Regular wheel alignments are an important part of conscientious car maintenance. Unfortunately, many car owners do not understand the importance of good wheel alignment and therefore do not have their alignment checked often enough.
Here are five reasons why getting regular wheel alignments is good for your car, your bank account, and your peace of mind.
1: Better gas mileage. When your wheels are aligned correctly, it reduces rolling resistance, which means your car doesn’t have to work as hard or burn as much fuel to move forward. This is good news for everyone: not only do you spend less money on gas, but you also get the satisfaction of knowing that your car is responsible for less pollution.
2: More mileage on your tires. Even the slightest problem with your alignment can have disastrous effects on your tires. If your tires have too much or too little toe-in (the degree to which they point toward each other in the front, like a person standing on pigeon toes), a narrow strip on each tire will wear out very quickly, causing you have to get new tires first. By aligning your wheels regularly, you ensure that your tires wear evenly, making them last as long as possible.
3: Tire warranties still apply. The problem with tire wear due to poor wheel alignment is that it usually voids the tire warranty. Most warranties only apply to the quality of the products. In other words, if the tires wear out too soon due to anything other than poor quality, the manufacturer is not responsible. Failure to align the wheels often enough is considered negligence on the part of the car owner and usually means the warranty is voided.
4: Less wear elsewhere. Having the wheels out of alignment can also be stressful on the rest of the car. It means you need to continually push on the steering system to keep the car going straight, and when you brake you often feel the car pull even harder, indicating that the brakes need to work harder on one side than the other. .
5: Easier to drive. One of the biggest benefits of having your wheels aligned correctly is that your car is easier to drive. No annoying pulling to one side or the other. It is much easier and more enjoyable to drive a car that has had regular wheel alignments.
As you can see, there are many reasons why a car owner should make sure they get regular wheel alignments. Having your wheels properly aligned not only saves you money on gas, tires, and other potential repairs, it also gives you greater peace of mind knowing your car is being properly cared for.