Most of us do not give our wheels much thought until something goes wrong. The condition of the wheels and the tyres are essential to a safe, smooth contact with the road.
Wheel Alignment in Calgary AB can be one of the areas that is most often overlooked in car maintenance. What is wheel alignment, exactly? Why is wheel alignment important? What is the difference between wheel or tyre balance? This is your guide to keeping your wheels in top condition.
What Is The Difference Between Wheel Alignment & Wheel Balancing?
The question that is asked most often in our centres, is whether wheel alignment and tyre balance are the same thing.
Both of these things are important for the health of your tires.
In fact, balancing and aligning are two completely different practices. While balancing is concerned with the distribution of weight on the wheel, aligning looks at how the wheels are positioned in relation to each other and the road. Here’s an explanation of the differences between the two and what they can do for you and your vehicle.
Wheel Balance
Wheel balancing is done to ensure that the car’s weight is evenly distributed around the wheel, and that it rotates in a uniform manner. It involves adding balancing weights on the rim to counterbalance weight inconsistencies.
Imagine a set balancing weights. When you add a large item to one side, the scales will tilt. The scales will tilt as you add smaller, lighter items on the opposite side. The scales will tilt the other direction if you add too many weights.
Wheel balancing is done in the same manner, and if there is an imbalance on one side, the weights will be added to the other side.
Why Is Wheel Balancing Important?
To ensure the best possible ride comfort, it’s vital to correct wheels that aren’t balanced correctly. When you travel above a certain speed, incorrectly balanced wheels can produce vibrations that are felt in the steering wheel. This can be very uncomfortable over time. Balance issues can also cause premature wear of your tyres and steering components.
What Happens When You Balance Your Wheels?
A wheel balancing device is available in at all alignment king centers. The wheel and tyre assembly is mounted on the machine, which spins it to measure even the smallest difference in weight.
The machine will then indicate the exact location where counterweights should be placed and the size of weights that are needed to balance the wheel correctly.
Wheel Alignment
The angle at which your wheels are set is called wheel alignment.
In the past, steering and suspension adjustments were made by measuring and adjusting only the front wheels. cars are built to provide comfort and performance. To achieve and maintain smooth driving, the steering and suspension on all four wheels must be measured and checked. The alignment process is also called ‘tracking,’ or a ‘four-wheel align’.
What Can Cause Wheel Misalignment And Why?
If your vehicle is misaligned, the suspension will be the primary culprit. It is possible for sudden jolts or heavy impacts to disrupt your suspension, and cause other components to be out of alignment. The wheels will then be positioned differently.
You may experience wheel misalignment or suspension problems if you encounter any of the following situations:
- When driving at high speeds, it is important to avoid hitting kerbs or potholes .
- Accidents and collisions on the road.
- If you have made any modifications to the height of your vehicle and not adjusted the suspension to match, then this is a Height modification.
- Wearable parts, such as suspension springs.
Misaligned Wheel Signs And Symptoms
It’s worth visiting a repair center if you have been in an accident, or experienced one of the above situations. After a bump, or after driving through a particularly nasty pothole, you may experience problems with your vehicle.
Watch out for these warning signs that your wheels are misaligned:
- When driving, your car will tend to drift to one side. You may notice your car drifting to the right or left when you brake on a flat, straight road. If you’re not sure, test it by braking on a flat, empty stretch of road. The drift or pull should be obvious in this case.
- After completing a turn, your steering wheel does not return to its initial position.
- The tyres on your car seem to wear unevenly. If you rub your hands on the tyre, you can feel whether the has worn at the outside or inside edges.
- Your steering wheel is vibrating in an abnormal way or seems to be crooked.
- You hear a loud squealing sound coming from your tyres.
Even if you’ve never been in a car accident or hit the curb, some of these signs may still be present. This is especially true if wheel alignement hasn’t recently been checked.
What Can Happen When Your Wheels Are Not Aligned Properly?
The alignment of your wheel can be a major factor in handling. This means that you will have less control while driving. In an emergency situation, your car may become unstable and dangerous.
Wheel misalignment will also have a serious impact on your tyres. The tyres will wear unevenly, and their working life will be reduced. Uneven wear increases the possibility of a blowout, and can also affect handling and vehicle contact with the road.
Last but not least, misaligned tires can hurt your wallet by causing poor fuel efficiency. Misaligned tires will cause you to use more fuel because they create greater resistance on the road.
How Often Should You Check Your Wheels?
Wheel alignment should be checked at least once a year. You can go to the alignment shop when you take your car in for its service. It’s worth upgrading to the full or major service if wheel tracking is not included in your basic or interim service.
If you’re concerned about the handling of your car after a collision or jolt, you should put wheel alignment tests at the top your list of car maintenance.
What Happens When You Check The Alignment Of Your Wheels?
Only an experienced technician should check the alignment of your wheels. The majority of repair centers use a wheel alignment machine that can measure and analyse the wheels’ position in relation to one another. The equipment used can be very sophisticated and even use high-definition image sensors for absolute accuracy.
Alignment equipment can be used to adjust wheels using the following measurements:
- Alignment of the two front wheels, also called tracking
- The alignment of all four wheels
The 4-wheel alignment also has other benefits such as resetting your steering wheel in a straight position, and providing optimum performance and comfort. In the majority of our centers, we use Hunter Hawkeye 4 wheel alignment machines. These machines use high-definition image sensors to measure the 14 primary alignment angles of your wheels.
The data is then compared to our vehicle manufacturer’s data. This ensures that your vehicle has been set up for optimal driving. Your technician will compare the specifications of the manufacturer and make minor adjustments to your components until they are perfectly aligned. This is done by examining the following factors:
Toe in and toe out
The terms used here are to describe the angle of the front of a tyre in relation to its rear. Imagine your feet with your toes pointing outwards and your heel pointing inwards.
Positive and negative camber
The ’tilt of the tire’ can be either towards the vehicle or away from it. The jolt from driving over a bump can affect this angle, since it disrupts the suspension.
Positive or negative caster
This concept is more complex and relates to the angle formed by the pivot of the steering. Imagine a straight line that stretches from the front of your vehicle to the rear. If this line is angled in the opposite direction, then caster is negative.