simple to tell when a vehicle is in need of a wheel alignment: the car will pull one way or the other while driving down the road.
A misalignment may be slight at first, but will gradually get worse; it will cause a tire to wear out prematurely. The normal wear pattern that would be present on a tire that is not misaligned will not be present on a tire that is misaligned. A misaligned tire may show more wear along one side of a tire. This uneven wear will make it more and more difficult to drive a vehicle. If misaligned tires are not corrected, a motorist could wind up getting in an accident.
Maintenance And Money Savings
Some automotive technicians may suggest that customers have their vehicle's tires inspected and aligned during the same appointment that they have their vehicle's oil changed. An inspection and alignment will likely not be needed with every single oil change. A technician can set a customer up with alignment appointments that are reflective of the amount that a vehicle is driven.
A driver who is on the road a lot may need to have their vehicle serviced more often than someone who seldom drives their vehicle. An automotive shop may feature a lifetime alignment service. This type of service covers the cost of an alignment for as long as an individual owns their vehicle.
A service like this may cost less than seeking an alignment from various automotive shops throughout the course of owning a vehicle. Maintaining the wheels on a vehicle and ensuring that they are properly aligned will save a driver money. They will likely not need to replace their tires as often as someone who does not seek alignment services in a timely manner.
Contact a local auto service to learn more about wheel alignment.