What is Wheel Alignment?Why Do I need a Wheel Alignment?Regular wheel alignment checks are an essential part of your car’s regular maintenance program. They help to keep long term running costs down and also ensures the vehicle is safe to drive. Every day driving affects wheel alignment and over time, your wheels can naturally become misaligned which can lead to the rapid ageing of your tyres. However, premature misalignment is common and can be caused by the following: - Hitting the kerb and hitting potholes can alter your cars wheel alignment dramatically - Worn or damaged suspension parts can speed up alignment problems - Your alignment may have been incorrectly adjusted previously At Woollahra Tyre Garage, our experts can rectify any wheel alignment problems using state of the art 3D laser guided Hunter wheel alignment equipment to accurately align your wheels every time. |
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What are the benefits of wheel alignment?
Reduced tyre wear - Misalignment is a major cause of premature tyre wear as more weight is being placed on one part of the tyre causing that area of the tread to wear faster. Over the years, a properly aligned car can add thousands of kilometers to tyre life.
Improved fuel consumption - Misalignment results in increased drag, otherwise known as rolling resistance, on the tyres which leads to an increase in fuel consumption. Correct wheel alignment along with the right tyre pressures minimises rolling resistance which improves fuel consumption.
Save money and the environment - by preventing premature tyre wear/replacement and improving vehicle fuel efficiency. Correct wheel alignment means you’ll be spending less on new tyres and fuel while reducing your Co2 emissions.
Safer driving - Correct wheel alignment maximises your cars handling and stability which is essential when taking emergency or evasive action. Also, uneven tyre wear caused by misalignment will have a negative effect on your braking distance.
How do I know if my wheel alignment is out?
Misalignment problems are not always that obvious, but there are some clear signs of an issue that you can look out for:
- Uneven tyre wear – Inspect your tyres to see if there is any unusual tyre wear particularly where one side of the tyre appears to be more worn than the other. As well as a visual check, run your hands over the surface of the tyre -you’ll soon feel where the rubber has worn excessively on the inside or outside edges. Be careful, in extreme cases of excessive wear, fine wire may be protruding from the rubber casing
- The car pulls to the left or right - When driving along a straight flat road and you notice the car drifts or you need to compensate by steering to keep the car driving straight it may suggest your alignment is out. If the car pulls to the left or right when braking, this also indicates a possible alignment issue
- A crooked steering wheel - The steering wheel is not straight when the wheels are in a neutral position for driving in a straight line
How frequently should the alignment be checked?
We recommend that you have your vehicles wheel alignment checked:
- Every 10,000 - 15,000kms
- You knowingly hit a kerb or pothole with force
- You experience steering drift or pulling to one side
- After new tyres are fitted
- If any Steering or suspension components are replaced
- If the vehicle has been involved in any form of accident or collision
At Woollahra Tyre Garage we use state-of-the-art four wheel alignment equipment to give you the best and most accurate wheel alignment. Our Hunter Hawkeye Elite wheel alignment equipment uses a series of lasers to measure, in 3D, alignment angles on your vehicle so we can quickly identify even the slightest alignment issue.