Driving a vehicle in Southeastern Virginia can put a lot of wear and tear on a vehicle, especially with rough roadways due to potholes and construction. Wheel alignment is a common problem in the area, and one reason people need automotive services in Chesapeake.

Wheel alignment is one of the important aspects of standard automobile maintenance and it is important for the health of the car or a truck. All of the elements that make a car go straight are together called alignment. All four wheels of a vehicle should be close to 90 degrees to the ground. When the vehicle starts pulling to one side, it is most likely that the wheels are out of alignment. Irregular tire wear, vibration and odd handling are some other reasons.

Most people prefer to leave wheel balancing to the professionals. It is all about altering the position of the wheels as per the car maker's specifications. This is something that a Chesapeake auto body shop can do when the vehicle owner is not comfortable with doing it by themselves. The desired result of these adjustments is to minimize tire wear, and to ensure safety by making sure that the vehicle is traveling straight and true. Angles can also be adjusted to be beyond the maker's specifications in order to obtain a particular handling characteristic. Motorsport and off-road applications may ask for angles to be altered well beyond regular angles for a variety of reasons.

Suspension components are carefully set to be at calculated locations. Wheel alignment is a very simple and straightforward affair for Chesapeake auto shops that are comfortable and competent with alignment services. Wheel alignment normally involves three main measurements; caster, camber and toe. These three measurements have to be maintained at their manufacturer’s standards. In other words, these have to be maintained as close as they can be to the right measurement.

Most of the modern cars have adjustments for toe only, so a qualified auto mechanic will need to look at other problems. The most obvious symptom for a toe problem is a saw-tooth-like wearing on both front tires.

Wheel alignment is important for maximizing tire life and to keep a vehicle that should go straight when moving on a straight and level road. A vehicle can lose its alignment by going over bumps and through potholes and dips. Regular travel and vibration over grating or railroad tracks is also known to cause loss of alignment. Another factor is inconsistent tire pressure or improper tire mounting. Running an incompatible spare or one odd-type tire to the cars other three tires can also cause problems with alignment.