There are many reasons to make sure the wheels on your car or truck are properly aligned. For starters, proper wheel alignment is important for safety reasons to make sure your vehicle will go in the direction you want it to when steering. Another reason is to ensure your tires and other parts of the vehicle function smoothly at all times and wear evenly.

While it’s not necessary to get your wheels aligned that often, it’s still important to keep on top of regular vehicle alignment checkups and get things straightened out if anything is amiss. Read on for more info on when to get your wheels aligned and what kind of regular maintenance schedule to keep.

How often should your wheels get aligned?

Wheel alignment should be checked on a regular schedule. This is true for every vehicle, no matter what make, model or year it may be. Each vehicle will have different specifications that need to be adhered to. Fortunately, the scheduled alignment checkup intervals are about the same for all vehicles.

In general, vehicle alignment should be checked once every 6,000 miles or so. With newer cars, that can mean getting the alignment checked with every oil change, since many newer vehicles need an oil change around 5,000 miles. If you have an older vehicle with a recommended oil change interval of 3,000 miles, you can schedule a vehicle alignment check for every other oil change.

Other times to get your wheels aligned

There may be times when you need to get a wheel alignment outside of the regularly scheduled checkups. Sudden or violent impacts to the vehicle (or to the wheels specifically) may knock things out of alignment, for example. Wheel alignment should also be checked after any auto accident that involves major damage. And if you hit a particularly gnarly pothole or accidentally run up on a curb without warning, it might be a good idea to get your vehicle alignment inspected.

It’s also a good idea to have a wheel alignment done when you get new tires to ensure they will wear evenly throughout the lifetime of the tread. Over time, other parts of the car can wear down and cause the wheels to go out of alignment as well. Even regular tire rotations can contribute to alignment issues. With this in mind, it’s important to notice when your wheels may be out of alignment even between regular checkups and get it fixed right away.

What does wheel alignment do to your car?

If your wheels are not properly aligned, you may feel the effects in how your car handles on the road. Wheels that are out of alignment may also wear at different rates, causing the vehicle not to grip the road as well in certain situations. Uneven wear can also lead to costly vehicle repairs and more frequent tire replacement.

When you need a wheel alignment, or if you need a vehicle alignment checkup, get in touch with Coastal Diesel Injection today to schedule an appointment.