When your GMC is new, its wheel alignment is perfect. This can change over time, for example, due to hitting a pothole, bumping the curb, or worn suspension components. As your GMC dealership, we want to give you some signs that you need to visit us for an alignment service.
3 Signs You Need an Alignment Service at Your GMC Dealership
Pulling to One Side
One of the most common signs of an alignment problem is if your wheels pull to the left or right when you’re driving. When the issue first appears, it feels like a small nudge in one direction. As time passes, alignment will become more out of whack, and keeping your vehicle moving in a straight line can become difficult.
The angle of your wheels is determined during your GMC’s design phase to provide the best possible performance. All four wheels must have the same angle for your vehicle to drive straight. If one angle is different from the others, it automatically causes your GMC to turn in that direction. Pulling to one side not only gives you less control over your vehicle, but it also affects braking, and this can cause an accident.
Uneven Tire Wear
Alignment is determined by three angles: camber, caster, and toe. Camber is the angle of a tire viewed from the front, so wheels may turn inward, outward, or be perpendicular to the road surface. Caster is the angle of a wheel viewed from the side, and it’s determined by whether the wheel’s steering axis points forward or backward. Toe is the angle of a tire viewed from above, and it can angle inward or outward.
Strange wear patterns on your tires can show the type of alignment problem. Feathering, for example, appears as a smooth edge on one side of the tread blocks and a sharp edge on the other side, and is due to an incorrect toe angle. A camber problem, on the other hand, appears as excessive wear on the inner or outer edges of the tread.
A Rough Ride
If you’re experiencing vibrations while driving, your wheel alignment may be incorrect. When two of your wheel points are in opposite directions due to an alignment issue, your GMC is effectively being pulled in two directions. This increases excessive damage to the tread sections in contact with the surface and produces vibrations.
We’ll need to investigate, as vibrations could also be caused by worn wheel rotors or incorrect tire balance. Depending on the cause of the problem, we’ll correct it by correctly aligning your wheels, rebalancing the affected tires, or repairing or replacing the damaged rotors.
Contact our service department today at Buick GMC of Beaverton in Portland, OR.
