Front-End Alignment Inspection and Adjustment – Great Falls Honda, MT
The wheels and suspension of your Honda do a great job of withstanding tremendous forces as the vehicle starts, stops, turns, and handles bumps and dips in the road. Just as with any mechanical device, however, over time the loads it takes will eventually move the many components out of their proper alignment and balance. That either means your tires aren’t pointed in exactly the direction your Honda is going, or the tires are tilted in at the top and out at the bottom, or vice-versa, or both the angle and tilt are skewed. Any of those kinds of misalignments will negatively impact your vehicle’s handling, increase the rate of tire wear, and decrease your fuel economy.
While small differences may not seem like much, they get worse over time… exponentially. The farther one or more wheels move out of their proper alignment, the more stress is placed on the various components of your suspension and steering systems. And of course, the more parts that are damaged and the more damaged they are, the higher the repair bill will be. So it pays to catch a front-end misalignment as soon as possible.
Symptoms of a Misaligned Suspension
When your front wheels are slightly misaligned, it’s nearly impossible to be able to see it just by looking at them. The factory trained and certified technicians of the Service Department at Great Falls Honda in Great Falls, MT can use their expertise and our state-of the art equipment to detect and correct even the slightest of variations from the factory specifications. But in case you’ve been driving on particularly rough terrain, or you’ve fallen a bit behind on your regular inspections, here are some things to look out for, which might signal trouble in your front-end alignment.
- - Drifting to one side. When you’re driving on a straight and level road, your car should continue in a straight line when you let go of the steering wheel; keeping your hands just above it, of course. If the car drifts to one side or the other, your alignment is probably askew.
- - Uneven tire wear. You should check your tires often, to see how much they have worn down. If you see that one side of the tread on your front tires is more worn than the other side, it’s usually because your wheels are misaligned. Be aware that the heavily worn side might be toward the center of the car, so be sure you see both sides of each tire. If you see several small hair-like wires protruding from any of your tires, replace those tires immediately.
- - Steering wheel vibration. If your steering wheel vibrates and/or shudders from side to side, especially at higher speeds, your alignment might be the culprit.
- - Squealing tires when turning. If you’re making a low-speed turn on asphalt and your tires still squeal as though they’re skidding, that’s usually caused by either a malfunctioning differential or misaligned wheels.
- - Crooked steering wheel. Only a severe misalignment of your wheels will cause your steering wheel to be angled to one side while you’re driving straight. You should bring your Honda to have its alignment checked as soon as possible.
Where to Bring Your Honda
To Great Falls Honda in Great Falls, Montana, of course! We serve the residents of Great Falls, Helena, and other nearby communities with pride and a commitment to excellence. To schedule an appointment with our top-notch Service Department, you can either use the Schedule Service page here on our website, give us a call, or just come see us in person at 4900 10th Avenue S. in Great Falls, MT during our regular business hours. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to serve you!
