Wheel Alignment : Why it’s so important

One of the overlooked items of mechanical care, is having your wheel alignment checked regularly.

Your car’s wheel alignment has to be checked every 8000-10 000km as it will go out over time and will need to be reset. This is done by taking your car to your nearest wheel- and tyre garage, who should have the equipment needed to set up your car’s wheel alignment.

Setting the wheel alignment is done by placing reflective heads on each wheel and then with the clever use of lasers, calculating where the wheels are in relation to each other, and then measuring that data against the factory specification for your vehicle. This is done in a matter of seconds by the computer system that gives the technician a read-out on his screen, and he is then able to reset the alignment mechanically.

The elements that are measured and reset are Castor, Camber and Toe, in and out. Castor is how far your wheel sit ahead or behind the center line of the shock strut. Camber is how angled your wheels are in or out on the vertical and Toe is how much they are angled in or out on the horizontal.

By setting these elements a geometry is created that helps the car track straight, meaning that it will pull or push in a straight line. When your wheel alignment is set correctly your car will use less fuel, your tyres will last longer and the car will actually be easier to drive, so have yours checked regularly.