Mitsubishi Alignment

HOW TO TELL IF YOU NEED AN ALIGNMENT

While avoiding pedestrians, cyclists, and other cars is very important when you’re driving, you should also pay close attention to the surface of the pavement. Hitting potholes, irregular manhole covers, uneven pavement, and other surface irregularities at certain speeds can take a toll on the alignment of your car.

Similarly, if you’ve grown accustomed to parking by feel—in other words, if you typically use the curb to know when you’re in a parking space—in all likelihood, your car has a tendency to pull to one side or the other when you’re on a straight stretch of highway. Further, your tires are probably wearing out more quickly than they should. Your car may be handling more poorly than it could, which could hinder its ability to respond in emergency situations, and your car is consuming considerably more fuel than necessary.

If you’re doing these things, you’ve probably knocked your car out of alignment.

While correcting this is usually referred to as aligning your wheels, the actual adjustments are made to your car’s suspension system. Ultimately, what’s being adjusted is the angle of your tires in relationship to the road’s surface. When your suspension is properly aligned, your car experiences much less rolling resistance, because your tires are rolling straight and true on their optimal contact patches.

If you’re experiencing the following, your car needs an alignment:

Uneven tread wear Vehicle pulling to the left or right Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight Steering wheel vibration However, some of those symptoms can also be traced to balance rather than alignment. If your steering wheel is vibrating, or you’re seeing uneven tread wear—but the car tracks straight—odds are your problem is wheel balance.

Wheel balancing compensates for weight imbalances within the tires and/or the wheels (usually the tires). A technician will mount your tires and wheels on a special machine designed to rotate them, look for imbalances, identify the exact location of the imbalance, and inform the technician how much weight should be added to the wheel to correct the abnormality.

Wheel alignment and tire balancing are key to maximizing the wear you get from a set of tires, and continuing to drive the car without addressing these issues can also cause considerable damage to both the suspension and steering systems of your car.

With the Winter season rapidly approaching now is the best time to make sure your vehicle is in tip top shape. Have one of our Certified trained technicians check the alignment and balance of your vehicle to help insure the best driving experience and maximize your fuel economy. Contact White Bear Mitsubishi’s service department. Stop by or contact us for an appointment today.