Do you have a suspicion that your vehicle's wheels are out of alignment, but you're not sure if you need to do anything about it? If so, there are a few warning signs to look out for that can tell you that you're experiencing a problem with your vehicle. If you notice any of these signs, it is worth visiting a local auto repair shop about having your vehicle fixed.
Uneven Tread Wear
While your tires will naturally wear down over time as you drive, what you want to look out for is uneven wear of your tire tread across the whole tire. When your tires are not in alignment, they are going to be angled differently and start showing signs of uneven wear. This is not only bad for your vehicle, but it's bad for your tire as well. Those treads will end up wearing down in certain spots prematurely, which will require you to get brand new tires for your vehicle.
Uncentered Driving
You'll want to pay attention to how centered your vehicle stays when you are driving down the center of a lane on a flat road. In normal driving conditions with a car that has a proper wheel alignment, your vehicle is going to stay in the center of the lane without having to make adjustments. What you want to watch out for is if your vehicle is consistently drifting towards one side of the road and forcing you to make adjustments as you are driving. This is an indication that your wheels are not in alignment.
Loose Steering
Pay attention to how much you have to move the steering wheel in order to get the vehicle to turn. When you make those slight adjustments on the road, you shouldn't have to move your steering wheel much in order to make the vehicle do what you want it to do. If you find that you have to move the steering wheel a lot to make small adjustments, it's a sign that your wheels are not in alignment.
Vibrating Steering Wheel
If your steering wheel is vibrating considerably while driving down the road, it may be due to the wheels not being in alignment. The wheels are trying to find their centered position and are unable to do so, which causes the steering wheel to vibrate. Be aware that vibration can happen with other problems with your vehicle, such as bad rotors, but that issue is more likely to cause vibration while you're braking.