Essential Wheel Alignment for Your Volkswagen

While the wheels of your car may look fine, it’s possible that they’ve come out of proper alignment. This will result in issues with steering, handling, and overall driving comfort, as explained below. The more frequently you visit your local VW dealership for wheel alignment, the better and safer your driving will remain. Let’s look in more detail at the importance of routine wheel realignment. 

Essential Wheel Alignment for Your Volkswagen

Causes of Misaligned Wheels 

Each of your car’s wheels is held firmly in place, but sudden jolts from potholes or bumps against curbs can marginally adjust the suspension, altering the wheel’s angle. Uneven tires, low tire pressure, worn-out suspension shocks or struts, and certain vehicle modifications might also push your wheels out of a perfectly parallel position. 

Car wheels can develop bad alignment in three ways: along the camber, toe, or caster angles. Camber misalignment is when the top of the tire leans inward or outward, toe misalignment means the front of a tire is leaning inward or outward, and caster faults mean a wheel’s steering axis (swivel angle) is no longer perfectly vertical. 

Symptoms of Misaligned Wheels

If your steering wheel feels disconcertingly loose or hesitant, you may have an alignment problem. Improper wheel angles might also cause the steering wheel to become off-center, forcing you to apply constant pressure with your hands merely to drive in a straight line. 

Errant wheel angles can also cause a car to veer slightly to one side. Excessively uneven tire wear might also point to alignment issues. It’s unwise to keep driving with any of these problems; precise handling and firm tires are vital for safe and pleasurable driving. 

How Misalignment Is Solved 

A trusted technician can realign your wheels using specialist machinery. The process typically takes less than an hour and involves attaching an alignment machine to each wheel, which measures the camber, toe, and caster angles. 

Using extremely precise computerized readouts, our technicians can carefully adjust the suspension until each wheel is returned to its original factory positioning. Any underlying malfunctions such as uneven tires or worn-out suspension parts can also be repaired. 

Check Alignment Routinely at Your VW Dealership

For optimal vehicle performance and safety, it’s advisable to have your wheels realigned every six months when you visit for an oil change. At least have alignment checked this frequently; some drivers only need to have their wheels actually realigned every two or three years. 

For convenience, schedule routine wheel realignment along with other essential car services at your local dealership. Visit DeMontrond Volkswagen in Houston, TX, today to have the wheels of your car checked and set straight.

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