by CAR CARE CANADA SUBMITTED ARTICLE THAT CURB YOUBUMPED WHILE NEGOTIATING AN ICY CORNER LAST WINTER MIGHT NOT APPEARTO HAVE DONE ANY DAMAGE, BUT CHANCES ARE YOUR VEHICLE IS A CANDIDATEFOR AN ALIGNMENT CHECK IF YOU HIT IT -- OR THAT FROST-HEAVE ORSPRING THAW POTHOLE -- HARD ENOUGH, YOU MIGHT NOTICE YOUR VEHICLE NOLONGER TRACKS STRAIGHT, TENDS TO PULL TO ONE SIDE, PARTICULARLYWHILE BRAKING IN A SEVERE CASE, YOUR STEERING WHEEL MIGHT EVEN BEASKEW BUT IN MOST CASES, WHEEL MISALIGNMENT IS MORE SUBTLE ANDOFTEN GOES UNNOTICED UNTIL IT BECOMES OBVIOUS THROUGH UNUSUAL TIREWEAR PATTERNS WHEN A VEHICLE LEAVES THE FACTORY, ITS WHEELS AREALIGNED IN A GEOMETRIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ACTIONS OF THESUSPENSION, STEERING THE MAIN SETTINGS, KNOWN AS CAMBER, CASTERAND TOE-IN, HEIGHT, RIDE, DETERMINE HOW IT WILL REACT DURINGACCELERATION, BRAKING, TURNING, HITTING BUMPS OR JUST ROLLING DOWNTHE HIGHWAY TIRE TREAD WEAR PATTERNS ARE A CLEAR VISUAL CLUE TO BADALIGNMENT, ARE EASY TO DETECT, BUT ONLY AFTER THEY'VE BECOMEESTABLISHED, BY WHICH TIME YOU'VE USUALLY RUINED AN EXPENSIVE SET OFTIRES A SIMPLE CHECK CAN BE CONDUCTED USING A COIN TO MEASURE TREADDEPTH ON THE INSIDE, CENTRE, OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE IF THE TREAD ISDEEPER ON THE EDGES THAN THE CENTRE, THE TIRE HAS BEEN RUNNINGOVER-INFLATED IF THE TREAD IS DEEPER IN THE CENTRE THAN THE EDGES,IT'S BEEN RUNNING UNDER-INFLATED SIMPLY INFLATING THEM TO THECORRECT PRESSURE CAN SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS IF THE TREAD IS DEEPER ONONE SIDE THAN THE OTHER, HOWEVER, YOU HAVE A CAMBER PROBLEM ANOTHERCHECK INVOLVES RUNNING YOUR HAND OVER THE TIRE IF YOU FIND THESURFACE IS SMOOTH IN ONE DIRECTION, JAGGED IN THE OTHER, YOU'VELIKELY DISCOVERED THE SAW-TOOTH WEAR PATTERN RELATED TO A TOE-INPROBLEM IN BOTH CASES, PROFESSIONAL ATTENTION IS REQUIRED CAR CARECANADA RECOMMENDS HAVING AN ANNUAL ALIGNMENT, SUSPENSIONCOMPONENTS CHECK-OVER IT COULD SAVE YOU THE COST OF REPLACINGPREMATURELY WORN TIRES, WILL ENSURE YOUR VEHICLE OPERATES SAFELYIN AN EMERGENCY
Published in Daily graphic (Portage la Prairie. 1895) (03.04.2010)