Saturday, October 13, 2012

WHEEL ALIGNMENT

There are a few common things you might notice when it’s time for a wheel alignment service:
  • Pulls
    Your car steering “pulls” in one direction. Oftentimes this is caused by a steering angle that is out of adjustment. Sometimes, an under-inflated or faulty tire can cause a phenomena called “radial pull.”
  • Wandering
    You find it hard to keep your car from wandering over the travel lane. A misadjusted caster angle is most likely the cause of this concern. Think of the caster angle like the forks on a motorcycle. The more severe angle on the forks equals more caster. This angle has a great impact on the ability of the car to maintain a straight line.
  • Play
    Instead of feeling in precise control of your steering you feel “play” or “slack” from the steering wheel to the turn of the wheels. Any worn suspension or steering components can cause this problem.
  • Clunking or rubbing noise
    Rubbing or clunking when going over bumps, turning or stopping is a steering and suspension warning. Like slack in the steering, any worn suspension or steering components can cause this problem.
  • Tire wear
    Your vehicle tire wear becomes uneven. A combination of misadjusted steering angles and/or worn components will cause this concern. Sometimes abusive driving or improperly inflated tires can contribute to this problem. This problem is extremely dangerous because the tires prematurely wear exposing a very thin section of the tire to the forces of the vehicle and the road.
  • Car bottoms out
    If your car bottoms out when going over bumps, then worn shocks, struts or suspension components are a likely culprit. We strongly recommend having your alignment checked before any of these repairs are attempted so that all the components can be checked to minimize the possibility of having a repeat repair visit. If you have a strut equipped vehicle, you will need your alignment reset after having your struts replaced.
  • Replacing tires too often
    Misadjusted suspension angles and/or improperly inflated tires are the most common reasons for this problem. In most cases, a proper alignment will fix this problem.

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