AV Bumper to Bumper of Lancaster, California, handles vehicle alignments Mondays through Fridays at our shop located at 44559 N. Division Street.
When your vehicle’s tires are aligned properly, they can perform properly and last a long time. Proper alignment improves handling. When alignment isn’t correct, then you have got issues.
What Does Alignment Entail?
Alignment involves the adjustment of a vehicle’s suspension, which is the system connecting a vehicle to its wheels. Alignments are not actually an adjustment of your tires or wheels themselves. Basically, an alignment usually involves adjusting the angles of your tires to affect how they make contact with the road.
Uneven Tread
If you notice your tires have uneven tread wear, your vehicle pulls to the left or right, your steering wheel is off center when driving straight ahead, or there’s a steering wheel vibration happening, then you might need an alignment.
An Askew Steering Wheel
If you have a front-wheel drive vehicle and your steering wheel doesn’t seem to stay straight, instead drifting to the left or right, that’s an issue. Steering wheels should stay mostly straight. You might notice your vehicle seems to be pulling to the left or right when you are driving and it takes some effort on your part to straighten it out– if so, you might need an alignment.
Tires are supposed to wear down equally, at the same rate. Tread should wear down in the center of the tire. So, if you look at a tire and notice abnormal wear on one side or edge, you have a vehicle that’s probably out of alignment.
Vibrations and Strange Noises
If and when you’re out of alignment, you can expect your steering wheel to vibrate– something out of the ordinary for sure! This can happen after you hit a big pothole or go on some “off-roading” adventures. The vibration will increase as you increase your speed since your tires are rotating faster.
Reliable Mechanic in Lancaster, PA
If you suspect you might have an alignment problem, bring your vehicle to AV Bumper to Bumper for an assessment. You’ll be asked questions like, “When did you first notice the problem?” and “How often does it happen?” Other questions might include, “When did you last have your tires rotated or inflated?” and “Have you had your tires replaced recently or any suspension work done?”
A mechanic or technician is concerned with things like camber, toe and caster, which are terms the average person doesn’t know or think about– that’s why you pay the professional to deal with such things. Camber is the inward or outward angle of the tire when viewed from the front of a vehicle. You don’t want too much inward or outward tilt. Toe is the extent to which a tire turns inward or outward when viewed from above. Caster is the angle of your steering axis when viewed from the side of the vehicle.
A mechanic or tech takes all of these things into account when checking your alignment. He or she might notice signs that you have problems if they notice “feathering” (when the tread is smooth on one side and sharp on the other), camber wear (the outside of the tread is more worn than the center of the tread) or heel/toe wear (when one side of your tread wears down more quickly than the other in a circumferential direction).
Think your vehicle might be out of alignment and want to get it fixed? Call AV Bumper to Bumper to schedule a service appointment– 661-949-1999.
