5 Symptoms of bad wheel alignment

Having the wheel on your car aligned properly can be the difference between a fully functional car and a car for scrap. It might not seem like an inconvenience for regular driving, but it you find yourself in an emergency of must make a sharp turn while driving at a high speed then wheel alignment can be the difference between life and death. Luckily, if you have wheel alignment problems your vehicle will give you many hints. The post was written to help drivers by pointing out symptoms to keep an eye out for that can save you money and time in the future.

Drifting

The first symptom to look out for is drifting, if your car drifts more to one side than the other when driving on a flat surface you might have a problem with your wheel alignment. It’s worth remembering that you might get the same feeling when driving on roads that are banked so you need to be sure that the problem lies with your car and not the road. A significant wheel alignment problem will cause your car to drift and sometimes even against the slope if it’s bad enough.

5 Symptoms of bad wheel alignment Photo Gallery



Vibrating steering

If your steering wheel vibrates when you are driving on a flat surface, it might mean that your wheel alignment or balance is out. The vibration might be caused by your wheels having been knocked out of alignment, this can often happen because of speeding through potholes. If you feel any vibrating you should check it out immediately as it might be a symptom of a much larger problem with your car.

Loose Steering

Sometimes, you might feel that your steering feels kind of loose or wanders a little around the road, this might be another sign of a wheel alignment issue. If you have owned your car for a long time it should be easier to recognise a new feel to your car so if you feel any vibrations or drifting you should get it checked by a professional mechanic at once.

Excessive wear and tear

Your tyre wear can speak volumes about the condition of your car, an experienced mechanic can use the wear pattern on your tyres to make educated guesses about the tyre pressure, suspension and alignment. Wear and tear is acceptable with any product but this is more the case for tyres as they are the only components of your car that is in constant contact with the surfaces. If you notice any uneven wearing it is very likely that whichever tyre with the wear is carrying the weight of a tyre that’s not functioning properly.

Off centre steering wheel

The easiest and cheapest way to know if there is anything wrong with your wheel alignment is by simply looking at your steering wheel. You can often tell that your wheel alignment is out just by looking at the steering wheel, as if it is off centre, you likely have a wheel alignment issue.

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