Wheel alignment will save you money
At EAC Telford we want to keep the motorists in and around Telford safe. We’re also keen to keep your motoring costs down wherever possible. So, I thought I’d put pen to paper and fill you in as to why it’s worth dotting the i’s when it comes to making sure your wheel alignment is spot on.
The wheel alignment of all four wheels is an important maintenance process that requires to be done on a regular basis.
It not only saves motorists significant amounts of money over a vehicle’s lifetime, but also has a big effect on how a vehicle handles.
Too often, however, it is neglected because of limits to a driver’s budget or time – and some drivers feel it just doesn’t need to be done!
Anyone that has ever driven down a straight road and felt the vehicle pull to one side or the other has experienced misaligned wheels.
It leads to tyres wearing unevenly and higher fuel consumption. When wheels are aligned it’s actually the vehicle’s suspension that is adjusted.
Essential Elements
There are three essential elements involved in aligning wheels: caster, camber and toe. Camber is how a tyre is angled from the vehicle. Toe describes the degree to which a wheel turns in or out. Caster refers to the steering axis angle and plays a crucial role in a car’s steering and handling.
Modern vehicles have specifications for camber, toe, and caster which have to be maintained for a vehicle to handle correctly, as well as ensure tyres don’t wear out prematurely.
The everyday problem that we motorists face is that wheel alignment is thrown out by just going over a big pothole or clipping the kerb. Even if we don’t do either of these things, alignment can still change over time.
When should wheel alignment be checked?
The majority of manufacturers do not set a schedule for wheel alignment, but here at EAC Telford, we recommend this is checked every 6 months or 6,000 miles.
A good way for remembering this is to add a wheel alignment check up when you have an oil change; ask us and we’ll send you an automatic reminder. Another good time to have your wheels aligned is when new tyres are being installed.
The symptoms to be aware of include:
● An off-centre steering wheel
● The car pulling to one side while on a level, straight road
● Any uneven tyre wear
● Incorrect handling or the car not holding the road well
Save money on fuel
It will also help you save on fuel. It is estimated that those vehicles that are being driven with the wrong wheel alignments suffer a fuel efficiency fall of as much as 7%. For those motorists who drive 15,000 miles a year, getting an average 51 miles per gallon that costs £1.15 per litre (or £5.27 for a gallon) the right wheel alignment would save almost £110 in the annual cost of fuel.
Carrying out alignment correctly can be a technical process. This is why you should rely on a qualified service technician to carry out your wheel alignment checks.
At EAC Telford we use the latest technology and training to ensure that your wheel alignment is correct. For the short time it takes for our technicians to check the alignment on your vehicle, we can help you achieve a more pleasant driving experience and save you money. What’s not to like about that?
Call today to get your alignment checked 01952 980566