Monday, August 22, 2011

Tire Wear & Whell Alignment


In its most basic form, a wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The purpose of these adjustments is maximum tire life and a vehicle that

tracks straight and true when driving along a straight and level road.

Wheel alignment is very important to ensuring your tires do not wear prematurely. A proper alignment also means less wear and tear on steering/suspension components. When a vehicles alignment is out of manufacturer recommended specification, it can cause the vehicle to drift/float or pull in different directions. This can pro

ve to be unsafe for you and the vehicle. Improper wheel alignment creates excessive friction on the road surface leading to uneven tire wear and unnecessary stress on steering/suspension components. This excessive drag will also reduce fuel economy.

Additional notes: Some vehicles are not equiped from the factory with the necessary hardware to make all the required alignment adjustments. In these instances, modified bolts and/or eccentric bolt kits/spacers need to be installed before proper adjustments can be made. See illustration above:

Some repair shops will not take the extra time needed to install these kits and therefore will not perform all the required adjustments, resulting in improper alignment & premature tire wear. Do not be fooled by the "Advertised Low-price Alignment" of most tire shops & chain stores. If they are not informing you of any additional adjustments, ask to see a printout of the vehicle specifications & current adjustments. Service kits usually require additional labor to install them and the cost of each kit varies per vehicle. One of our service professionals will be able to answer all of your questions at the time of your appointment.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...