A lot of things affect how a car feels and how well it works when you’re driving it. Wheel alignment and tyre pressure are two very important factors. They might sound complicated, but these are really easy to understand, and they’re pretty important to your safety, comfort, and the amount you spend on fuel and repairs.
What is Wheel Alignment?
Aligning your car wheels is the term for adjusting the angles of your car’s wheels to fit correctly. Visualize all your cars wheels should all be facing straight ahead. Some problems are caused if one or more of the wheels are turned slightly while driving. If you can, it could cause your car to pull to one side of the road and that could be dangerous. Getting the wheels aligned properly ensures that the car drives straight and you should be able to control it easier.
How Does Wheel Alignment Affect Your Ride?
Comfort:
If your car feels like it wants to pull to one side, it could be because your wheels are out of alignment. Instead, it can make driving uncomfortable, especially on highways or when you are turning corners. It may be that you have to fiddle with the steering wheel to keep going straight, which can tire you out.
Tyre Wear:
Uneven wear on your tyres occurs as a result of misaligned wheels. What that means is one part of your tyres will wear down faster than others. Eventually this can damage your tyres and replace soon if your wheels were aligned properly. Alignments can be expensive so it is important to check the alignment regularly.
Handling:
Bad alignment makes it difficult to control your car. An example of this is that the steering, although seems okay but you can feel how the car starts to swerve or not reacting as it should. But that can be dangerous, especially with higher speeds.
Fuel Efficiency:
Your wheels are aligned when the car doesn’t have to work that hard to turn. This means it uses more fuel. You have to spend more than you should because the car is always struggling to go in the correct direction.
Safety:
Your wheels might be misaligned, and if so, your car might be plowing to one side or another, forcing you to be constantly on the steering wheel. It’s particularly dangerous on highways and on busy roads because you should be staying in your lane for your safety. But bad alignment can lead to the point where your car could lose control.
What is Tyre Pressure?
Tyre pressure is the amount of air in your car’s tyres. Every car has a recommended pressure for the tyres, usually listed in pounds per square inch (PSI). You can find this information in your car’s manual or on a sticker on the door frame of your car. Keeping the tyre pressure at the right level is very important for the smooth running of your car.
How Does Tyre Pressure Affect Your Ride?
Comfort:
The tyre pressure can have an effect on how smooth, or bumpy, your ride feels. When your tyres are under inflated (not enough air), you have squishy soft tyres. It will make the car bouncy or uncomfortable, especially when on rough roads. Over inflating your tyres (too much air) means the car will feel hard to control and the tyres will be harsh.
Tyre Wear:
Uneven wear of your tyres is caused by incorrect tyre pressure. The tyres wear down faster on the edges when the tyres are under inflated. If the tyres are over inflated they are more prone to wearing down in the middle. These two problems can shorten your tyres lifespan and lead to mandatory replacements before their expiration date which comes with a cost.
Fuel Efficiency:
Your car runs more efficiently when your tyre pressure is correct. Under inflated tyres, rub the road harder, wear the engine and make the fuel go further. Too much tyre pressure means you have over inflated tyres that have less contact with the road, and this can be bad for fuel economy too. Sparing money on fuel can be as simple as keeping your tyres at the right pressure.
Handling:
How your car performs on the road is determined by tyre pressure. Low pressure may make your car uneasy turning or slowing, as may too low pressure. What may happen is if the pressure is too high the car will begin to feel twitchy or less responsive. A tyre pressure which is correct to your car, provides a feeling of steadiness as you drive.
Braking:
Your car will, of course, stop better if your tyres are full of air — but the pressure in your tyres also affects how well your car stops. Low tyre pressure can increase the distance your car takes to stop, making it a dangerous situation in an emergency. This can also hurt braking as the tyres don’t adhere to the road as much. The tyres of your car need to be properly inflated to provide you with better control when you need to quickly stop.
How to Maintain Proper Tyre Pressure and Alignment
Check Tyre Pressure:
On a regular basis at least once a month, check your tyre pressure, and before long trips. That means your tyres are always at the correct pressure. Use an air pump to fill in your tyres if you are low on them. Don’t overinflate, as this is dangerous.
Get Your Wheels Aligned:
At least once a year or if you think your car pulls to one side, have someone check your wheels for alignment. Checking and adjusting the alignment also helps a mechanic make sure a car drives straight.
Avoid Potholes and Rough Roads:
Potholes or curbs can pry your wheel alignment out of whack while driving. The aim is to try to avoid rough roads so that both your alignment and your tyre pressure are kept in good condition.
Replace Worn Tyres:
Your tyres may have the perfect pressure and alignment, but they will only last a certain amount of time. You should replace them when the tread is low, or when they look grubby.
Conclusion
Two very important aspects affecting how your car rides, handles and performs are wheel alignment and tyre pressure. If wheels are misaligned it will pull to one side, wear your tyres more quickly and make your vehicle harder to control. A fatigued tyre can make for an uncomfortable ride, increase your fuel cost and decrease your safety.
Changing your life can be so simple – by regularly checking your tyre pressure and checking to see if your wheels are aligned correctly, you can not only drive better but also save money on fuel as well as tyres, save money on the car itself and make it safer to drive. These two factors are so easy to check and maintain and can really improve your overall ride just by checking them every now and again.