[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Maintaining proper wheel alignment is essential to avoid unnecessary wear on your tires, steering, suspension, and brake components. An accurate wheel alignment optimizes driving stability, maximizes tire life, and improves your vehicle’s overall handling performance. Before performing a wheel alignment, test drive the vehicle and record any abnormality, the tire pressures should be checked and set, steering and suspension components should be checked for wear and movement that may prevent alignment from being performed effectively. There are a couple ways to tell if your car needs an alignment. If you’ve noticed one or more of these indicators, you should have your alignment checked by a licensed technician immediately.
- Uneven tread wear
- Vehicle pulling to the left or right.
- Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight.
- Steering wheel vibration
Panda Tire and Auto Service in Moose Jaw’s certified auto technicians are concerned mainly with three things when performing an alignment.
Camber angles:
This is the inward or outward angle of the tire when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Too much inward or outward tilt, also known as negative and positive camber, respectively, indicates improper alignment and will need to be adjusted. Worn bearings, ball joints, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment.
Toe angles:
Distinct from camber alignment, toe alignment is the extent to which your tires turn inward or outward when viewed from above. If that is confusing, just stand up and look down at your feet. Angle them inward toward the center of your body. When the tires on your car are angled the same way (remember, we’re thinking in terms of birds-eye-view), we call this toe-in alignment. Angle your feet outward and you have toe-out alignment. Both require adjustment.
Caster angles:
Your caster angle helps balance steering, stability, and cornering. Specifically, it is the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of your vehicle. If you have positive caster, the steering axis will tilt toward the driver. Negative caster, on the other hand, means the steering axis tilts toward the front of your vehicle. Think of the front caster wheels on a shopping cart.
Book your Computerized Wheel Alignment at Panda Tire & Auto. Our Certified and Trusted Mechanics at your local Moose Jaw Tire Garage – call (306) 691-0080 or book online.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]