Wheel Alignments

WHAT IS VEHICLE WHEEL ALIGNMENT?

Wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angle of the wheels to make them parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. This operation is intended to prevent too much friction or the premature wear of tyres or suspension.

Wheel alignment is the adjustment of three elements: camber, toe, and caster.

• Camber adjustment: seen from the front of the vehicle, the specialist adjusts the inward or outward angles of the tyre.
• Toe adjustment: seen from above, the angle identifies the exact direction the tyres are pointed compared to the centerline of the vehicle.
• Caster adjustment: seen from the side, this angle identifies the forward or backward slope of a line drawn through the upper and lower steering pivot points.

WHAT’S THE BENEFITS OF WHEEL ALIGNMENT?

A good alignment will bring you many benefits in terms of comfort, efficiency, and safety:

• It will help to reduce the maintenance budget of your car. With a good adjustment, your tyres will benefit from better rolling resistance.
• It reduces fuel consumption. When your 4 tyres are well aligned, it reduces friction on the road requiring less energy for the same driving distance.
• It optimizes the lifetime of your tyres.
• It protects some mechanical parts of the vehicle. Parts of your car that show abnormal wear may be the result of a bad alignment.
• 4 wheels aligned improve maneuverability and car control, which is a huge safety factor when driving in poor weather conditions. Moreover, it provides a much more pleasant driving experience.
• Your vehicle will emit less CO2, which is obviously better for the environment!
• You drive an EV and need to maintain it's range. Battery life can be affected by poor alignment causing high rolling resistance to the tyres. An alignment can help lower the resistance and maintain good battery range.

3 INDICATORS OF POOR WHEEL ALIGNMENT

How do you know if you need an alignment? Check out our 3 key indicators:

• Your tyres wear out irregularly
• The steering of your vehicle doesn't hold a straight line: As you head along a straight road or Highway, you can feel yourself holding the car straight, to stop it drifting left or right.
• The curved trajectory changes

WHEN TO CHECK YOUR ALIGNMENT?

We recommended to align the wheels of your vehicle once a year or every 12,000 km's. However, an anomaly in alignment can appear anytime during the lifetime of the tyre because of hitting a kerb or driving over a pothole (and we all know how well our roads are cared for!). If you notice the appearance of one of the three indicators above or just need a check for peace of mind, we advise that you contact us for advice.

When was the last time you checked your tyre alignment?

Get in touch to book your next wheel alignment