Avoiding Unfortunate Damage And Drifting - Signs Your Vehicle Needs An Alignment
The open road is a symbol of freedom and opportunity, but if you find yourself struggling to stay straight on long stretches, it may be a sign of some badly needed vehicle maintenance. Over time, your car or truck will develop natural wear and tear that requires an alignment to correct, and it's important that you're aware of the signs that point that direction.
Below, you'll find a guide to some of those warnings that you should be sure to stay aware of. Rather than fighting your vehicle on every trip down the road, proper awareness can allow you to enjoy a cruise and safely navigate any journey you desire.
Drifting
The most obvious clue of a required alignment is drift which occurs on straight roads. While your vehicle might naturally attempt to correct itself to heading straight in turns on embankments, modern power steering should allow you to maintain a straight heading on flat ground without hardly an effort at all.
If your vehicle starts to drift to the left or right in these areas, it's often a sign that maintenance is required. While the causes may be varied, the attention required can allow you to more safely navigate and avoid the risk of suddenly finding your vehicle uncontrollable.
Sluggish Turns
As mentioned above, power steering has revolutionized the way that most vehicles are handled. The actuated fluid translates the power you put in to the steering wheel and multiplies it several times over, allowing for smooth motion and easy control without applying excessive force.
When you begin to feel resistance coming in or out of a turn, or you suddenly appear to have increased distance on your vehicle's turning radius, it's likely that your tires are out of alignment. High pitched whining sounds in concert with those struggles may be a sign of a flaw in your power steering system, so you should be sure to have each examined.
New Tires
The wear which your tires undergo can pose a threat to the safety and stability of your driving, but in optimal situations, they at least wear evenly. This can allow you to adapt accordingly and should avoid any control issues. However, when your tires are replaced, you might discover that you've adjusted too far and your control is now slightly out of whack. This is a great time to seek out an alignment, as it can allow you to hit the reset button and return to the control you desire.