Wheel alignments are optional, right? You might be surprised just how important wheel alignments are for your car. Viking Automotive has this information for you about when you should get a wheel alignment and why it’s so very important for you to make this a part of regular car maintenance.
If You’re Noticing the Car Pulling
As you’re driving, are you fighting the wheel? If you are, that’s called pulling. It happens when your alignment is off and the wheels are trying to go one way while you’re trying to steer the car in a different direction. When your alignment is only mildly off, you’ll probably only feel a slight tug. Really bad alignment issues can cause you to have serious difficulty controlling the car’s movements.
If You’ve Been in an Accident
Accidents, even minor ones, can cause some significant damage to your car. Depending on the type of accident you’ve had, it’s not a bad idea to have your car’s alignment checked. Even if the alignment isn’t the problem, at least you have made sure that it won’t be something that haunts your car after the accident. It’s also something quick that can get checked off the diagnostic list.
If You’ve Replaced Suspension Parts
Your car’s suspension is directly tied into each wheel. That means that whatever affects the suspension is going to affect the wheels. If you put new suspension parts on the car but the wheels are not aligned properly, that’s going to affect how those new suspension pieces work. It might even cause damage to them, which is not what you want.
If You’ve Gotten New Tires
New tires definitely require an alignment. When you do this every time you get new tires, you make sure that your tires are starting out with the best chance at the longest life possible. Wheel alignments along with balancing ensures that the tires meeting the road as evenly as possible. Your tires are going to wear and you’re going to encounter bumps that kick the alignment back out, but at least you started out properly.
Contact Viking Automotive in Houston, TX today if you might be overdue for a wheel alignment. We can check the alignment on your car’s wheels and make sure that everything is pointing in the right direction. If you do need an alignment, we’ll handle it for you quickly so that you can get back to your daily life.
