Are you fighting with your steering wheel to get your vehicle to drive straight rather than drifting from side to side? This a common problem that drivers can experience and this symptom can indicate a number of things. Let's look at what makes the wheels pull to the right or left, and how this issue can be fixed by one of our professionals.
Vehicles that experience this drift often have bad wheel alignment, which is a simple maintenance item that can be taken care of. In some cases, the tires, suspension system, or a steering prroblem can also be the source of the issue. Here are some of the potential causes and how to deal with this annoying driving issue:
Tire Maintenance
Underinflated tires can cause them to have increased rolling resistance which can affect the ride quality. This makes the vehicle tend to move moreso to one side, which is why keeping an eye on your vehicle's tire pressure is important, among other reasons.
Also, over time there is always wear and tear to the car tires. The wear and tear can be caused by unbalanced tires, low air pressure, bad suspension components, and more. Unaligned wheels can also cause tire wear, which is a result of driving through potholes, slumming on the breaks, and off-road conditions.
Here are some of the signs that your tires are causing your pulling issues:
- One side pull
- Vibrations in the wheel and seat
- Cupping that is uneven tire wear.
- A slight humming noise from the tire
- Extreme shaking at speeds of 60 km/h and more
Be sure that your tires are well-maintained, balanced, and regularly rotated to avoid these issues. All you need to do is bring your car into our mechanics for assistance!
Wheel Alignment
Alignment relates to the suspension of the vehicle which is the system that joins the wheels to the chassis of the car. A proper alignment deals with adjusting the tire angles and how they get into contact with the ground. The network of components must work with all four tires at the same speed and direction. Wheels typically need to be realigned every 60,000 miles or so, and can be forced out of aligned by a number of occurences such as hitting potholes, road debris, driving over curbs, and more.
Symptoms that can indicate you need a wheel alignment include:
- Car pulls either left or right
- Off-center steering wheel when driving straight
- Vibrating steering wheel
- Vehicle following grooves on the road
- Bumpy ride even on smooth roads
If you're fighting with your steering wheel for control, don't stress! If you need help resolving this issue, our professionals can help. If you need a repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!