Two aspects of vehicle safety are proper wheel alignment and balancing. For example, another car making sudden lane changes may call for you to brake quickly. Unfortunately, misaligned wheels may cause you to lose control of the car or even have a serious accident. Include alignment checks and adjustments as part of your car maintenance routine.
1. Handling and Control
Proper wheel alignment and balancing, such as what you get with a new Mazda for sale, mean better handling and control. You enjoy more precise responsiveness to your steering efforts. You can go around curves and tight corners with the confidence that your car can handle these movements. Conversely, bad alignment and handling can cause a vehicle to veer off course.
Alignment and balancing are not the same service but often do occur during the same visit. Tire balancing (wheel balancing) corrects uneven distribution of weight. Meanwhile, wheel alignment has to do with adjusting the car’s suspension. An indicator of alignment problems is the car pulling to one side.
2. Tire Life
It gets expensive to have to replace your tires regularly. However, this can happen due to uneven wear from wheels that are out of alignment or imbalanced.
3. Fuel Efficiency
When everything in your car works as it should, your engine will hum for a smooth ride. However, misaligned or unbalanced wheels cause the engine to work harder to propel your car forward. The extra strain can often cause increased fuel consumption.
4. Comfort
Who doesn’t enjoy a smooth, comfortable ride? When your wheels are misaligned, you’re much more likely to feel the bumps and dips in the road. Similarly, you’re more likely to deal with vibrations and noise.
Proper alignment helps make your commutes and road trips much more enjoyable rather than jarring and noisy nightmares.
5. Repair Prevention
If you ignore wheel alignment and balancing issues, they can cause problems in other systems such as suspension and steering. Take care of alignment and balance problems promptly to save a lot of money and hassle in the big picture.
Regular maintenance is a great way to prevent problems and stave off major ones while they are minor. Determine the frequency of service visits depending on variables such as your vehicle make and model, your driving habits, and the road conditions. For example, if you drive primarily on city streets with a lot of stop-and-go braking, you might want to schedule maintenance more than once a year.
Otherwise, once a year often suffices for when to have your wheels aligned and balanced. If you notice problems with steering or uneven tire wear, get your car in sooner rather than later. The same idea applies if you hit a large pothole or regularly drive on unpaved or rough roads.
Staying Safe
You should prioritize regular wheel alignment and balancing. Doing this lightens the load on your wallet, prevents premature tire wear, keeps your car in good shape, and promotes wise use of fuel. Overall, you’ll enjoy a smoother driving experience.