A Guide to Misaligned Tires

Owning a car requires a lot of work and maintenance. Some people might ignore the vehicle until problems arise, but that can lead to dangerous consequences. Even something as minor as misaligned tires can lead to accidents and expensive repairs. If you would like to know more, keep reading.

How Do Tires Get Misaligned?

Tires can get misaligned because of an impact, and the impact does not need to be major like a collision. Even driving over a pothole could be enough to affect the alignment of the tires. Luckily, in many cases, you can avoid this with safe and defensive driving.

However, tires can also get misaligned thanks to general wear and tear. If the suspension system is damaged or worn, this can lead to misaligned tires. This may be harder to avoid because all cars experience general wear and tear. Your best chance to avoid this problem is with regular car maintenance and servicing so the suspension system does not get worn.

Do Misaligned Tires Wear Down Faster?

When your tires become misaligned, they do not touch the road properly. This leads to uneven wear. One tire may wear down faster than the others, but in other cases, parts of the tire wear down faster than other parts. This can be problematic, especially if the wear is on the inside of the tire, where you may not see it.

An unevenly worn tire can lead to a blowout. This risk increases if the tires are also underinflated. Pressure from the air in the tire pushes against the weak spot, causing it to fail and burst. This can be incredibly dangerous if you drive at high speeds or one of the front tires blows because it may force you into oncoming traffic or a ditch.

Do Misaligned Tires Affect the Rest of the Car?

Misaligned tires can affect multiple parts of the car. Just like the suspension affects the tires, misaligned tires can affect the suspension. This puts extra stress on parts that may cause them to wear down faster or completely fail altogether.

Misaligned tires also cause the car to vibrate more. Not only is this annoying for anyone in the vehicle, but these minor vibrations can lead to minor wear and tear, causing the car to break down faster than normal. In some cases, misaligned tires can even affect your fuel tank by causing the system to use more fuel than needed. Naturally, this means more wasted money on gasoline.

What Are the Signs of Misaligned Tires?

Luckily, you often have many signs of misaligned tires so you should be able to spot an issue fast. You can start by just looking at the wear pattern on the tires. If it is uneven, you probably have an issue. When you drive, the tires may also squeal.

A lot of the signs are connected to the steering wheel since it directly controls the tires. If your tires are misaligned, the steering wheel may pull to one side, forcing you to turn the wheel a little to keep the car straight. The steering wheel may also feel loose like it is not responding properly. Last, you may notice that the steering wheel vibrates thanks to the tires hitting the road unevenly.

Your car is a great investment, but you need to maintain it to keep it in good condition. If you would like to know more, or if you believe your wheels are misaligned, contact us at Louisville Auto Spring & Brake Co. today. We look forward to helping you with all of your wheel alignment needs so you can drive safely and successfully.