The alignment of your vehicle plays an important role in steering, and the way your tires wear down. Still, it's an often neglected part of routine maintenance. Your vehicle's alignment should be professionally inspected and adjusted periodically, but many car owners drive thousands of miles with alignment problems. Here are the basics of your vehicle's alignment to help you identify potential issues and get the maintenance your car requires: 

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  Signs of alignment issues
  

​Unfortunately, alignment isn't as simple to diagnose as issues that present themselves when you pop the hood. Your alignment can't be checked simply by eyeballing your vehicle. To definitively tell that your vehicle is out of alignment, you need to take it to a mechanic with the necessary tools to measure angles. But, there are some warning signs that you might notice through regular driving. For example, if it's difficult to keep your car straight, even on straight, well-maintained roads, that may be a sign that it's out of alignment. You can also inspect your tires. When your vehicle is out of alignment, your tires won't wear evenly, but instead will show more wear on outside or inside edge, or even across the tread face. 

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  Camber, Caster, Toe
  

​While inspecting the tires can be a good way to spot a warning sign that your vehicle is out of alignment, fixing the issue doesn't involve the wheels at all. There's not really anything to adjust there. Instead, fixing your car's alignment involves an adjustment to the suspension. There are three technical elements of alignment, camber, caster and toe. The camber is the way the wheel is angled in or out from the vehicle. If you're standing in front of the vehicle, an extreme camber issue would have tires sticking out at extreme angles. Typically, camber issues will be much more subtle, however, but do impact the wear of your tires. Toe refers to the way each wheel turns in or out from the vehicle, and would be best inspected from above the vehicle. Again, the subtle differences between a well-aligned, and out of alignment vehicle are typically too small to perceive with the naked eye, however. Finally, caster has to do with the angle of the steering axis and significanlty impacts both steering and handling. Each vehicle has specific specifications on camber, caster and toe that need to be maintained. 

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  Maintaining alignment
  

​Your alignment can develop issues after a specific event, like an accident, hitting a curb or driving over a large pothole. Many times it simply changes slowly over time. For that reason, it's important to have your alignment checked and adjusted regularly. Experts recommend having it professionally inspected every 5 to 7-thousand miles, which can also be every other oil change. It's also a good idea to have your alignment checked and adjusted when you buy new tires. Otherwise, you risk those expensive new tires wearing out faster than they should. When you decide it's time for an alignment adjustment, you'll have the option of a 2-wheel or 4-wheel alignment. Deciding which is best for your vehicle requires a conversation with your mechanic and listening to their recommendations. 

If your BMW, Mercedes, or Hummer H1 is due for an alignment, or any other maintenance or repairs, contact us at Benzin Motor Works by calling 918-728-6081.