When you are in the market to buy a new car, chances are you will come across the terms “tire balancing” and “tire alignment.” These two terms might seem similar, but they have a different purposes. Which one do you need for your car? Let us find out. Balancing is a necessary process that helps…
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Every motor vehicle needs a wheel alignment periodically. However, unlike the other vehicle problems, the need for a wheel alignment is not always obvious to see. Nevertheless, if you don’t get your car’s wheels aligned properly, it could have an impact on the suspension system and steering, and it could result in bigger car problems like premature and uneven wear and tear on the tires.
What Are Wheel Alignments?
A wheel alignment is the process of adjusting a vehicle’s suspension to get it back in compliance with the manufacturer’s specifications.This process is very precise, and it requires special equipment to perform. A wheel alignment usually only adjusts the suspension on the car, but sometimes certain vehicle parts need to be replaced.
Why Is It Important To Get Your Vehicle Properly Aligned?
- To be safe. The most important reason why your car needs to be properly aligned is safety. The wheels of your car have to contact the surface of the road properly; otherwise, it could result in erratic handling as well as excessive tire wear making it difficult to take control of your vehicle.
- To prevent excessive, premature, and uneven tire wear.
- To prevent more costly car problems in the future. It goes without saying that misaligned wheels could result in extra stress as well as uneven wear on the suspension parts, causing premature failure.
- To get a smoother ride. Obviously, misalignment could cause vibrations, which will disappear after the wheel alignment.
- To improve gas mileage. When the suspension system in your car is not working properly, the engine of the car needs to work harder for the car to move along the road. As such, the engine consumes more gas to operate and reduces gas mileage.
- To help the driver assist systems work better. Features such as park assist, lane departure detection, and traction control rely on the information from the steering angle sensor. If you are driving straight, which is a problematic sign for alignment, the systems cannot get the information that they need to work properly.
What Are The Signs Your Vehicle Needs a Wheel Alignment?
Although It is not always clear when your vehicle has a misalignment, there are some signs to look for as following:- The vehicle’s wheels are visibly tilting in and out. When it is severe or it is caused by impact, you should be able to see it.
- The steering wheel is off from the center. It needs to point to the right or left for your car to move straight, or it doesn’t get back to the center after a turn.
- There is uneven tire wear. You could find more wear on either the inside or the outside sides of your tire tread.
- The vehicle drifts or pulls to one side.
- There is a vibrating or pulsating steering wheel.
When Should You Get a Wheel Alignment?
If you have experienced an impact or find any problems as mentioned above, for the sake of safety, you should get your car checked for wheel alignment. Otherwise, a check on your car for wheel alignment should be expected about every 1-2 years. However, if you often drive your car on poorly maintained or unpaved roads, you should get your car checked for wheel alignment more often.Wheel Alignment FAQs
If your car’s wheel alignment issues are relatively minor, you may be able to drive around Hays County, Texas, for a while without running into obvious problems. That said, it isn’t wise for local drivers to take this risk. Unaddressed alignment problems can cause serious trouble in your vehicle, and waiting to deal with this situation will only allow it to become worse in the meantime.
Instead, you’ll want to visit a local alignment shop to take care of this task as soon as you notice potential alignment issues. Since Reliable Automotive employs highly skilled, ASE-certified mechanics, we’re more than qualified to handle this work for you!
Generally speaking, drivers should take care of wheel alignments at least once every two or three years. However, you may need an alignment sooner than expected if:
- You often drive on bumpy roads. Do you regularly travel on rough terrain? If so, the repeated impact of these trips could have a severe effect on your vehicle’s suspension.
- Your car has been involved in a crash. The force from a collision could easily affect your suspension and throw your wheels out of alignment.
- You’ve spotted alignment-related warning signs. If your car has unusual tire wear patterns, a vibrating steering wheel, or unexpected steering wheel movements, there’s a good chance that it’s time to get alignment work.
As a responsible driver in Hays County, you should always look out for red flags associated with wheel alignment issues. When your tires are out of alignment, your vehicle could run into such problems as:
- Lower fuel efficiency. Misaligned tires can interfere with your car’s ability to move at a consistent speed, and that could force your engine to burn extra fuel.
- Steering difficulties. When your tires aren’t properly aligned, you may find it harder than usual to drive in a straight line.
- Tire wear problems. Wheel alignment problems can interfere with tread wear and prevent your tires from wearing evenly.
The cost of your tire alignment can vary significantly based on factors such as:
- The type of car you drive. If you drive a sports car or another luxury vehicle, you can expect to pay extra for maintenance services.
- The number of wheels that need to be adjusted. Since front-end wheel alignments focus only on the wheels on your vehicle’s front axle, they cost less than four-wheel alignments.
- Whether you need any other services. While mechanics handle your alignment, they might find that you need additional suspension services or tire balancing.
