Signs of a Damaged Wheel Alignment in Your Car Most of the time it is seen that car owners are concerned about certain parts like the engine and the transmission and don’t give proper attention to the other parts of their vehicle. There is no doubt that the engine and the transmission are vital for the smooth running and better performance of the car. However, in the modern cars manufactured nowadays, all the parts are intricately related to each other and if any of these malfunctions, then you will face serious issues while driving your car. Moreover, it will be just a matter of days before a damaged part affects the other properly functioning components related to it. In addition to this, your driving habit also plays a large role in determining the longevity of certain parts in your car. One common problem faced by most drivers is a misaligned wheel or damaged wheel alignment in their car at some point in time. However, it is often noticed that people ignore this problem until it takes a turn for the worse. Damaged wheel alignment in your car directly affects the safety of the occupants and is a safety hazard. Here in this article, we will discuss the signs of damaged wheel alignment in your car.
Car pulls to one side The best way to check the alignment of your car is when you are driving on a straight road with little traffic. Just remove your hands from the steering wheel and let the car guide itself on the road. If you observe that your vehicle is swerving or drifting towards one particular side, then place your hands back on the steering wheel and lightly maintain control of the steering to stay on the road. Repeat the test once again when the car is driving straight. If the car still veers toward the side, then it is a sign of damaged wheel alignment and the wheels need to realign. The more it pulls out of straight line, the worse is the alignment. You must immediately address the problem as it will be harder to drive straight.
Unstable steering wheel Whenever you are driving down a road that is completely straight and flat, then your car’s steering wheel should remain straight and perfectly centered. You can easily check it out by looking at the emblem in the center of your steering wheel. If the emblem remains even while driving straight, then the steering wheel is centered. However, if you observe that the emblem tips a couple of degrees off level in any direction, then the steering wheel is unstable and your car needs a wheel alignment immediately. Once the wheels have been realigned, then the steering wheel will remain centered and the car will be much easier to control.
Vibrating steering wheel If you experience vibration in the steering wheel of your car while driving then it could be related to the damaged wheel alignment of your car. However, vibration in the steering wheel of your car can also be related to issues in the other components of your car. This is why you need to take your car to an experienced repair shop to diagnose the exact reason behind the vibration of the steering wheel.
Unusual sound from the tires It is very difficult to first identify misalignment issues in your car because it is under extraordinary circumstances the wheel alignment gets damaged. However, when the wheels become misaligned, the problem only worsens with the passage of time. Nevertheless, one of the warning signs of a damaged wheel alignment is a loud squealing sound from the tires of your car. The tires of your car wear unevenly due to the damaged wheel alignment and they start to squeal when the car accelerates or makes turns. But squealing can also be caused due to other factors like worn brake pads. You must get your car inspected when you hear a squealing sound coming from the tires of your car.
Uneven tire wear
If you observe that the treads on certain tires of your car are wearing out faster than others, then the wheels may be misaligned. You can measure the tread depth on both sides of each tire with a tread depth meter for greatest accuracy.
Finally The above-discussed signs are associated with damaged wheel alignment of your car and you are most likely to experience these signs when the misalignment is in its initial stages. Whenever you experience these signs and then take your car to an auto repair shop without any delay to fix the alignment.