Why Is My Car’s Alignment Important?

Improper alignment can be silently hurting your car. When your car is properly aligned its wheels are parallel to the ground and to each other. It can become unaligned by hitting a large object, or even from the day-to-day potholes and bumps that are hard to avoid. Failing to maintain your car’s alignment can have a negative impact on your car in many different ways, but don’t worry! We will explain how it can affect your car so that you can work to keep it in prime condition.

Gas Usage
Cars that are unaligned use gas quicker. This happens because the wheels aren’t straight so your car needs to work harder to move, even if it’s just going straight. When it’s working harder, it needs more energy, and most cars get their energy from fuel.

Tire Wear
When your car is out of alignment, it can cause the tires to wear unevenly. One side of the car has to pick up slack from the other side, which causes the tires to wear more quickly on the side that is being strained. Tires that are wearing unevenly are basically a sign saying “Hey! My alignment is off, fix me.”

Damage
Similar to how a tight neck muscle can cause a headache, improper alignment can cause other parts of your car to hurt. Cars that aren’t aligned shake while being driven, and this can cause damage. It will cost less over time if you pay to get your car aligned as soon as you notice that there is something wrong.

Safety
Driving a car that isn’t aligned can be dangerous because when you steer it is not true to how the car moves. This means you are less in control of your car which can already be hard to maneuver, especially when the roads are slippery.

Car alignment is extremely important to the well-being of your car and should be maintained appropriately. If you have any concerns about your car’s alignment or think it might be off, visit your mechanic and ask them to look at it for you. Your car will thank you for it!