Wheel alignment also known as tire alignment is a crucial part of your automobile maintenance and should be followed religiously to ensure that all the tires of your vehicle give their best performance. Wheel alignment also ensures that the wheels of your car or bike are set to the optimum position as specified by the manufacturer. If you are looking for a proper wheel alignment Wolverhampton service, you are at the right place as I will explain to you in detail what wheel alignment is, why wheel alignment is important, and how often should you check your wheel alignment.

What Is Wheel Alignment?

Wheel alignment refers to the process of adjusting the angles of your automobile's wheels so that they are set perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. This type of structure increases the life of your tyre and promotes stable driving. The primary angles involved in wheel alignment are - 

Camber

Cambridge is associated with the wheel in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The angle is visible at the tilt of the top of the tyre, either in the direction or away from the tilt.  If the top of the tyre tilts towards the vehicle, It’s called a negative camper and if it tilts away from the vehicle, it’s called a positive camber. Proper camber settings should be ensured as they can directly affect the performance of your tyres.

Caster

The caster is viewed from the side of the vehicle from where the tilt of the steering axis is visible in either a forward or backward direction. A caster assists in stable steering and keeps your vehicle moving in a straight direction, whereas a positive caster promotes vehicle stability.

Toe

The toe angle generally refers to how much your vehicle tyre turns inwards or outward from a top-down view. There are two different types of two angles. One is the toe-in which concerns the front of the tyres should be closer to each other, whereas the toe-out, which means the complete opposite. It is important to ensure that your vehicle has proper toe settings as your tyres will move parallel to each other and reduce any unnecessary tyre wear.

Why Is Wheel Alignment Important?

Wheel alignment directly impacts the lifespan of the tyres of your vehicle and hence holds significant importance when it comes to vehicle maintenance. Following are some key points by which proper wheel alignment should be prioritised.

• If your wheels are not properly aligned, it can lead to severe damage and uneven tyre wear, which can pose a threat to the car safety as the vehicle will not be in control, particularly at a higher speed or on a bumpy road
• Improper wheel alignment can affect your tyres frequently, which means that you will be spending more money on their replacement than your budget
• Wheel alignment directly impacts the performance of your car. If your wheels are not aligned properly, the driver will not be able to handle the car properly

How Frequently Should You Check Your Wheel Alignment?

There is no set amount of time after which you should check your wheel alignment. The frequency typically depends on various factors such as the type of vehicle owned, driving habits and the road conditions you typically travel on. However, it is generally advised that you should at least check your wheel alignment after every 10,000 miles you cover.

You can also check your mail alignment if your vehicle was hit during an accident, or if you accidentally hit any curb or a large pothole. Additionally, you can check your wheel alignment if you’re installing new tyres in your vehicle. 

How Is The Wheel Alignment Process Performed? 

Wheel alignment Wolverhampton is generally a same-day process and will only take an hour or so. However, it will also depend on the condition of your wheels and if there are any additional damages done. Following are the key steps involved in the wheel alignment Wolverhampton process.

Preparation

The very first step of the wheel alignment Wolverhampton process is to prepare your car for alignment, which is generally done by ensuring that your tyres are properly inflated and your car is loaded as it would be in normal conditions.

Alignment equipment

Your car will then be placed on an alignment track, which is used to lift the vehicle so that the technician can have easy access to the wheels. Most equipment nowadays uses clamp-like devices that are attached to each wheel to give the technician a better view of the alignment angles.

Measuring Alignment

Next, the technician will use cameras and sensors to check the position of the wheels and their current alignment. The cameras are generally attached to the alignment machine, which will display the measurements on the screen through which an easy comparison can be made between the current alignment and the manufacturer's specifications. According to these measurements, the new alignment will be adjusted

Angle Adjustment

Based on the alignment, the technician will start making adjustments to the current alignment. These adjustments are made on the Camber, Caster and Toe angles

Testing

After the new adjustments are made, your vehicle will be tested to ensure that all the alignments are similar to the manufacturer's specifications

Test drive

Following the final changes the technician will take a mandatory test drive of your car and ensure that the vehicle is handling the changes properly and that there was no additional damage caused during the process

Wrapping up

Wheel alignment should be checked regularly as it contributes to the quality of your tyres and provides you with better fuel efficiency and safe handling of your car. Wheel Alignment Wolverhampton is a detailed process that should only be followed by skilled technicians so that your vehicle runs smoothly and efficiently.