Of all the common car problems, wheel alignment is the only issue that does not come with a dedicated warning signal. Even putting aside the common warning lights on your dashboard, many parts of your car are designed to give off certain alarming sounds when they are damaged. Wheel alignment is different though.
The signs that you need your wheels aligned or realigned are subtle, but they are there if you know what to look for. Central Auto Care wants to teach you what to look for, as we have always found that educated customers are better customers. So, here are some signs you might need a wheel alignment.
Vehicle Veering to One Side
This is the first symptom of wheels being unaligned because it is not only the most common, but it is the most instructional for understanding exactly what is going on when your wheels are having alignment issues.
You see, “wheel alignment” has more to do with the axels than the wheels. The wheels of your vehicle are just where poor alignment makes itself known, hence the name. When your axels become unaligned, they are going from being straight lines across the bottom of your car, to slightly diagonal across the bottom.
When this happens, your car is always facing just a little bit to one side or the other. This is why a vehicle veering is such an obvious sign of poor alignment: It is also one of the few symptoms of the issue that is completely exclusive to wheel alignment. Going forward, you will know what this means.
Uneven Wear on Tires
This sign will not prevent itself as obviously as the first, but it is critical that you notice it nonetheless. If you are in an icy environment, you might notice this much sooner, as it will mean that sometimes one wheel will lose traction while the others keep on going like normal. This can be bad, as it results in a loss of control.
Balance in cars is something easily taken for granted. You do not know the value of both wheels having even traction until one wheel has given out on you while the other still tries to carry you forwards.
Squealing Tires
This is the hardest symptom to pin down, even as it is one of the most obvious ones to experience. This is because when your car starts squealing, it is not always obvious if it is your tires, your axel, your engine, your serpentine belt, your this, your that… In short, unless you are listening for it, you can misdiagnose this.
The difference will be that the noise will be coming from way further down than your engine, and it will be lower-pitched. Engine-related noises usually happen by design. As such, they are high-pitched and deliberately alarming so that you know something is wrong. Squealing tires come from metal stress rather than design.
If you have any questions or need your tires realigned, call Central Auto Care and we can help you out. Till then, listen to your car when it is in pain, and drive safe the rest of the time.