by William Remski

Created on: September 09, 2007

If you want to know if your vehicle needs a front end alignment there are a few indicators. Does your car pull to one side or the other when you are driving on a flat road with the steering wheel momentarily released? This will not be the slow drift to the side of the road that is caused by the crown of the road, but will be a definite pull. Pull indicates either misalignment or dragging brakes on one side. In any case, if your car is pulling it will need to be taken in to the shop.

The second indication of misalignment is tire wear. Tires should wear evenly across their surface. If the inside or outside of your tires on the front of the vehicle wears out before the rest of the tire you have an alignment problem. Toe in, toe out, caster, and camber all can affect tire wear patterns. In bad cases the tire will wear down to the belts and blow out. In any case, misalignment affects handling and tire longevity and should be corrected at a shop.

The best way to tell if you need an alignment is to take your car to a tire shop and have them check the alignment. The mechanic will be able to use measurement apparatus to determine if your alignment numbers are properly dialed in. They will also be able to check for mechanical problems like bent tie rod ends, broken links, bad ball joints and dragging brakes. Alignment is crucial for proper handling of your car and should be checked in a shop on a regular basis. There is no way you can do these measurements yourself without the proper test equipment.

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