All cars are in pristine condition and parts are perfect and aligned when they're new. But, due to constant and continuous driving, the wheels tend to misalign due to potholes, bumps, kerbs on the road, accidents or minor collisions.

However, it's not always easy to determine whether your wheels are aligned or not since this is not something that can be seen or noticed immediately.

It can be easy to brush off early signs of misalignment. A slight shake every now and then is not that alarming, however, it can be dangerous when your car starts to drift or pull in one side.

If you're driving straight and you notice that the steering wheel is not centered, then it may be a wheel alignment issue. Also, you may notice one of the tires may be wearing more on one side than the other.

Understanding the signs of an alignment problem and process is critical to the safety of the car, driver and passengers.

Here’s our guide on how to check wheel alignment for more information:

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What Is Wheel Alignment?

Wheel balance or alignment is making sure that the tires are aligned according to the road and each other as required by the manufacturer’s specifications.

It doesn't mean that only the wheels or tires need to be adjusted. It involves the adjustment of the vehicle’s suspension or the system that connects the vehicle to its wheels, back to its factory settings.

Adjusting the angles of the tires, which affects how they come in contact with the road, also means proper alignment.

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Importance Of Wheel Alignment

Correct wheel alignment is very crucial if you want to ensure a smooth driving experience and expect a long durability of the tires.

Having misaligned wheels while driving your car can be very dangerous as it will result in poor handling. It can also result in your car drifting out of the lane of tires losing their grip on the road.

Wheel alignment has a direct impact not only on your tire conditions, handling and steering, but also on your overall driving performance.

You can also save money and prevent a number of heavy repairs by recognizing the early symptoms of misalignment.

That's why it's recommended to get your wheel alignment checked within a regular time interval, especially if you experience any changes in handling or driving of your vehicle.

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Factors Affecting Wheel Alignment

In theory, all four wheels should be relative to each other and perpendicular to the ground. So when your car starts pulling to one side or after a sharp impact with a curb, the wheels might be misaligned. Other clues are irregular tire wear, vibration and odd handling characteristics.

There are three wheel alignment angles that determine the position of the wheels parallel to each other and the car’s body:

Toe

Toe angle determines the direction in which the tires are pointing relative to the center of the vehicle. This means that the position of the tires are straight. Toe settings affect the straight line stability and the handling characteristics of the vehicle.

Toe in is when the wheels are pointing inwards or the distance of the front of the wheels are closer together than the rear of the wheels. Tire tread will tend to wear more on the outside edges.

Toe out is when the rear of the wheels are closer than the front or the wheels are pointing outwards. Tire tread will tend to wear more on the inner edges.

Camber

The tilt of the top of the tire according to how it sits on the road is the camber. It's the measurement of the centerline of your tire relative to the road surface.

Positive camber is when the top of the wheel leans away from the vehicle. Too much of this causes wheels to wear on the outside edge.

Negative camber is when the top of the wheel appears to lean towards the car. Too much of this causes wheels to wear on the inside edge.

Caster

The top to bottom angle of the steering axis and suspension components as they meet the wheel is called caster. When viewed from the side of the car, it is the forward or backward inclination angle of the vertical axis of a vehicle’s steered wheels.

Positive caster is when the steering axis slants in front of the vertical axis toward the rear of the vehicle.

Negative caster is when the steering axis slants in the back of the vertical axis toward the front of the vehicle.

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How To Check Wheel Alignment

Here are some pre-requisites before moving on to the actual measuring process:

Maintain proper tire pressure
Inspect the front suspension
Check and note down the specifications on your car's repair manual

Checking the Toe

Park your vehicle on level ground.

The wheels should be pointing straight ahead and the steering wheel is centered.

Using a measuring tape leveled with the ground, measure the distance between the center treads of both the tires

Push down on the car above each wheel to move the suspension and allow the car to settle.

Push the car backward or forward at least 10 feet. The steering wheel should be centered so the tires point straight ahead.

Re-measure the distance between the center tread of both the tires.

If the distance between the rear of the tires is greater than the front, your wheels toe-in, and the opposite of it means your wheels toe-out.

Checking the Camber

Start by parking your vehicle on level ground. The steering wheel should be centered and tires pointing straight ahead.

Set a straight edge vertically along with the tire you want to measure.

Place a protractor on the ground in a way that its surface is against the edge of the straight edge and its length extends away from the tire.

Measure the angle. The optimal angle should be between 0 and -1.0 degrees. This measured angle is the camber of your car.

After measuring both toe and camber, compare them with the alignment settings given in the car's repair manual.

What To Do If Wheels are Not Aligned?

Aligning your wheels will help your car tires stay longer in shape and a good wheel balance means a better road experience.

So once you've verified that your wheels need alignment due to the signs and symptoms mentioned or after your wheel balance check, it's always best to seek help from a professional or a trusted mechanic.

Have it checked as soon as you can.

The service center can definitely ensure that all the wheels are aligned and adjusted to function as the manufacturer meant them to.

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How To Check Your Wheel Alignment?