Things That Cause The Tire Alignment To Be Off

You just got your tires aligned, so why is your car not driving that well? Why do the tires feel like they're pulling and why does your car appear to veer to one side if you don't keep a death grip on the steering wheel? Why are your new tires already showing uneven wear?

If the tire alignment of your car seems to get worse much more frequently than it should, you need to take a look at a number of issues. These range from severe issues down to simply not keeping track of time.

Waiting Too Long to Get an Alignment  

It may seem like only yesterday that you had your last tire alignment done, but chances are it was really a couple of years ago. Time flies and tire alignment is one of those issues that doesn't sit at the forefront of your mind, so it's easy to forget about it until your car shows signs that you need another one. On average, you should get an alignment every year or so unless your car's manual says otherwise, and unless you've driven in situations that are likely to throw the alignment off, such as driving over severe potholes.

Driving on Bad Roads

Your car isn't exactly fragile. It's a multi-ton vehicle designed to travel long distances while holding many people and items like luggage and Christmas trees. However, it can have its weak points. One of those is the ability of a pothole or other road defect to ruin the alignment of a tire in a second. Unfortunately, a severe jolt can wrench the tire just enough to throw off the alignment. If you keep driving on bad roads, you have to assume the alignment of your car is fading with each trip. If you regularly drive on terrible surfaces, you'll need to have your tires aligned more frequently than normal.

Your Car Has a Deeper Issue

It is possible that your car has a mechanical issue that runs deeper than just the wheel alignment. The shocks and struts could be bad, the wheel itself could be bad, or something similar. If you're going in for repeated alignments more frequently than you'd usually need, and you're not dealing with any of the other potential reasons for poor alignment, like bad roads, you need to have the car checked out thoroughly.

When you call your mechanic to make an appointment, ask about the last time you had the tires aligned. If it was recent and you haven't driven on bad roads, let the mechanic know you'd like them to inspect the car and figure out why you're having so many alignment problems. It's better to inspect now so you can get your car back into shape quickly.