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Maintaining proper wheel alignment is important to avoid unnecessary wear on your tires, suspension, brakes, and steering. If your wheels are misaligned, you should bring them back to alignment right away to avoid more expensive repairs in the future. The team at Allen Honda, a trusted dealership in College Station, TX, compiled some of the most important questions and answers about tire alignment.
When you bring your vehicle to a service center for a wheel alignment, the technician will use an alignment machine to align your wheels. With a computer, the machine determines the right measurement and position of your wheels and adjusts the different parts of your car’s suspension system accordingly. Adjusting the suspension allows your wheels to fall naturally into place.
Camber refers to the inward or outward tilt of your tire and wheel assembly. If it’s leaning inward, you have negative camber. If it’s leaning outward, you have positive camber. Your tire will roll straight if the camber is at the correct angle.
Toe refers to the left-right alignment of the front wheels relative to each other. If the front edge of the wheels is closer together, that’s a toe-in. The opposite of that is known as a toe-out. A properly calibrated toe means that all your wheels point in the same direction.
Caster is the forward or backward tilt of the spindle steering axis. It’s responsible for the self-centering of your steering wheel. It’s essential to always to have a positive caster.
There are two types of alignment:
A technician can determine which alignment is more suitable for your vehicle. A four-wheel alignment is more expensive than a thrust alignment.
Yes, it does. This is because there is more rolling resistance when your wheels are misaligned. This means there’s more friction that can lessen the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. If you don’t fix the problem soon, your tires will wear unevenly, and your fuel efficiency will worsen.
No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, it’s vital that you get an alignment regularly. Most experts recommend getting an alignment every other oil change or 6,000 miles. But if you notice signs that your wheels are misaligned, you should bring your car to a service center immediately
If you’re based in or near College Station, TX, you can get reliable and affordable alignment service at Allen Honda. We have the knowledge, skills, and equipment to bring your car back to alignment in no time. Come see us today!