(1888PressRelease)
November 23, 2006 - WHEEL ALIGNMENT & WHEEL BALANCE– Part 1.
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To keep your car looking good and performing well, OzfreeOnline offers you the following advice on wheel alignment and balancing to help take optimum care of your car.
Wheel Alignment and Wheel Balancing are two very different things, but many people often get them confused.
Briefly, Wheel Alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The purpose of these adjustments is maximum tyre life and a vehicle that tracks straight and true when driving along a straight and level road.
Symptoms of a car that is out of alignment
Uneven or rapid tyre wear
Pulling or drifting away from a straight line
Wandering on a straight level road
Spokes of the steering wheel off to one side while driving on a straight and level road
To find out if you need an alignment, first check each tyre and look for uneven wear patterns. The problem with this method, however, is that if you can see a wear pattern like the ones listed below, it may be too late to save that tyre. This is why it is a good idea to have your alignment checked periodically.
At each tyre, take a coin and insert it in the tread at the inside, centre and outside.
If the tread is deeper on the edges than in the centre, the tyre is over inflated.
If the tread is deeper in the centre than the edges, the tyre is under inflated.
If the tread is deeper on one side than the other, have your wheel alignment checked soon.
Run your hand back and forth across the tread, being careful not to cut yourself on any debris or exposed steel belt wire. If the tread is smooth in one direction, but jagged in the other, you have what is called a "saw-tooth" wear pattern, which is caused by a toe-in problem. Have the alignment checked as soon as possible as this condition causes rapid tyre wear.
Another indication of an out-of-alignment condition is a car that continuously drifts or pulls to one side of the road when you let go of the wheel. A car that is hard to keep in a straight line without constant steering corrections is also a candidate. These conditions may or may not also contribute to premature tyre wear.
After the wheel alignment is finished, you should drive the car on a straight and level road and check that the car goes straight and that the steering wheel is in the proper position with the spokes level. If you notice a problem, take the car back and have the technician drive it and fine-tune the alignment settings.
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