Driving and Maintaining Your Car

When to Get a Truck Wheel Alignment Done

No matter the type and size of the truck you drive, professional wheel alignments are absolutely necessary to ensure optimal vehicle handling performance and safety. Making sure your wheels are aligned correctly can also boost your vehicle's fuel economy while increasing the lifespan of your tyres and suspension components. 

While wheel alignments should be carried out as per the service intervals recommended by your truck manufacturer, some situations warrant having your truck wheels aligned before they're due for regular servicing. For example, wheel alignment problems may arise due to the shock of a collision resulting from a truck accident or hitting a pothole or a kerb on the road. 

If you notice one or more of the following issues with your truck, you may need to get your wheels aligned immediately.

Irregular tyre wear

The tyres are the main point of contact between your truck and the road surface. They maintain contact with the ground at all times, whether you're driving or have parked your vehicle. Like several other parts of your vehicle, tyres wear out from normal use. However, they're designed to do so evenly. If your truck tyres are wearing out unevenly, this is a tell-tale sign of incorrect wheel alignment. 

If you fail to get your wheel alignment checked and aligned correctly, you may find yourself needing new tyres before the existing ones have reached the end of their expected lifespan.

Vehicle wandering

If your truck is difficult to hold in a straight line and you have to constantly adjust the steering to keep it moving straight, this is another indication of improper wheel alignment. When your vehicle's wheels have been thrown out of alignment, they tend to wander across the road adversely impacting vehicle handling performance and safety.

Undertaking a truck wheel alignment can help restore normal steering performance by correcting the tendency of the vehicle to wander.

Strong steering wheel vibrations

Your truck's steering wheel helps you control the vehicle while keeping it stable on the road. A such, if you can feel strong vibrations in the steering wheel while driving, you may be dealing with poor wheel alignment. Bad wheel alignment causes stability issues, which may manifest in different ways, including as a shaking or vibrating steering wheel. Fortunately, undertaking wheel alignment can help to eliminate these vibrations to ensure a smooth, comfortable ride.

If you encounter one or more of the above problems, don't hesitate to visit a local auto service centre to get truck wheel alignment done. Contact an auto service to learn more about truck wheel alignment.


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