Dec 7, 2020
Your car’s wheels can become misaligned when you suddenly hit a kerb, drive over a pothole or hit an object in the road. Parts in the wheel assembly and suspension can also wear and shift which will result in notable signs and symptoms telling you that it’s time to realign your wheels. Properly aligned vehicles perform better and more efficiently.
5 common symptoms of bad wheel alignment
Below are the 5 common symptoms which could be telling you that your car’s wheels need to be realigned.
Uneven tyre wear
This symptom is one of the most common experiences when your car’s wheels need to be aligned. If you happen to notice that tread on certain parts of your tyres are wearing out faster than you expected and compared to the others, then your wheels are not aligned. You can check for uneven wear by measuring the tread depth on both sides of each tyre.
Uneven steering wheel
When driving down a straight, flat road the steering wheel of the vehicle should remain straight and centred. Look at the manufacturer’s emblem in the middle of your steering wheel to gauge whether your car steering is perfectly centred. If not, then this is a sign that your wheels could be misaligned.
Vehicle pulling to one side
Another test you can do to test your car’s wheel alignment is by driving down a straight road and when it is completely safe to do so, remove your hands from the steering wheel to let the vehicle guide itself. You want the car to remain perfectly straight, but if it pulls to one side then place your hands back on the wheel to maintain control. If the car pulls to one side, then your wheel alignment needs to be checked.
If you don’t address this problem, it is going to be harder to maintain your vehicle driving in a straight line.
Loose steering wheel
Has your steering wheel been noticeably loose? If so, this needs to be checked out by a mechanic straight away. This can be caused by misaligned wheels or something more serious. Do not ignore loose steering wheel signs as this can cause a decreased response time when turning.
Steering wheel vibrating
A vibrating steering wheel while you’re driving can be due to unbalanced or misaligned tyres. However, just like the loose steering wheel issue, it can be caused by other more serious problems and needs to be checked by a mechanic straight away.
Why you should never ignore wheel misalignment
We understand that sometimes it can just be easier to ignore car problems because they may not seem like a big deal at the time or maybe you don’t want to get caught with a hefty repair bill. If you continue to put off getting a wheel realignment, it will result in more damage being done to not just the tyres, but the rest of the car also.
If you need to gather quotes for wheel alignment, try MyCarNeedsA.com, the easiest and quickest way to gather quotes from mechanics in your local area, saving you both time and money. Get your quotes today!
