Making Your Car More Comfortable

Making Your Car More Comfortable

3 Surprising Consequences Of Alignment Issues

Rodney Torres

The two most common symptoms of an alignment problem are easy to recognize. In most cases, your car will pull to one side, and you'll likely notice some unusual wear on one or more tires. If you have either of these problems with your car, it's a sure sign that your alignment is out of adjustment, and you need to schedule an appointment with your local shop.

However, these aren't the only two problems arising from a misaligned suspension. In many cases, you won't even notice your car pulling to one side until the problem becomes relatively severe. Instead, watch out for these three potentially surprising symptoms that may indicate brewing trouble with your car's wheel alignment.

1. "Jumpy" Front-End

Manufacturers choose alignment angles to create a careful balance between responsiveness and stability. Your car's toe angle is especially critical for this purpose. Toe-out will increase steering responsiveness, but at the cost of reduced stability, so most manufacturers prefer a toe-in geometry to create a less "jumpy" or "squirrely" ride.

If your car's wheels are beginning to fall out of alignment, you may notice this apparent decrease in stability. Surprisingly, your front-end might feel unstable if you have a toe problem with the rear wheels. Since a toe-out alignment will cause the rear of the car to grip less effectively in turns, it can cause the vehicle to feel as though it's ready to jump out of your control at any moment.

2. Uneven Steering Wheel

Even if your car doesn't pull to one side, you might notice that your steering wheel and front wheels seem to disagree about which direction is straight ahead. You might be driving in a straight line, but your steering wheel will sit slightly to the left or right. This situation occurs due to a mismatch between the position of the wheels and the steering hardware.

Several situations can cause this issue, including normal wear and tear as well as incorrectly performed front-wheel alignments. Since modern cars typically use independent rear suspensions, a front-end alignment alone can cause a mismatch between the front and rear toe angles. You'll need a four-wheel alignment to correct the problem and get your steering wheel tracking straight again.

3. Vibrations

Wheel balancing issues aren't the only problems that can cause your car to shake and vibrate. Alignment issues can cause one or more wheels to drag against the car's intended direction, resulting in shaking that you might be able to feel through the steering wheel or the chassis. You may notice these problems long before your alignment becomes severe enough to create additional driveability issues.

Waiting for your car to start pulling hard in one direction is rarely a good approach to dealing with your alignment issues. Instead of waiting for potentially dangerous drivability problems to show up, it's a good idea to schedule a professional four-wheel alignment as soon as you notice any of the symptoms listed above.


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Making Your Car More Comfortable

Do you spend a considerable amount of time in your automobile? Perhaps, you’re a traveling salesman. Or, you might be the busy parent of two kids who participate on numerous sports teams. Regardless of the reason you spend a lot of time in your vehicle, you might desperately desire to make it more comfortable. Think about investing in a neck pillow. You might also want to buy soft car seat covers to sit on. Purchasing a fragrant air freshener for your car is a great idea. On this blog, I hope you will discover additional, ingenious ways to make your automobile more comfortable to ride in for extended periods of time. Enjoy!

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