Do I Need an Alignment?
When you are buying a tire, there are a lot of things that you consider. One of the important caveats to consider is the alignment in new tires. Do you need an alignment? How does it benefit? In this blog, we are answering all these questions for you.
Tire Alignment - An Overview:
Alignment denotes an adjustment in the suspension of the vehicle. The suspension is what connects the vehicle to the tires. The idea behind adjustment is to angle the tire in a way that it makes proper and aligned contact with the road.
The Need for Alignment in New Tires
It is not mandatory to have wheel alignment in your new tires, but there are benefits of doing the same. An alignment works to make sure that all four tires on your vehicle are angled correctly with one another and the road.
Without an alignment in your new tires, you are likely to experience unsteady ride and uneven wear on the tires. And your tires may experience wear and tear prior to the normal time, thereby shortening the lifespan.
This can result in you having to change tires more frequently. While there are many affordable options to buy tires, nobody wants to spend money constantly changing tires and a wheel alignment can help you to achieve more miles out of the new tire set.
How Often Do I Need to Change the Alignment?
Typically, it is recommended to change your tire’s alignment once a year. However, clear instructions regarding this are mentioned in the owner’s manual and, your driving condition also determines the time frame at which you need to change alignment.
For instance, if you drive in extreme weather conditions or the road situation in your region is not adequate, then you may have to change the alignment more frequently. Following are some of the signs that indicate that it is time for the change.
- Your vehicle is making a flopping sound while driving. This sound indicates alignment issues, underinflated tires, or both.
- You hit a sudden pothole that jarred your vehicle.
- Your vehicle is veering from side to side.
The Prominence of Wheel Alignment
Having the tires aligned and getting it checked on a regular basis can help you save a significant amount of money. As we mentioned above, inadequately aligned tires can experience faster wear and tear; therefore, they are needed to be replaced more often.
But that is not it; misaligned tires can also drop the gas mileage up to 10%. Therefore, getting wheel alignment can help in saving fuel, thereby reducing the cost of filling up the tank more often.
Do All Four Tires Need to Be Aligned Together?
Most vehicles, including cars, vans, small SUVs, etc. need a four-tire alignment. Some vehicles featuring real solid axles can work fine with having just their front wheels aligned.
But, if all four wheels of your tires can be aligned, then always choose that. Look out for the above-mentioned signs, and if your vehicle experiences any of the signs, get it checked by a licensed technician.
