It is always a good idea to get new car tyres checked for alignment. It is quite easy for tyres to get out of alignment; you only have to hit a bad pothole in the road for the suspension to get bumped out of alignment. What does it mean exactly for car tyres to be out of alignment? It means that they are not quite straight - and so there will be a great deal more wear and tear on them. Having just paid a sizeable sum of money to have them fitted, you hardly want them to start wearing out unnecessarily.
How can you tell if tyres are not properly aligned? Very often the vehicle will start to shudder at certain speeds, or the steering wheel might vibrate at higher speed. If the problem is not corrected you will soon see uneven wear on the tyre treads as it means that one or more tyres are being dragged to some extent rather than running straight and true. There are other problems caused from not having your tyres properly aligned.
* Higher fuel consumption. When tyres are not running straight there is drag which means the engine must work harder to make the car go. This relates to more fuel consumption.
* The car feels as if it is wandering - the steering wheel may pull to the left or right.
* The ride will not be as smooth as one or more tyres are constantly being dragged to correct their direction.
* Handling and control will not be as efficient and can cause accidents. It can also cause driver fatigue.
When you get a wheel alignment done it is necessary to have all four tyres aligned at the same time. Only then can you be sure that they will all be travelling in the same central direction. This should be done at least once a year or every 20,000 kilometres or so. It may need to be done more often if you constantly drive on bad roads that contain lots of potholes, or if the car has been in a minor prang.
To check if your vehicle needs an alignment, choose an empty road and while driving slowly, let go of the steering wheel. If the vehicle pulls to the left or right, or if the steering wheel rotates without you touching it, you can be pretty sure that the alignment is out. At higher speeds take note if the car shudders or if the steering wheel seems to vibrate. See if it seems hard to turn a corner or do parallel parking. Such problems can often be caused by your wheels being out of alignment - or out of balance.
Having regular maintenance such as a suspension check on the vehicle often means that other problems can be picked up before they translate into something serious and more costly. And since it makes the vehicle safer, easier to drive and saves you running costs, getting it done should certainly be something that you would not think twice about.
