How Often Should I Do Alignment?

Alignment is an important part of car care. It ensures your tires are pointed in the right direction and improves your vehicle’s handling. But, how often should you do an alignment? That depends on various factors, such as how often you drive, the type of roads you travel on, and your vehicle’s make and model. Your tires’ tread depth can also affect when you need to have an alignment done.

 

Typically, it’s recommended that motorists have their car aligned every six months or 6,000 miles, whichever comes first. However, if you notice your car pulling to one side or feeling like it’s not driving straight, it might be time for an alignment.

 

Read more: Do Front Tires Wear Faster?

 

What is a Car Alignment?

As the name suggests, a car alignment is the way your car’s angles are set. There are four types of car alignment you should know about. These include the following:

 

• Camber will make sure that your tires are correctly aligned to avoid damage. If they are poorly aligned, you’ll wear out the edges unevenly. This is more likely at higher speeds because it is harder to maintain an even speed over long periods.

 

• Alignment will be used to make sure that your suspension doesn’t have any extra stress on it, and this is particularly important for low-riding vehicles. If the alignment isn’t good, you’ll wear out the car’s shock system before its time, or you might even break the suspension. You’ll want to have this checked if there are any signs of abnormal tire wear, especially on the inside edges of your tires.

 

• Tracking refers to how well your wheels are lined up at a perpendicular angle concerning the road itself. If they aren’t, then you may end up with heavy tire wear, especially if you’re driving on roads that aren’t perfectly straight.

 

• Toe is the specific angle at which each of your wheel’s points, and it’s important to check this alignment periodically because it could cause unusual wear or tear on your tires. This may also make it harder for you to turn, and it could even cause your car to wander aimlessly when you’re driving. This makes it difficult for other people to spot you at intersections, which is dangerous to you and them.

The process of car alignment includes the adjustment of various elements in your vehicle’s suspension system to bring all four wheels into proper parallel alignment. This ensures that the tires are running true, saving them from wearing out prematurely.

 

When the car’s angles aren’t set correctly, it can translate into uncomfortable or unsafe driving conditions that can be extremely dangerous.

 

Read more: Going Places : Tire Butler, Mobile Tire Repair and Replacement Service

 

What Causes Misalignment?

Several different things can cause a vehicle to end up out of alignment. The most common of all is simply age. Over time, your car’s suspension components gradually loosen up and begin to fail, making it harder for them to keep the car where they need to be to work properly. This puts more stress on them, making them wear down faster, resulting in a need for an auto-alignment.

 

Another common cause is uneven tire wear on the front or back of your vehicle. This can be caused by anything from having one bad tire on the car to having something wrong with the suspension itself. Anytime you’ve got this sort of problem with your vehicle, it should be taken care of right away. If not, you could end up with serious damage to your car’s alignment components, putting you in a position where the only real option is to purchase an entirely new suspension system for your car.

 

Alignment issues can also happen if the tires get out of proper alignment themselves. For example, hitting a pothole, curb, or another irregularity on the road while driving can knock your wheels slightly out of alignment. You may not notice it right away, but gradually, you will find that the vehicle no longer handles the same as it used to.

 

Read more:  What Is A Tire Swap?

 

 

How Often Should You Schedule A Car Alignment Service?

Getting your car’s tires properly aligned is crucial for keeping your vehicle running smoothly and safely. How often you should do this varies on different factors, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. If you notice uneven tire wear, clunks when driving over bumps or dips, or any other unusual behavior like pulling to one side even when the steering wheel is straight, you probably need to get your car aligned. Flat tire? Our team can help with flat tire problems you may have.

 

It’s important to understand that tire alignment is not a do-it-yourself job. The old-school notion of using your car as an alignment rack by cambering it on two jack stands does not work because you can’t set the toe precisely enough for safe driving and should never be done. Quite simply, the job requires professional expertise, and there are a few factors that can affect how often you should schedule an alignment service.

 

We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible when aligning your car. If you’re looking for a professional car alignment service in Toronto, contact us at Tire Butler! Our team of professionals is here to help with all service and repair needs for your vehicle at competitive rates. Schedule your appointment and join our long list of satisfied clients!