3 Ways Your Vehicle's Alignment Impacts Your Vehicle

The alignment on your vehicle can easily get out of whack just by daily driving. Every time that your vehicle encounters a pot hole or hits a curb, the alignment of your vehicle is at risk. It is smart to check the alignment on your vehicle after every oil change to make sure that everything is lined up and working properly. Luckily, even if you don't get your alignment checked as often as you should, your vehicle will provide you with signs that your alignment needs to be fixed.

#1 Vibration in the Steering Wheel

When you drive your vehicle, you should not feel like you are a Formula 1 racer, holding tightly to the wheel to maintain control over your vehicle. You should be able to hold your steering wheel with a light touch.

It is not possible to hold your steering wheel with a light touch if it is vibrating. Vibration in your steering wheel is often caused by an alignment issue. It is important to note that vibration in your steering wheel can also be caused by other issues as well, such as a bearing that is worn out. Either way, steering wheel vibration should be investigated by a professional.

#2 Uneven Tire Wear

When one set of your tires starts to wear out faster than another set of tires on your vehicle, this can be connected to your alignment. If your alignment is off at all, this can cause your tires to wear at an uneven rate. When your tires wear at an uneven rate, the life of your tires and even the safety of your tires is at jeopardy.

If your tires are not wearing on the same on the front and back of your vehicle, you need to get your alignment looked at to determine if the alignment is the driving issue behind your uneven tire wear.

#3 Steering Wheel Feels Off

Your alignment needs to be in good shape for your steering wheel to feel like it is working properly. When your alignment is off, often times your steering wheel may feel off as well.

There are a variety of ways that your steering wheel could feel off. Your wheel could not feel really tight and hard to move. Or your wheel could feel really loose and almost sloppy. Your wheel could have a lag time between when you turn your vehicle or make a movement, and your vehicle actually responds. None of these are good situations. You need your steering wheel to respond correctly in order to stay safe on the road.

If your vehicle's steering is not responding as it should, if you feel vibrations in the steering wheel, and/or notice that your tires are not wearing correctly, your vehicle has an alignment issues that you need to look into and fix as soon as possible. Correct alignment is not only good for your vehicle; it will help keep you safe on the road. Contact a shop, like D Wells Automotive Service, for more help.