Regular wheel alignment is necessary if you want to keep the good running condition of your vehicle. Realigning your wheels at a reputable car repair shop such as Jiffy Lube ensures that your vehicle will run properly and safely. But the question that many car owners ask is when they should have a tire alignment.
Service Interval
The interval for wheel alignment will depend on several factors. These include your driving habits and the type of vehicle you own. Most experts recommend getting a tire alignment once every two to three years. But it’s still useful to follow the recommended interval found in your car’s manual. If you can’t find your owner’s manual or if the manual doesn’t specify how often you should have a tire alignment, then you need to bring your car to Jiffy Lube at least once a year for a checkup.
If you’re using your vehicle regularly, you can expect its wheels to become misaligned after using it for one or two years. But if your car is holding the road well, its tires are worn evenly, or if you don’t notice it drifting to one side, you don’t need to go to a service center every year.
Specific conditions may require you to have a tire alignment frequently. If you’re driving a performance-oriented vehicle or have wide tires, you need to have your tires aligned more often. You should also align your wheels every time you install new tires.
Signs You Need Tire Alignment
You also need to watch for signs that it’s time to have a wheel alignment. Some signs to watch out for are:
Your car suddenly pulls left or right. If this happens, then your tires may be under-inflated. But if you’re still feeling a sharp pull after inflating your tires, you need to have an alignment.
You feel a slight pull. If you’re feeling just a slight pull instead of a sharp one, it could still be a sign that you have misaligned wheels. To determine if your car has a slight pull, take your car to a level area, then drive straight. Take your hands off the wheel. So if your car starts to drift to the left or the right, you should take your car to Jiffy Lube for an alignment.
Your steering wheel is vibrating. If your steering wheel is vibrating, it could be because of misaligned wheels or unbalanced tires. Your tires may be drifting in opposite directions because of misalignment.
Your steering is crooked. You should be mindful of the wheel when you’re driving. You may be trying to compensate for your misaligned tires.
Your tires are worn unevenly. If the wear patterns of your tires are not the same, it’s a sign that your wheels are misaligned. It’s an indication that you should go to Jiffy Lube.
If you need a wheel alignment, take your vehicle to Jiffy Lube. We have highly-trained technicians who are experts in wheel alignment. They also use precise tools to measure wheel angle to determine if your wheels are misaligned or not.
