A wheel alignment is also known as a tire alignment. Despite the name, it is not actually an adjustment of your tires or wheels but is an adjustment of your vehicle’s suspension, the system that connects your wheels to your vehicle.
What is the Importance of a Wheel Alignment?
If your car has been damaged by potholes, gravel roads, roadside curbs, or other hazards, a wheel alignment can get you back on the road safely and efficiently.
The suspension and steering components of your car are easily damaged by common Peace River road hazards, like potholes and curbs. Even daily use can wear on your suspension and steering. That’s where a wheel alignment comes into play. A wheel alignment will ensure that your steering wheel is centered and that all four of your wheels are parallel and flat on the road. When your wheels are readjusted to factory specifications, this will improve your gas mileage and improve the life of your tires by decreasing tread wear.
Wheel alignments are often required in these instances:
- We installed a set of brand-new tires
- Your tires are wearing unevenly
- Your steering is pulling
· When travelling in a straight line, the steering wheel is not centred
- You've been in an accident
· Your car has been hit by a curb, pothole, or other road debris
- Your car is jacked up or jacked down
· It's been more than one year since you’ve had a wheel alignment
· Your vehicle’s front-end rattles or shakes whenever you hit a bump
What Happens During a Wheel Alignment?
When a wheel alignment is performed, the technician will check three things:
· Camber – this refers to the inward or outward angle of a tire when viewed from the front of the vehicle.
· Toe – this refers to the inward or outward angle of a tire when viewed from above.
· Caster – this refers to the angle of the steering axis when viewed from the side of your vehicle. The tilt of the steering axis could either tilt towards the driver or towards the front of the car.
Our technicians at Integra Tire will ensure that each angle is set correctly when performing a wheel alignment.
Tire Balancing
While wheel alignment is used to correct the rotational alignment of a vehicle's tires, tire or wheel balancing is used to correct any unbalanced weight that may exist between a vehicle's tires and wheels.
Static and dynamic tire and wheel imbalances are the two most common forms that need adjusting. To rectify either form of imbalance, we will use a tire balancing machine to correct this.
To begin balancing tires, a technician will first place them on the appropriate rims and inflate them to the necessary pressure. After that, the centre bore of each tire is placed in a balancing machine. For accurate readings of tire and wheel imbalance, the machine rotates the tire at a high rotations per minute (rpm). It alerts the technician as to how much weight should be added to the tire and where the weight is needed.
Similar to how wheel alignment is crucial for preserving tire life by preventing uneven tread wear, tire balancing is a crucial part of maintaining tires properly.
The longevity and efficiency of your tires can be improved by having them aligned and balanced every 6,000 miles.
Our technicians at Integra Tire can help you with your tire balancing needs.
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