Wheel Alignment in Jacksonville, FL

Regular vehicle maintenance is vital for maximizing the operational life span and safety of any car, truck, or SUV. Wheel alignment service is one of those important maintenance operations. Here, we'll cover what wheel alignment does for a vehicle, the signs of poor alignment and their consequences, and the steps in proper wheel alignment.

What Is Wheel Alignment, and What Does It Do?

Wheel alignment is a maintenance step commonly performed in vehicle service centers to ensure that the vehicle being worked on drives accurately according to the position of the steering wheel. Alignment is tied to the primary and secondary angling of all four tires, with special attention being paid to the drive system pair, if applicable. 

Primary angles include the front caster angle, front camber angle, front toe angle, rear camber angle, rear toe angle, and thrust angle. The caster angle is the angle of the tire in relation to the vertical axis of a steered wheel. The camber angle is the angular line between the vertical angle of the tire and the vertical angle of the vehicle. The toe angle is the symmetric angle at which the wheels track as they turn. The thrust angle refers to the angle of the rear axle in relation to the center line of the vehicle. 

All wheeled motor vehicles have specific configurations of all of these angles that they're meant to run on. The math required to properly align a set of wheels according to the manufacturer's manual is of a level that suggests this is an operation best left to professionals.

Signs and Consequences of Poor Wheel Alignment

There are many signs that can reveal bad wheel alignment to drivers. Some are minor, and some can lead to serious negative consequences. Either way, the longer the issue remains unaddressed, the worse the problem will become and the less safe the vehicle will be to drive.

Overly Loose Steering

This is one of the most dangerous signs of poor alignment possible. Overly loose, or “sloppy,” steering results in the vehicle turning farther than it should according to the turn of the wheel. The reason for the severity of this sign is fairly obvious, as a vehicle that turns more than commanded can veer too sharply in the turning direction, possibly causing a dangerous collision. Vehicles with loose steering should never be driven to a service center. They should always be towed in for the safety of the owner and every other driver on the road.

Steering Wheel Pulling

The wheels are definitely out of alignment if the steering wheel pulls to one side or the other during driving, requiring constant force to maintain safe forward motion. The longer a pulling wheel is left unaddressed, the harder it is likely to pull until it becomes impossible to drive safely. Pulling wheels may slip hard in the direction that they're pulling under some circumstances, so it's best to have the vehicle towed in for maintenance.

Out-of-Center Steering Wheel

The steering wheel is always meant to be in a centered position when a driver is driving a vehicle in a straight line. The wheel is out-of-center if it is offset to the left or right when the vehicle is being driven straight down the road. It's generally safe to drive a vehicle with this kind of issue into a service center, as it has little to no impact on drivability or vehicle safety.

Uneven Tire Wear

Properly aligned tires wear in an even pattern along each side. Tire sets that show wear in uneven patterns reveal a need for wheel realignment. The more tires wear in uneven patterns, the less safe they are to drive on. Left unaddressed, this issue will eventually lead to critical traction loss on pavement or off-road trails. Tires that wear unevenly also wear out more quickly, so drivers have to replace them more often.

What Can Throw Off Wheel Alignment?

Pothole impacts are the most common causes of wheel misalignment, but there are a few other causes to keep in mind. Off-road vehicles often tread at variable angles with varying degrees of pressure, so their wheel alignment is thrown off more easily than that of vehicles designed for on-road use only. 

Accidental collisions also tend to throw off wheel alignment. Any driver who experiences a collision should have their vehicle checked to ensure its alignment is as it should be. Lowering or lifting a vehicle can also throw off alignment, so the maintenance operation should be done after such alterations.

Wheel Alignment Steps

The first thing any competent service pro will do is take the vehicle for a short test drive, assuming such a thing is safe, to determine what might need to be done in terms of alignment alterations. The car will then be lifted once in the shop so that the tires, suspension components, and wheels can all be closely inspected. Broken or worn-out parts will be replaced at this point before the alignment itself begins. Tire pressure is then checked, and the air levels in each are set to factory standard. 

Certified dealership service centers have specialized alignment machines that can adjust the alignment of all four wheels at once according to manufacturer instructions. This machine decreases the time it takes to handle wheel alignment considerably, usually by half or better when compared to manual alignment time requirements. The machine will reset the toe, camber, caster, and thrust angles according to the service professional's input. 

The wheels will then be visually inspected and carefully measured to ensure that the machine has done its work as intended. Finally, another test drive will be carried out to ensure that the vehicle drives as it is meant to.

Come in and see us at Keith Pierson Toyota of Jacksonville, Florida, when the time comes to have your vehicle's wheels aligned. Our service team has many years of combined experience carrying out this maintenance operation, so we'll have you back out on the road in no time. Feel free to  contact us and set up a maintenance appointment.