Owning a vehicle comes with various services that need to be performed regularly to keep it running at its best for as long as possible. One of these is wheel alignment. Often, we forget or overlook wheel alignments because they don’t seem as “necessary” as some other services, such as oil changes and brake jobs. However, wheel alignments are a small service with one of the largest effects on the drivability of your vehicle, as well as the longevity of your suspension components. In this article, we’ll be going over the benefits of wheel alignments and when to get one.
What is a Wheel Alignment?
A wheel alignment involves carefully adjusting the suspension angles so your wheels are positioned correctly relative to the road and each other. Most technicians use advanced laser-guided equipment and specialized software to achieve accurate, manufacturer-recommended alignment for your vehicle.
Why Do I Need Wheel Alignments?
As you drive, your vehicle’s suspension components naturally fall out of alignment due to everyday wear, rough roads, potholes, or minor collisions. This process affects all vehicles, making regular wheel alignments essential for safe and efficient driving.
When your suspension is out of alignment, you may experience handling issues and even potential safety risks if left unaddressed. Proper alignment ensures your tires make even contact with the road, which helps prevent premature wear on both your tires and suspension parts.
Benefits of Wheel Alignments
Better Drivability and Control
Those who have driven a vehicle with improper alignment may be familiar with the drift that it causes. When the wheels are not perfectly aligned with the road, your vehicle can pull to the right or left, even when the wheels are straight. This may seem harmless, but it can cause major problems in evasive driving or when turning, and land you in some dangerous situations.
Increased Fuel Mileage
Another great benefit of wheel alignment is increased fuel mileage. When your vehicle’s wheels are properly aligned, they’ll move more smoothly down the road. It’s been shown that a proper alignment can increase your fuel efficiency by up to 10%. This also means that driving on an improper alignment could be costing more than the alignment itself would. So if you’ve noticed a decline in your MPG, it may partly be a product of misaligned wheels.
Increased Tire Longevity
As stated before, improper alignment will cause certain parts of your tire to see excess wear, which can render them unsafe and unusable much faster than a vehicle with proper alignment.
While many other factors influence the life of your tire tread, alignment is one of the most important, and it should be perfected whenever you install new tires on your vehicle.
Increased Suspension Longevity
Similar to tires, a bad alignment will cause excess stress on parts of your suspension and could cause bushings, springs, dampers, or other components to wear much quicker than you would like.
The same also holds regarding replacements. Any new major suspension components should be accompanied by an alignment to ensure you aren’t wearing out your new parts faster than you should.
Smoother Ride
With your suspension aligned optimally, every part is working at its best. This means that your ride quality can improve greatly with an alignment. Bad alignment can cause jarring vibrations and unpredictable reactions, making your ride uncomfortable for both you and your passengers.
Wheel Alignment in Arvada, Colorado
Consistent wheel alignment services keep you in control of your car and minimize the chaotic effects imprecise handling can have on your driving. Maintaining proper auto alignment is crucial to keeping your tire wear even and keeping proper control of your vehicle. The technicians at Arvada Square Auto in Arvada, Colorado, have extensive experience in providing precise alignment on all makes and models, so you can be sure that the job is done right. Don’t let bad alignment linger and cause issues; just call us or schedule with our friendly team today.