When it comes to car repairs, not many car owners give importance to the need of proper wheel alignment.

Most car owners are also unaware that having their wheels aligned by a professional mechanic can help save potential repair costs and keep their car in terrific condition. 

What is Proper Wheel Alignment?

Wheel alignment is done to ensure the wheels of a car are angled and positioned in a manner which enables all four wheels to uniformly meet the surface of the road.

Usually, wheel alignment is something that is already done when you buy a car. However, uneven road surfaces, rough roads, or hitting the occasional pothole are some of the common reasons your wheels become misaligned over time.

Proper Wheel Alignment Keeps Your Car in Good Condition

There are several benefits to proper wheel alignment. These include the following:

• Even tread wear,
• Prevents premature wear of tires thereby increasing lifespan,
• Good fuel efficiency,
• Smooth driving experience,
• Safety for the driver and the car,
• And fewer auto repairs due to the benefits of everything mentioned above!

Signs Your Car needs Proper Wheel Alignment ASAP

If the signs of bad wheel alignment are caught in time, it can save you potential repair costs by preventing tire damage as well as suspension and engine damage. Here are five signs that could indicate misaligned wheels–

Worn Tire Treads

A few things to note about tire wear resulting from bad wheel alignment:

• Healthy tire treads will display prominent grooves and patterns.
• When the tire treads get worn out or look flat, then it could be due to excessive and uneven wear.
• Driving with tires that are damaged from uneven wear or tires that don’t have treads can be dangerous. The car can skid easily as the ability of the tires to grip the road when you brake gets seriously impacted.

Steering Wheel Vibrates

When driving, if you feel the steering vibrate it could be due to a wheel alignment issue. This is an early warning sign and if addressed quickly, could prevent further damage to the wheels and your car.

Squealing Tires

Another strong indicator that your wheel alignment is bad is when you hear your car tires squealing when you accelerate or when you slow down to navigate turns. If the condition is left unchecked, the squealing will get progressively worse.

Vehicle Swerves Too Much to the Right or Left

While on a straight flat road, let go of your steering wheel. If your wheel alignment is good, then the car will continue to move straight. The trouble comes when you let go of the steering and your car starts to veer excessively to either the right or the left.

Hesitation in the Steering

In addition to vibrations from the steering, another indicator that your car wheel alignment is bad is when you start noticing hesitation in the steering. Watch out for the following:

• Your car steering hesitates when you try to navigate a turn in the road.
• The car will respond after a gap of a couple seconds.
• Steering hesitation is possibly one of the most dangerous things to happen, especially if you are driving on a busy road.
• Hesitation of a few seconds could mean a life and death situation.
• Consult with a professional mechanic as soon as possible if you notice steering hesitation.

Don’t Drive an Unsafe Car

As mentioned above, your car’s wheels can get misaligned due to several factors, including driving on poor roads or hitting potholes, especially at great speeds.

The vital aspect is to quickly address the problem as it directly impacts your safety, the safety of your car, and the lives of other drivers on the road. 

Reliable Car Maintenance with Professional Auto Experts!

If you have noticed any of the signs mentioned above, please visit us at Virginia Auto Service for a fast diagnosis and resolution of the problem.

Or if you need any other car repair services, we can help. Give us a call today at 602-266-0200 or schedule a visit with us online at your convenience.

Wheel bearings, which are attached to the wheels of your car, are a crucial aspect of your vehicle.

In short, they help your car tires to rotate. However, since they are a moving part, over time it is normal for wheel bearings to sustain wear and tear or become lose and weak.

It is at this stage that you will notice some of the symptoms of wheel bearing damage, namely – grinding noises, uneven tire wear, and vibrating steering wheel.

The best way to deal with wheel bearing issues is by simply replacing the worn out or damaged wheel bearings.

Wheel Bearing Damage – Signs to Watch Out For

The wheels of your car are attached to a hub which in turn seats a set of wheel bearings which are lubricated to ensure that the wheels can rotate easily without excess heat production.

Constant movement of the wheel bearings can lead to damage via friction due to excessive heat or from debris which enters the wheel bearings.

Both reasons can easily impact the condition and performance of the wheel bearings. And while the wheel bearings are sealed to optimal performance levels, they can become loose, or sustain normal wear and need to be replaced.

If the wheel bearings break, then it can lead to the wheels falling off the car at high speeds! You can however, avoid this by watching out for the following signs of wheel bearing damage.

Uneven Tire Wear

While there are several reasons for uneven tire wear, worn out wheel bearings are among the most common.

• It is not common for wheel bearings to display similar wear and tear levels.
• More wear on any one of the tires could indicate an issue with the wheel bearing on that wheel.
• Wheel bearings need to be replaced as a set which means the wheel bearings will have to be replaced at the same time for wheels on the same axle.

Steering Wheel Vibrations

Another common indication of worn out wheel bearings is when you notice a vibration in the steering wheel.

• The vibration will be greater when the car is running at low speeds.
• However, the vibration will tend to get worse as the car picks up speed.
• While the steering tends to vibrate when there is tire wear, the difference is that when the vibration in the steering is caused by tire wear, the vibration is usually felt at high speeds.
• A vibrating steering wheel is a high-risk condition since it impacts the response time of the car.

Loud Grinding Noise Generating from the Wheel

If you notice a loud grinding noise coming from the wheel area, chances are it is being caused by damaged wheel bearings.

• Wheel bearing damage is often caused by excess heat, which is generated inside the wheel bearing because of lost lubricity.
• The noise may sound like metal grinding on metal.
• In most cases, the loud grinding noise will be generated from one wheel.
• As the car picks up speed, you will notice the noise getting louder.
• It is best to contact a proven mechanic as soon as possible for faster resolution of the problem.

If you notice a problem, don’t wait till the wheel bearing breaks completely to address the issue since without the wheel bearing to keep it securely in place, the wheel can easily come off. The danger and risks of this happening on busy roads should be a strong consideration for you to act immediately.

Don’t Take that Type of Risk

If you have noticed any of the above-mentioned signs with your car, chances are you are looking at wheel bearing damage. Driving with worn out wheel bearings is dangerous, and the risk factor increases as the wear or damage level of the wheel bearings increases.

Consult with a professional mechanic as soon as possible if you notice any of the above symptoms. The best course of action would be to have the wheel bearings replaced.

Reliable Car Maintenance with Professional Auto Experts!

Are you facing any of the above-mentioned issues with your car? Is your wheel bearing worn out or damaged?

If yes, then don’t wait. Give Virginia Auto Service a call today at 602-266-0200 or schedule a visit with us online to have the issue fixed as soon as possible.