Toyota’s Essential Wheel Alignment: Keeping Your Drive Smooth

Does your car feel less smooth on the road than usual? If so, you might have misaligned wheels. Over time, all automobiles suffer from misalignment to some degree as their wheels become knocked and tugged slightly out of position by bumps over potholes and worn suspension parts. Fortunately, this issue is easily corrected with routine wheel alignment at your local Toyota dealership. 

Common Causes of Wheel Misalignment

A variety of factors can lead your wheels to become misaligned. Repeated bumps over potholes and curbs gradually take their toll. Worn-out suspension parts can also begin struggling to hold the wheels in the correct position. 

Issues with the tires, such as uneven tread wear or improper inflation, can also put awkward pressure on the wheels. The worst culprit is any kind of collision, which will often knock the wheels and many other components out of place. 

Signs Your Wheels Are Out of Alignment

At first, slight misalignment might be imperceptible. But as time passes, you’ll notice your handling diminishing and the steering becoming less precise. The steering wheel may start to feel sloppy in your hands and might even become fixed in an off-center position, making it difficult to drive in a straight line. With one or more wheels crooked on the toe angle (the wheel’s angle when viewed from above), you might also find your car veering slightly to one side. 

You’re also likely to hear odd noises, such as excessive rumbling from below; your tires could also start to squeal loudly when you corner. If you inspect your tires, you may find them wearing down unevenly at an excessive rate: a problem that both causes and is worsened by misaligned wheels. Overall vehicle vibrations will also increase, robbing you of your ordinarily smooth and peaceful driving. 

Visit Your Toyota Dealership for Realignment

When misalignment becomes particularly bad, you might notice them visibly look out of position. However, misalignment isn’t easy to detect or measure without the proper machinery. It’s advisable to have the alignment of your wheels professionally checked twice a year with the appropriate computerized tools.

Our technicians can measure the alignment of each wheel with pinpoint precision, identifying even the slightest misalignment along each wheel’s camber, toe, and caster angles. If required, they can then conduct a full realignment, returning your wheels to exactly the position they were in when brand new. This returns your car’s handling, steering, smoothness, and overall performance to top-notch condition.

If you haven’t had your wheels checked for a while, visit Ken Ganley Toyota Akron in Akron, OH, today. Our courteous, seasoned professionals are committed to providing exceptional service and customer experience, whatever your automotive needs. 

Tags: Toyota Service in Akron OH, Wheel Alignment
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