There are some aspects of car servicing some motorists neglect under the assumption that they are not as critical as other forms of maintenance. One of the areas that tend to be underestimated is the alignment of the wheels. However, correct wheel alignment is crucial to your safety because it causes an array of driving problems when overlooked. So how can you tell that your tyres are in dire need of proper alignment?

Handling your vehicle has become challenging

When the tyres are not in correct alignment, one of the first things that you will notice is that the handling of your car is off. This change in handling can manifest in several ways. For instance, you may begin to realise that your vehicle wanders off the road on its own accord, even as you try to stabilise the steering wheel. Another manifestation can be your car feeling unstable and shaky, even if you are driving on smooth terrain. If not checked and remedied on time, you will soon be a hazard to other road users.

Trying to centre your steering wheel has become difficult

Another red flag indicative of poor wheel alignment is when your steering wheel no longer goes back into the centre position. Whenever you navigate a corner, the steering wheel should easily go back into its natural starting position without much effort on your part. The moment that you start to find yourself struggling to centre this car part or you find that it flat-out refuses to re-centre, you should become wary of a serious problem on your hands. It is recommended to cease all driving of your car until you have visited an auto shop for full alignment of your wheels.

Wear on your tyres has become abnormal

Although tyres do need to be replaced after a time due to regular wear, the way in which this deterioration manifests is typically uniform. Instead of patches here and there, you will find that the tyres are degrading at an even pace so that by the time they need to be replaced you will have made the most out of them. Abnormal wear, on the other hand, tends to be limited to certain parts of the tyre. This unusual wear occurs on the interior or exterior edge of the tyre, while the rest of it remains in relatively good condition. When this happens, you should consider having the wheel aligned to extend the lifespan of the tyres.

Contact a car service centre for additional information.