Have you noticed the ordinarily smooth handling of your car becoming rougher and less precise? Is your steering wheel slightly off-center when you’re driving in a straight line? If you’re nodding as you read this, you might need to visit your local Lexus dealer for a wheel alignment. Let’s look at exactly what alignment is plus a few common signs of misaligned wheels.

Minor bumps against curbs and over potholes steadily knock car wheels out of their original alignment. Uneven tires can also help to push wheels further out of their proper position. Wheels can become nudged out of perfectly parallel angles on both the horizontal and vertical axis, meaning you’d notice the awkward angle when looking at the front of the wheel or from above.

This gradual misalignment may not be noticeable at first, but it steadily worsens your handling over time, leading to comfort and safety issues. Wheel realignment is the process of bringing each wheel back into its proper position as your car’s manufacturer intended.

While driving straight, your steering wheel should ideally be perfectly centered. But misaligned wheels will often bring your steering wheel off-center, giving it a slight tilt. Your car may also pull to one side if one or two misaligned wheels are angled slightly in that direction. Furthermore, road resistance will increase, generating more noise and vibrations than usual.

Excessively misaligned wheels will become clearly visible when you check them. To do so, park with the steering wheel centered and inspect your tires from all angles; if they’re off-center, it’s time for an alignment. You might also notice uneven tire wear. Just as uneven tires can push wheels out of alignment, misaligned wheels also cause tires to wear down unevenly.

The technicians at your local dealership can use a special alignment machine to precisely measure the angles of each wheel. Then, with the guidance of real-time computer data, they’ll make adjustments to the suspension system until each wheel is back in its proper position.

It’s unwise for a driver to go more than two or three years without an alignment. Many drivers opt to have their wheels aligned every time they visit the dealership for an oil change or tire rotation. The more frequently you have an alignment, the smoother and safer your driving should be.

Have your car’s wheels professionally aligned today at DARCARS Lexus of Silver Spring. We’re a local full-service Lexus dealership offering an extensive range of new and pre-owned vehicles along with great customer care.