Why Wheel Alignments Add Life to Your Tyres

You probably know that you should have your wheels balanced every time you change your tyres, but you shouldn’t wait for your mechanic to tell you to have a wheel alignment. Sometimes you can tell that your car needs an alignment if you have difficulty steering in a straight line and find the car pulling slightly to the left or to the right.

But as your wheels slowly go out of alignment it may be difficult to detect because you slowly become accustomed to the way your car handles. That’s why it is important to have your wheels checked at least every six months to make sure that an alignment is not necessary.

So, why do you need to have your wheels aligned? Think about it this way, all four wheels of your vehicle should be perfectly perpendicular to the ground and parallel with each other. If one or two of these wheels are not aligned along the same plane you will need to adjust the direction of your steering to compensate for the tyres which tend to drag your car in a different direction.

In simple terms, your tyres will wear unevenly and the ones which are out of alignment will be ?dragged? across the surface of the road and they will wear out more quickly.

Although this description is a little exaggerated, the wheels need only be out of alignment to a very small degree to cause damage to your tyre and, over an extended period of time, this wear will become noticeable leading to the tyre having to be replaced.

When you have a wheel alignment at least every year you can avoid the accumulated damage and extend the life of your tyres. Let’s take a look at how a wheel alignment can extend the life of your tyres.

• Tyre wear will be reduced. As outlined above tyres are not properly aligned will maximise grip on the road and prevent dragging, adding thousands of kilometres to the life of your tyres.
• In the same way that wind resistance and poor car design cause drag which has a detrimental effect on performance, poor wheel alignment works the same way and this means lower kilometres per litre. Even a small amount of drag will decrease your car’s performance adding dollars to every tankful.
• Safety. A properly aligned vehicle gives you better control over the handling of your car meaning safer travel for you and your family. Many handling problems are solved with a simple wheel alignment and your ride becomes smoother and more comfortable.

Check your tyres regularly for indications of uneven wear. If your wheels are properly aligned wear and tear on your tyres will be even on all tyres. If the insides of your tyres are wearing more than the outside, it is a sure sign that you need a wheel alignment.

To ensure evenness of wear, your tyres should also be rotated diagonally at each car service. Your mechanic should do this for you automatically.