The importance of wheel alignment

According to Dunlop Tyres South Africa, wheel alignment is an important part of maintaining a vehicle ‘that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground’.

Wheels that are not correctly aligned with each other cause wear and damage to the tyres – decreasing their lifespan and performance levels – as well as other parts of the car such as suspension, brakes and steering.

Overall, aligned wheels lead to a better-performing and more stable car, and even to improved fuel-consumption.

Signs of unaligned wheels:

Any kind of change in how your vehicle drives or handles on the road could be a sign of unaligned wheels, but some specific signs include: when it feels like your vehicle pulls itself left or right while you are driving, your steering being off-centre even when driving straight, and uneven wear on the tread of your tyres.

What to do with unaligned wheels

A vehicle’s wheel alignment should be checked fairly regularly – about every 10000km or so – but particularly if any of the above signs are noticed.

Book a wheel alignment with a trusted tyre care service provider who can adjust your wheels quickly and precisely, sometimes even while you watch.

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