4 Important Things You Should Know About Getting A Wheel Alignment

When it comes to owning a vehicle, you need to stay on top of lots of regular maintenance tasks. One of the regular maintenance tasks you need to take care of is a wheel alignment. A wheel alignment impacts the way your vehicle handles and can also impact how your tires wear over time.

#1: Check Your Alignment Twice a Year

It is a good idea to have the alignment on your vehicle checked at least twice a year. Your alignment can easily get off just a little bit through normal things such as hitting a curb or hitting a pothole.

When your alignment is off, it can change the way your tires wear, and it can cause unnecessary wear to your suspension, which is why it is smart to get a wheel alignment service twice a year.

#2: Fixing the Caster Angle

When you get a wheel alignment, the first thing they will do is fix the caster angle. The caster angle is the way your front suspension is set in your car.

This is not something that you can see by just looking at your vehicle; you have to measure this using special alignment equipment. You are going to want to have the caster angle set so that it is positive. This will help your wheel go right back to the center after you turn the wheel.

#3: Fixing the Camber Angle

Next, during alignment, the camber angle will be fixed. On some vehicles, you can see the camber angle when you look at the car. The camber is how your tires are tilted and make contact with the road.

You want the top of the tire to have a neutral camber so that the tires' top is not tilted inward or outward. If your tires have a camber, you want them to have slightly negative camber.

If the camber is too negative, then your tires will wear down on the inside of the vehicle, and if the tire camber is too positive, the outside of the tire will wear down quickly. That is why a neutral angle is best for the camber angle.

#4: Fixing the Toe Angle

Finally, when you get your vehicle aligned, the toe angle is fixed. This is how your tires are angled when you look at the front of them.

If the tires are positioned inward too much, your tires are considered to be toe-in. If the tires are positioned so that they are set back, that is toe-out. Both toe-in and toe-out can make your vehicle feel unstable when you are driving at fast speeds. You want the toe angle to be neutral.

When you take your vehicle in for an alignment, they will adjust the caster angle, the camber angle, and the toe angle. It is a good idea to get your alignment checked twice a year, as it can impact the way your tires wear and can impact your vehicle's suspension as well. Contact a company that handles car wheel alignments to learn more.