Misalignment of wheels is a raging issue that often goes unnoticed for a long time not because it’s hard to detect but because it’s easy to overlook. Most drivers wouldn’t even notice that their wheels are at a slightly different angle than they are supposed to be even if they are staring directly at it!
However, this small maladjustment of angles can affect your car in a lot of adverse ways. It can alter your steering response, affect ride comfort and also cause rapid deterioration of the tread depth on your Car Tyres in Malton.
It is paramount that drivers detect wheel misalignment at the earliest and take countermeasures. That requires some in-depth analysis of the issue and more importantly, how one can diagnose it early.
Understanding Wheel Alignment
When a car is brand new, all its wheels are at the requisite angles in respect to the road and parallel to each other. If that sounds too hard to wrap your head around, let’s say that they are entirely straight by all accounts.
Their angles begin to get skewed with regular use. It is natural and even acceptable to a certain extent. However, when these angles get too much out of proportion, it poses a lot of problems.
There are 3 types of angles that a driver should be concerned about:
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Camber: Refers to the angle of tyres when viewed from the front.
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Toe: Refers to the angle of tyres when seen from the top.
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Caster: Refers to the angle of tyres against the steering axis.
If any of these angles are too much awry from their pre-set parameters, some problems will start to crop up which may not be immediately noticeable but extremely harmful for your car nonetheless.
Symptoms of Misaligned Wheels
Like mentioned earlier, you have to be an exceptionally keen observer if you want to detect misaligned wheels on your own. Most of these symptoms are easy to miss and even easier to confuse with others.
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Irregular Tread Wear
Under normal circumstances, tyres are supposed to wear evenly throughout their body surface. Misalignment causes them to wear unevenly. For example, if you have positive camber, you’ll notice tread wear along the outer edges of the tyre.
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Vehicle Veering to One Side
The handling precision of your car will also be severely compromised due to wheel misalignment. You’ll notice that your car pulls in a particular direction. It’s often hard to associate with wheel misalignment because many other issues can cause a car to veer.
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Off-Centre Steering Wheel
Despite what it sounds like, wheel alignment is an issue with the suspension system of a vehicle and not the wheels themselves. The suspension system is directly connected to the steering wheel. As such, you may notice that the steering wheel is not centred even when you are driving dead straight.
Whenever you notice these issues, take your car to reputable auto garages such as Terry Elsey Tyres to perform Wheel Alignment Malton with top-of-the-line equipment. They can also help you with a brand new set of tyres from their extensive range.