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This is part 3 of our series on the imprtance of regular wheel alignments. Click here for part 1, and click here for part 2.
Wheel alignments save on fuel cost.
The contact between your car tires and the road usually produces friction even when you are driving in a straight line. This is what is commonly known as tires rolling resistance. One of the primary functions of the car engine is to reduce this resistance. The harder it is to reduce tire rolling resistance, the more fuel the engine consumes.
Unaligned tires usually have a high rolling resistance. This means that without proper alignment, you will be spending more on fuel.
The basics of wheel alignment.
When it comes to vehicle maintenance, wheel alignment and balancing are usually confused to be the same thing, or one is confused to be the other. As a driver, understanding the difference between the two will help you determine the problem and hence take the best course of action.
Wheel alignment involves adjusting the angles of car wheels to ensure that they are pointing in line with the direction of rotation. This reduces the tires rolling resistance and ensures that the car is easy to handle. The angles of the wheels should be set as per the car maker's specifications to achieve the desired handling characteristics.
In the alignment process, three things are considered; these include the Toe, the Camber, and the Caster. The Toe determines the difference between the back of the tires and the front of the tires. Your car tires are toed in if the front of the tires is closer together than the back of the tires.
On the other hand, the Camber determines the extent to which a tire is leaning in or out. A camber problem is the one that leads to the wear and tear on the inside or outside wedges of a tire. The caster shows the relationship of the wheels to one other. Unlike the Toe and Camber problems, the Caster problem usually calls for a four wheel alignment.
106St Tire & Wheel is proud to be home of the $45 wheel alignment. Click here to schedule an appointment.