DavidHaving your car wheels aligned is one of the most vital but commonly ignored aspects of vehicle care. Improperly aligned wheels can cause a number of problems that include poor fuel economy, early tire wear, and even poor handling, which will ultimately cost you more money in the long run. Here are three major advantages of wheel alignment services that can help you save money: increased tire life, increased steering component durability, and better fuel economy.
1. Increases the Service Life of Steering Components
Your vehicle’s steering system is a sophisticated combination of parts that are intended to provide you with control of the vehicle as you drive. Parts like the tie rods, steering rack, and ball joints are some of the components that work in harmony to ensure that your inputs on the steering wheel are well felt. Over time, if your wheels are not aligned properly, these parts will be under more pressure to compensate for the unevenly positioned tires. Over time this extra stress can lead to premature failure. The cost of replacing steering components can be quite high, especially for luxury cars and SUVs. Having your car aligned regularly will reduce the stress on these parts, making sure they last longer and keep working efficiently. This can help you save a lot of money that would have been used to repair or replace parts.
2. Increases Tire Life
Tires are one of the most important parts of your vehicle and can be some of the most expensive to replace. These are the only parts that come into contact with the surface of the road and their condition plays a major role in safety and efficiency. When the wheels of a vehicle are misaligned, the tires may fall to the inside or outside, and this results in uneven wear on the tires. You might notice that the edges of the tire’s tread are worn off while the rest of the tire is still in good condition. This type of wear shortens the life of the tires and forces you to replace them more often. On the other hand, correctly aligned wheels guarantee that the weight and pressure are distributed evenly on the surface of the tire. This is especially useful as it means that your tires will last longer, and wear evenly, meaning you will have to replace them less often.
3. Enhances Mileage
Gas is expensive and for those who travel a lot or even sit in traffic a lot, it can take a toll on your wallet. There is one factor that is frequently not considered as a cause of reduced mileage – wheel alignment. When your wheels are misaligned, your car must work harder to move because the tires are not pointing in the right direction for maximum momentum. This misalignment increases the rolling resistance and hence the fuel consumption because the engine must work harder to achieve the same speed. On the other hand, a well-aligned vehicle will have its tires rolling freely with minimal or no effort from the engine. Over time, this enhancement in efficiency can be realized through the consumption of less gas.
Taking care of the wheel alignment is a precaution that will reward a person in more ways than one. You stand to benefit from better fuel economy, as well as preventing the premature wear of tires and other components. It can be easy to dismiss the need for alignments when you are pinching pennies, but failing to address this issue will only cost you much more in the future.