This is a question that many drivers ask themselves at some point during the life of their car. The wheel alignment or parallel is an operation that must be done from time to time so that a vehicle ride optimally. The first impulse of those who know something about the subject is to take a look at how the funds are being spent. tires. Although in addition to this indication there are many other symptoms that can help you.
For example, when there is a strong steering wheel vibration It is a symptom that a front axle wheel alignment. Likewise, when you are driving in a straight line, but the steering wheel is not completely centered, it means that an axis is not correctly aligned.
In addition to this, surely it has happened to more than one that when driving along the road you notice that the car tends to go left or right. This is another symptom that the alignment fails, because in normal conditions what it should do is follow its path in a straight line.
When do car wheels go out of alignment?
Although many do not know it, that a car is misaligned is the normal result of daily driving. The continuous inertia to which the wheels of a vehicle, its suspension and other components are subjected can end up slightly misaligning some parameter. Which can lead to tire misalignment large enough for the car to show symptoms.
Of course, misalignment can also be accelerated with a little accident, passing through a big bump or with hit a curb. This can affect the suspension, varying the calibration of some of the key components. The result is wheels that are mounted at incorrect angles.
It can also happen when we change any part related to the address, since the alignment dimensions are modified. That is why it is recommended to perform an alignment when we replace the tires of our car.
What happens if I don't align the car
In addition to increasing tire wear, incorrect alignment can affect mechanical parts of the steering due to the vibrations generated. Also you can go misaligning other suspension parts. If we find ourselves in one of these cases, it is advisable to align the steering to correct these defects as soon as possible.
What does alignment consist of?
During alignment, the main objective is that the wheels of each axle, as well as the axes to each other, they are all placed perfectly parallel. It is also necessary to adjust the angles of the wheels according to the values given by the manufacturer.
The task of aligning our car is very simple. In the workshop, the car is raised on a lift and, with the necessary measuring equipment, the dimensions of the car are measured. With these data we can easily correct misalignments of the address. In less than an hour we can have the car perfectly aligned and ready to hit the road.
convergence and divergence
We can check for ourselves if we have a problem with convergence and divergence easily. If we look at the car from the front (the farther the better), in case of convergence, we can see how the front wheels are diverted inward. In addition, when passing the hand through the tire, we will noticesperezas from the inside to the outside of the tire.
The other effect that we can find is divergence. In this case, seeing the car from the front, we will see how the front wheels are also offset, but outward. If we run our hand over the tire, we will notice the roughness from outside to inside of the tire.
angle of fall
The other dimension that can be measured when performing the alignment is the angle of fall. A car has a fall when, seeing it from the front, we see how the wheels are inclined well towards the interior, or to the Exterior. A camber angle value greater than that set by the manufacturer causes irregular tire wear.
- We can meet with positive drop, in which the tire wears excessively on the outside. In this case, the top of the tire is tilted outwards.
- The other possible case is negative drop, when the tire wears excessively inside. Contrary to the previous case, this time the top of the tire is inclined inwards.
How much does it cost to align the wheels
The price for aligning the wheels of a car varies depending on whether wheel alignment is necessary. hey delantero or if you also have to do it in the rear. This depends above all on the car architecture. There are those that the rear axle does not require any adjustment due to the type of suspension and axle it has. However, if that is not your case, you will always have to align the two axes, because otherwise it would not look good.
A reasonable price for aligning the wheels of a car would be between 40 and 60 euros if it has to be done in the two axes. If you only have to touch the Forward the price should go down to 30 or 40 euros.
Hello;
I would like to know, how often does a car need to be aligned? Is the specific problem in the wheels or in the suspension?
Bkn understood. Greetings from Chile