Tires can be a pricey, but a necessary expense that all vehicle owners must budget for. However, one way to make your tires last longer is by having your car serviced for a wheel alignment  on a regular basis. Here at Nu Way Car Center, our trained specialists use sophisticated equipment to check a car’s wheels and make sure they are pointed in the right direction. Simply looking at your car when it is stationary will not tell you whether or not your wheels are aligned or out of whack. Once the vehicle is moving, acceleration, braking, and cornering push may all cause the tires to slide into different positions, leading to a slight misalignment. Because of this, it is extremely important for you to schedule regular car alignment services in Grand Prairie. When your wheels are positioned out of true balance, it may affect your ability to navigate the roads safely and it can also cause decreased fuel economy.

Below you will find more information on why wheel alignment matters. If you have any questions about this or would like to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists today, please contact Nu Way Car Center!

Why Is Wheel Alignment Important?

When your car leaves the factory, its four wheels are set at the angles in which the manufacturer has determined to be optimal for that particular model, which is based on wheel engineering, suspension type, performance, and other important factors. Either from regular wear and tear or from a collision, the car’s wheel alignment may be altered, leading to poor fuel economy, longer braking distance, and safety issues. As your car’s only contact with the road is the tire, it is crucial for the wheel angles to be properly aligned in order to ensure the tire is gripping the road in the most efficient manner.

Wheels are aligned in three important angles: toe, camber, and castor. Each has a different responsibility, and all are integral to the overall performance of your vehicle. It may be helpful to have a deeper understanding of each angle in order to reiterate how important wheel alignment is.

• Toe –  This is the angle between straight ahead and the direction in which the wheels are pointing. When the fronts of the wheels are pointing inward it is called “toe-in”, and the term for when they are pointing outward is “toe-out”. When the toe angle one or more wheels is off, it will cause the wheels to want to move in slightly different directions, which can be problematic.
• Camber – This is the vertical tilt of the wheels and is important because it directly affects how well the tires grip the road when cornering. If slightly off or set wrong, it may cause the car to be tugged in one direction.
• Caster – This describes how the wheel pivots when turning and affects how the steering feels. If the caster is knocked out of alignment due to a collision, the wheels will wander and the driver will have to actively control the steering wheel in order to keep the car in a straight line. This is one of the most obvious signs that you are due for a wheel alignment.

Nu Way Car Center uses the latest equipment and the experience of our technicians in order to detect wheel alignment problems. By paying attention to how your car feels and bringing it into our auto body shop in Arlington on a regular basis, you will help ensure the longevity of your tires, get better gas mileage, and feel safer when driving.