Spring is in the air- carrying on its breeze the promise of new beginnings, blooming flowers, refreshing rainfalls and hot, lazy summer days.
Of course, it isn't all leafy shrubs and fuzzy bunnies. First, it smells like melted dog-business. Second, spring brings with it the temperature changes and fluctuating precipitation that can leave expanses of roadway reduced to rubble.
Tis the season, alright. The season for frost heaves, cracked wheel rims and high-speed pothole dodging. Some drivers make a game of it, while others navigate road-craters at a crawling pace, slowing up traffic.
Some are even reminded of Guitar Hero- with an assortment of shapes streaming towards them between the edges of the hood. Maybe the video game folks should consider a title called Pothole Hero. It'd probably sell for less than the suspension damage likely to be caused by the real thing.
What's one of the main problems with potholes? They chew up and knock around your vehicle's suspension- resulting in damage and alignment issues.
Your vehicle leaves the factory with its steering and suspension components precisely 'aligned' to keep the wheels oriented in a very specific manner to the road- and to one another. This setup lays the foundation for vehicle handling and response in a variety of situations like cruising, steering, accelerating and braking. Nail a gorge in the roads surface, and that alignment could be thrown off- sometimes considerably.
Does your car try and steer itself, even when you want it to go straight? Have you noticed abnormal or accelerated tire wear? Does your steering vibrate or shimmy about, especially on bumps? Swear your vehicle has been acting funny since you whacked that teeth-rattling, coffee-spilling crater?
If you've answered yes to any of the above, chances are your alignment is out to lunch and will need some attention.
Don't worry, though.
It's a relatively inexpensive and painless procedure, sort of the automotive equivalent of a visit to the chiropractor.
You can check whether your vehicle is in need of an alignment in a matter of minutes on your own- no tools required. If your ride is properly aligned, its tires should wear evenly across. Any sign of uneven wear across the tread of a tire usually indicates a problem.
Of course, it isn't all leafy shrubs and fuzzy bunnies. First, it smells like melted dog-business. Second, spring brings with it the temperature changes and fluctuating precipitation that can leave expanses of roadway reduced to rubble.
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Tis the season, alright. The season for frost heaves, cracked wheel rims and high-speed pothole dodging. Some drivers make a game of it, while others navigate road-craters at a crawling pace, slowing up traffic.
Some are even reminded of Guitar Hero- with an assortment of shapes streaming towards them between the edges of the hood. Maybe the video game folks should consider a title called Pothole Hero. It'd probably sell for less than the suspension damage likely to be caused by the real thing.
What's one of the main problems with potholes? They chew up and knock around your vehicle's suspension- resulting in damage and alignment issues.
Your vehicle leaves the factory with its steering and suspension components precisely 'aligned' to keep the wheels oriented in a very specific manner to the road- and to one another. This setup lays the foundation for vehicle handling and response in a variety of situations like cruising, steering, accelerating and braking. Nail a gorge in the roads surface, and that alignment could be thrown off- sometimes considerably.
Does your car try and steer itself, even when you want it to go straight? Have you noticed abnormal or accelerated tire wear? Does your steering vibrate or shimmy about, especially on bumps? Swear your vehicle has been acting funny since you whacked that teeth-rattling, coffee-spilling crater?
If you've answered yes to any of the above, chances are your alignment is out to lunch and will need some attention.
Don't worry, though.
It's a relatively inexpensive and painless procedure, sort of the automotive equivalent of a visit to the chiropractor.
You can check whether your vehicle is in need of an alignment in a matter of minutes on your own- no tools required. If your ride is properly aligned, its tires should wear evenly across. Any sign of uneven wear across the tread of a tire usually indicates a problem.
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