Why You Need a Wheel Alignment For Your Summer Road Trips
You’ve planned all your sightseeing stops, decided where you’ll stay each night, and put together your packing list. You are ready to get this road trip going. All that’s left is to make sure your car is actually ready for the journey: filling the tank, cleaning out the trunk, and…getting a wheel alignment.
Why Are My Wheels Out of Line?
Wheel misalignment is not always an overt and obvious issue when you’re driving, but it can happen very easily with every day driving. Tires can become misaligned by bumping across potholes, driving down bumpy highways, or hitting curbs or speedbumps. These small, everyday occurrences can cause micro-adjustments in your tire’s positioning on the car that you may not notice early on. But regular maintenance and inspections at your local car repair shops can keep it under control.
Wheel Alignment for Better Handling
When your car’s tires are out of alignment, it can cause you difficulty as a driver. Poor wheel alignment causes drifting, which is when the car will pull to one side or the other while you are trying to drive straight. Similarly, you are likely to notice that when you are driving straight, your steering wheel is pointing “off-center.” It’s not that your steering wheel is wrong; you’re just accommodating for the drift. This also affects your braking. When out of alignment, your car may take longer to stop, and may veer to the left or right rather than coming to a stop directly ahead. For all of these reasons, getting a wheel alignment is a matter of safety before any long drive.
Wheel Alignment Keeps Tires Going
It’s always a pain to replace your car’s tires. They’re expensive, and they always seem to need replacing at the most inopportune time. When they are misaligned, they’ll need to be replaced even more often due to the uneven wear and tear inflicted on them. If you start to notice uneven tread or even bald spots on your tires, your tires have become misaligned. Get a wheel alignment to prevent the wear from getting worse.
Better Ride All Around
Getting a wheel alignment can improve the quality of your road trip in plenty of less obvious ways as well. If your wheels have moved out of alignment, they can cause a lot of noise, often a loud thumping. Realigning your tires will give you a quieter ride. Due to the drifting, your car can often look rather crooked, so a realignment can also correct your vehicle’s appearance. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, getting a wheel alignment can improve your fuel efficiency. When your car has to work hard to compensate for your out-of-line tires, it uses up more fuel than normal. Correcting the alignment means your vehicle no longer has to strain and spend that extra fuel.
Take the time to prep your car before taking that road trip for an easier and safer drive. Total Auto Care in North Branch, Minnesota can give your tires and alignment a look by appointment or as a same day service to get you safely on the road and ready for your summer vacation!
