Car wheels are chiefly held in position by the suspension. Over time, suspension struts, shocks, springs, ball joints, and control arms can become pushed and knocked slightly out of shape. This causes the wheels to become misaligned, affecting the car’s steering, handling, traction, and safety in various ways. Wheel alignment remedies this situation, straightening the wheels and returning your car to proper form. Here are a few signs that your car’s wheels might require realignment at your local Mazda dealership.
Uneven Tire Tread Wear
When the wheels become misaligned, so do the tires. This means the tire treads are pressing against the tarmac awkwardly, which inevitably impacts how they wear down. While checking tire pressure each month, also examine your tire treads for uneven wear or bald spots, which could indicate misaligned wheels.
Reduced Traction Strength
When not pressing against the road in a parallel position as designed, your tires might lose a degree of gripping strength. If you ever detect lessened traction when passing over a wet patch of the road, look to the alignment of your wheels.
More Vibrations When Driving
The awkward tire positioning and uneven tread wear created by misalignment tend to increase road noise and vibrations. Your normally quiet driving will become noisier and less comfortable until the wheels are professionally straightened.
Difficulty Driving Straight
When the wheels aren’t perfectly straight anymore, you might have trouble driving along perfectly straight roads. Rather than easily holding a straight course, your car could start pulling to one side, following the direction of the crooked wheel or wheels.
Uncentered Steering Wheel
As the wheels are so closely connected to the steering system, misaligned wheels can strain the steering gears and column, eventually pushing the steering wheel off-center. If your steering wheel no longer returns to its perfectly centered position when you release it, misaligned wheels could be to blame.
Loose-Feeling Steering Wheel
Misalignment can also make the steering wheel looser and less firm in your hands. This poses a safety hazard by reducing the accuracy of your overall vehicle handling.
How Your Wheels Will Be Realigned at Your Mazda Dealership
The process of wheel realignment requires specialist tools and machinery. Our technicians can connect an alignment device to each wheel which provides precise measurements regarding each of the wheel’s three angles. Using this real-time data, we can then adjust the suspension, gradually returning each wheel to proper positioning. The whole process rarely takes more than an hour.
Book a wheel realignment today at John Lee Mazda in Panama City, FL. For more than 15 years, our family-owned dealership has been looking after the drivers of Panama City and the nearby regions with diligence and top-notch customer care.
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