No matter how much your wheel alignment appointment will cost, it shouldn’t be as expensive as an in-depth automotive repair — especially if you choose a reputable tire shop like Reliable Automotive for this work. We’ll give you a fair rate for our services and help you save even more with our online coupons!
You should always have your tires aligned. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Sometimes, drivers wait until their car is vibrating on the road, pulling in the opposite driving direction, or their tires are being destroyed long before they should wear and tear. Your tires should last three to four years, so make sure you get your money’s worth. It would be a shame to need new tires before you actually do, because all you really need is a tire alignment.
What to Expect
During a tire alignment, the mechanic will adjust the suspension. Against contrary thought that the actual wheels are being adjusted themselves, all the mechanic has to do is fix the angles at which all of the tires touch the surface you are driving on. Without the proper angle, steering can become difficult and sometimes altogether inaccurate. Once the suspension of the vehicle is adjusted, the vehicle can proceed to drive forward, left, or right, depending on the steering motion. Although you should be cautious, this information is not to scare you. There are ways to know you should have your tires aligned. Today, most drivers are on a budget and look to save as much money as possible. To do so, unnecessary mechanical fixes are something to avoid. So, pay attention and you will learn the warning signs of a tire alignment that needs fixing. Also, please do not use this information as a means of certification. It is always recommended to get a licensed professional to take a look at your car, at a time of uncertainty about your vehicle’s condition.When to Get Your Tires Aligned
If you notice that your tires are not receiving the wear and tear from the road at an evenly distributed pace, this may be a sign your car needs to have a tire alignment. With the proper alignment, your vehicle’s tires will wear and tear evenly, and they can usually be replaced at the same time. To avoid having to replace one tire before the others, pay attention to the wear and tear on your tires. If you notice one or more tires are not in as good condition as the others, it may be time for you to have a professional take a look at your vehicle to see if you need a tire alignment. If you are driving on a straight path and notice that your vehicle is pulling to the left or right instead of going forward, this may be another sign that your vehicle might need a tire alignment. Drive with extreme caution and do not panic. With the proper alignment, your vehicle should always we going straight and not pulling to the left or right. If you are steering your vehicle straight and notice that the steering wheel is off center, then it may be time for you to have a professional take a look at your vehicle to see if it needs a tire alignment. Your steering wheel should always be centered, so this is a red flag in any scenario, while driving. Also, if you ever feel your steering wheel vibrating as you drive, then this is another red flag that you should have a professional look at your vehicle. Your vehicle’s steering wheel should not be vibrating, and the proper wheel alignment will prohibit this from happening.If you’re looking for a tire shop in San Marcos TX, consider visiting Reliable Automotive to see how we can help!
Tire Alignment FAQ
Tires are designed to meet the road at a specific angle — and if you don’t attend to this after replacing your tires, you might face surprisingly severe consequences. For example, you could end up dealing with steering problems, tread wear issues, and other difficulties.
Fortunately, taking care of tire alignment at this point will allow your new tires to get off to the best possible start. Among other benefits, completing this service after installing new tires will reduce your risk of replacing them ahead of schedule.
When you buy your tires from a reputable tire shop, the mechanics working there will have no trouble handling alignment work for you. Reliable Automotive hires ASE-certified technicians, which means you can count on us to handle tire alignment after we install your new tires.
For the most part, local motorists need to visit an alignment shop once every two or three years. Of course, this timeline isn’t set in stone; instead, you may need tire alignment work sooner than you’d think. That could be the case for you if:
- Your tires are displaying signs of trouble. Steering wheel vibrations, abnormal tread wear patterns, and steering problems can all indicate that your tires are out of alignment.
- You’ve been in a car crash recently. Incidents like these subject your suspension to massive force, which could certainly affect your tire alignment.
- You often drive on bumpy roads. Even if you haven’t been involved in a car crash, the effects of driving over rough terrain might be enough to affect your suspension.
If you drive your car while its tires are misaligned, you might not immediately notice the effects. Still, that doesn’t mean this is something you can safely ignore — if you continue to leave your tires out of alignment, they could develop uneven tread wear. A tire repair appointment won’t be enough to fix this problem; instead, you’ll need to buy an entirely new set of tires.
The longer you wait to deal with alignment issues, the worse they’ll get. Because of that, it’s in your best interest to visit one of our auto shops for alignment work as soon as you notice these problems.
When you visit a Hays County, TX tire shop for tire alignment work, the people working there won’t make direct changes to your car’s wheels. They will adjust your vehicle’s suspension, which connects your tires to your car’s body.
By working on your suspension, mechanics can correct your tires’ angles and bring them back where they should be. Once this work is complete, you’ll enjoy a much lower risk of encountering uneven tread wear, steering difficulties, and other symptoms of improper tire alignment.
