Wheel Alignment Adjustment

Have your tyres worn down on a specific edge? Is your vehicle pulling to one side even with the steering wheel straight? Is your steering wheel out of line? These are all signs that your vehicle's wheel alignment may be incorrect and need an adjustment.

Wheel alignment can happen for many different reasons but mainly happens due to bad road conditions. Hitting a large pothole a bit too fast is all it will take for your alignment to move slightly and become out of line. This could also be caused by worn suspension parts that are causing play and moving the alignment as you drive.

Why is wheel alignment necessary for new tyres?

Having wheel alignment done when new tyres are installed is not necessary or required however, it is strongly advised if you have tyre wear on a particular edge that the car should also have a wheel alignment completed at the same time as having the tyres changed.

The alignment will ensure that all of the new tyres will wear evenly and that they won't prematurely wear out on one edge.

Although it may not seem to need this, a lot of time the alignment can help get an extra couple of thousand miles out of your tyres. Although there are cheaper tyres it makes more sense to keep the same set for as long as possible, instead of replacing tyres too often.

The main reason to get your wheel alignment done apart from to try and reduce tyre wear on the edges and prevent premature tyre wear is to make the car have a smoother ride. Instead of having to correct for the incorrect tracking, the car should handle it as it is designed to.

If you are unsure whether there is an issue with your wheel alignment, there are a few warning signs to show that there is a tracking issue such as:

Pulling to one side without braking
unusual tyre wear
The steering wheel is not straight
Car vibrates

Does your tracking need adjustment?

Call our Garage near Leighton Buzzard for a FREE quote

01296 688256

When is wheel alignment required?

Pulling or drifting to one side

Another sign of tracking issues is if the vehicle pulls to one side even if the road surface is straight. If you find yourself having to correct the wheel slightly just to drive in a straight line then the alignment is likely off. The steering wheel also may not return to the centre line after a corner which it should do on its own which is a symptom of worn suspension components.

Uneven tyre wear

One other sign of misaligned wheels is if you have tyre wear on the edges of your tyres. If tyres are prematurely wearing on the edges this is a sign that the vehicle has alignment issues. The tyres may also squeal when cornering.

Vibrations while driving

Sometimes when your wheels aren't aligned properly, it may cause slight steering wheel vibrations. This can also be caused by wheels that are properly balanced but is usually a lot worse when this is the case so light steering wheel vibrations are often caused by wheel alignment issues.

Steering wheel off-centre

the wheel alignment needs doing if the steering wheel is out of line even when you are driving in a straight line on a relatively flat road. You may even end up holding the steering wheel in a position that would usually mean the car would go around a corner instead of going straight.

What are the benefits of having alignment done?

1. Improved car handling

There are many different benefits to getting your wheel alignment done. It can dramatically improve handling in severe cases as you won't have to be constantly fighting the wheel to stop the car from pulling to one side and this helps improve the overall safety of the vehicle. This allows for a much smoother ride. Sometimes you may also have to hold the steering wheel at an awkward angle just to get the car to track straight down the road which means the alignment is out.

2. Longer tyre lifespan

Another major benefit is that it can reduce the amount of tyre wear that takes place which causes you to get your tyres replaced prematurely. Getting wheel alignment done can reduce the number of times you will be replacing tyres. This is because if the tracking is not set correctly then this can cause the tyres to feather on the edges as they will scrub these areas the most compared to the rest of the tyre.

3. Better fuel efficiency

It can also help improve fuel economy drastically. This is because the wheels that are not aligned correctly will drag instead of rolling freely causing more rolling resistance and the engine will have to work harder to move the car.

Does your tracking need adjustment?

Call our Garage near Leighton Buzzard for a FREE quote

01296 688256

Frequently asked questions

What is wheel alignment?

Wheel alignment is an adjustment of the vehicle's suspension to change the contact patch of the tyre with the road. This helps to keep the handling of the vehicle correct and also helps to keep tyre wear on the edges to a minimum prolonging the amount of time before tyres need replacing.

Making sure that the wheel alignment on your vehicle is correct is very important. It keeps your tyres from wearing quicker than they should on the edges and keeps your vehicle running optimally for the best driving performance. If the tracking goes out then this could cause you to have problems with the overall handling of the vehicle as well.

Is it fine to drive with bad tracking?

Driving with incorrect wheel alignment will most likely cause uneven wear on the tyres. If it isn't aligned as soon as possible it could cause the tyres to wear out much more prematurely costing you more on repairs in the long run as it will wear out the edges of the tyres causing you to have to replace them sooner. When driving it can become more difficult to steer the car when the wheels are misaligned.

When should alignment be done?

For most vehicles, there are no specific set requirements as to when the wheel alignment needs adjusting. For most vehicles, it is best to have it checked out every couple of years or get it checked out if the vehicle has any symptoms of being misaligned. If your car is showing no symptoms of misaligned tracking such as uneven tyre wear or difficult handling after a few years then it is probably best to be left how it is.

For some sports cars, it is best to have the wheel alignment checked out more often rather than not as things such as hitting a pothole can sometimes slightly change the measurements.

Typically wheel alignment is recommended to be done if the car has a new set of tyres to ensure even wear across the tyres. Wheel alignment should also be looked at when any suspension work has been done. This is because when worn suspension parts are replaced they vary the alignment slightly so it is always best to have this done at the same time to make sure that everything is right. Before having any tracking done the vehicle should be checked over first for any suspension issues.

What causes bad wheel alignment in a car?

Wheel alignment is the adjustment of the suspension to try and get the best possible tyre contact with the road to provide good grip, whilst also providing a smooth ride for the person driving the vehicle and making sure that the tyre wear isn't too excessive. Many different reasons can cause bad wheel alignment.

One of the most common things to cause the alignment to change unexpectedly is potholes, hitting a curb, or hitting the car into something. Hitting a pothole or curb could throw off your wheel alignment straight away.

One of the other most common reasons why your wheel alignment can go bad is if you have a suspension that needs fixing. This is because if there is play in ball joints or other suspension components this will not allow the wheel alignment to stay in the same position. Your alignment will also be altered if different suspension components are put on such as lowering springs.

How long does wheel alignment take?

Typically a wheel alignment can take anywhere up to an hour depending on how many adjustments need to be made. If you have bolts seized that need to be moved in order to make adjustments then these will need to be freed off in order to make the adjustment. This can take time and may result in additional costs.