There are five different ways your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s wheels need to be aligned. Getz Automotive can make toe-in/toe-out, camber, caster, four-wheel, and thrust line adjustments to ensure your tires make exact contact with the road. Signs your wheels need to be aligned include your vehicle pulling to the side and an off-center steering wheel logo. Your wheels should be aligned annually or every two years. They may need an alignment sooner because of the following.
Bumpy Roads
In many cases, you cannot avoid driving on bumpy roads. If you must drive over road bumps, take it slow so you don’t damage the wheel alignment. You should also take it slow when you are driving over speed bumps. In fact, don’t drive over them going faster than five miles per hour.
Construction
Road construction creates uneven pavement that can knock your wheels out of alignment. Slow down in construction zones to protect your wheel alignment and the construction workers. Also, keep an eye out for construction debris that could damage your tires if you drive over it.
Curbs/Corners
One of the easiest ways to knock your wheels out of alignment is to hit a curb when you turn around a corner. This forces the wheel inward. Drive carefully around corners and when you parallel park to avoid making contact with the curbs. This helps to protect your tires and wheel alignment.
Fender-Benders
Unfortunately, even minor automobile accidents can cause unseen problems such as bad wheel alignment. If you get into an accident, even a minor fender-bender, have your vehicle inspected from roof to tires to make sure there isn’t any unseen damage such as misaligned wheels.
Potholes
As you can imagine, it’s extremely easy to knock your wheels out of alignment if you drive through potholes too fast. These road hazards jar your wheels in several different directions at once. This cannot only affect the wheel alignment but also damage your tires and cause suspension damage. Even if you are in a rush, drive through potholes as slow as possible to protect your automobile.
Space Markers
Finally, parking space markers can knock the wheels out of alignment because they push the wheels backward when you run into them. They can also knock the wheels out of alignment if you drive over them. Approach these markers slowly and always back out of a parking space.
Again, Getz Automotive in Fuquay-Varina, NC, can realign your wheels if they need it. Call us today for a service appointment.