Why go to a garage to have your wheels aligned?

If you own a vehicle, you know that there are a number of servicing and maintenance to be done in order to maintain your comfort and safety on the road. Among these various car maintenances to be done, some are simple and you can do them yourself, such as topping up the oil or windshield washer fluid, while several require the intervention of professional mechanics, such as changing tires every season (a mandatory step by law) or the brake system.

But what to do for the alignment of your car’s wheels? You are wondering if you need to do this maintenance and if you should go to a garage for the alignment of your car. You will find in this article all the information necessary to answer your questions.

Car wheel alignment in detail

Automotive alignment, also called wheel alignment or wheel geometry, allows for better control of your vehicle. This service is usually performed by professionals when changing your tires for winter.

Simply put, wheel alignment adjustment involves adjusting all four wheels of the vehicle so that they are perpendicular to the road surface and parallel to each other.

What is wheel alignment used for?

This is a preventive maintenance that ensures that your vehicle’s wheels are perfectly aligned. It allows you to ensure safe driving and reduce your fuel consumption, thereby reducing your environmental footprint. Indeed, poorly aligned wheels can have many impacts on your driving and tire wear. Wheel alignment allows for good road holding and good vehicle stability. It is therefore an element that should not be neglected for the comfort of your driving and your safety on the road.

So, even if you have not noticed any particular problems with your vehicle, it is recommended to have your car aligned at a garage once a year or every 20,000 km.

The causes

Several anomalies can cause a disruption in the alignment of your vehicle’s wheels, such as:

• Road defects (holes, bumps, speed bumps, etc.). In Quebec, the presence of many potholes in the spring is a real nuisance for the alignment of your wheels.
• Your car has been in an accident or suffered significant damage.
• Your vehicle hit an obstacle on the road or a pile of hardened snow, or you brushed against a sidewalk chain.
• A part of your vehicle’s suspension or steering system has been changed.

Symptoms of an Alignment Problem

There are several signs that will indicate that you need to have your vehicle’s wheel alignment checked at a garage . Here are the main ones:

• You notice that your tires are wearing out prematurely before their time or in an abnormal, uneven and irregular manner. As a result, your fuel consumption increases and the life of your tires decreases.
• You notice that when you are driving on a straight line, your steering wheel stays turned or you have the impression that your vehicle is pulling to the right or left.
• After taking a turn, the steering wheel of your vehicle has difficulty returning to the central position.
• When you turn or drive, you hear strange and abnormal sounds like squealing tires and/or a knocking in the suspension.
• Especially when you are taking turns, you have difficulty keeping your vehicle on track.

If you notice any of these symptoms, for your safety and to keep your vehicle running perfectly, it is essential to have a thorough inspection at a wheel alignment garage .

The Benefits of Going to a Garage to Align Your Vehicle’s Wheels

By choosing to bring your vehicle to a garage for wheel alignment , you benefit from many advantages:

• You benefit from excellent customer service. In fact, as a general rule, the garage manager knows his customers well as well as the history of their vehicle. He will take the time to listen to you, understand the problem, carefully check the wheel alignment and give you personalized advice.
• You avoid making technical errors. Being an auto mechanic is not something you can improvise! You must have a lot of knowledge of auto mechanics to know how to work on a vehicle and perform tire alignment safely and efficiently. In a garage, mechanics are certified and qualified because they have received professional training in auto mechanics and have the skills necessary to carry out all work on various types of vehicles safely, such as wheel alignment.
• You are sure to get a great repair with the right quality parts.
• Professional mechanics have all the necessary and adequate equipment to correctly and efficiently carry out the revision as well as the various alignment repairs. In addition, they have access to a wide selection of quality original or used spare parts ensuring careful work.
• You benefit from solid guarantees. In fact, the Consumer Protection Act requires that all automobile repairs (i.e. labor and parts) carried out in a garage be guaranteed for a period of 3 months or 5,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.
• You keep the manufacturer’s warranty. Indeed, if you have a new vehicle still under warranty, for it to apply, you absolutely must go to a garage to have your car aligned . Thus, the invoice that the garage gives you will prove that you have carried out this service on time and that it complies with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Do you think you need to align your car’s wheels? To do this, trust the expert mechanics at Pneus Groupe Unik , they professionally perform wheel alignment using 3D technology, which allows them to align all types of vehicles and all brands.