When should I have my wheel aligned?

Who says tire change says wheel alignment, but for many we forget to ask for it during our service appointment. Did you know that it is recommended to do it at least once a year or every 20,000 kilometres? Aligning your tires has many advantages both economically and in terms of safety.

What is wheel alignment?
It involves adjusting the suspension of the vehicle, so that the wheels are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the road, which ensures optimal contact between the tires and the road.

The causes of misalignment
Several factors can cause misalignment of your tires, such as driving over a pothole or a curb or when your car collides with an object or another vehicle. All of these factors affect the parallelism of your wheels and can cause you a lot of inconvenience over time.

The wear of your tires
When your tires are misaligned, friction is created between the wheel and the road, which causes faster and uneven wear. This means that your tires will have to be replaced more frequently and in addition, this friction increases your fuel consumption. Keep an eye out if you notice uneven wear on your tires or if your trips are costing you more gas. These are two signs that a service appointment should be made for an alignment.

Better road holding
Another very common sign of tire misalignment is a car pulling to one side or the other. Indeed, when you release the steering wheel, your car should continue to drive in a straight line. On the other hand, a car whose tires are not parallel to each other will pull more to one side. This can be dangerous when the road surface is uneven or when there is ice!
In addition, you could feel a vibration in your steering wheel and therefore have difficulty keeping your vehicle in its trajectory, especially when cornering. So, a well-aligned car will reduce the chances of going off the road and give you better handling.

We have your safety at heart and our General Motors experts invite you to make an appointment today for the alignment of your tires if you have not already done so.