When is wheel alignment necessary?

The process leading to wheel misalignment happens silently, over a long period of time, so most car owners do not pay attention and fully realize its potential dangers.

According to expert Vuong Ha, Hunter Auto Tire Center (Cau Giay District, Hanoi), a car is only considered safe when the wheel system ensures support for the entire body of the car, optimizes road grip, creates a smooth feeling when driving as well as ensures durability for details such as tie rods, rubber, hub bearings, and minimizes tire wear...

In actual use, after the vehicle has been running for a long time, due to natural mechanical wear of the steering system mechanisms (tie rods, shock absorbers, A-arms, etc.), the wheel positioning angles will deviate from the manufacturer's standards. Technical errors related to the wheel positioning angle are generally called "wheel camber".

At this time, the wheels will not move in the same direction, the tires will gradually wear unevenly because of being dragged while turning, the steering wheel will be crooked when the car is running straight. When the car enters a corner, the road is bumpy, the two wheels will be pushed in the same direction, leading to the phenomenon of steering wheel snatching. When adding the factor of bad roads, the tire wear process will also occur faster, unevenly, the wheel will have a conical shape.

This error process occurs silently, and is very difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. Currently, the deviation angles can be divided into Camber angle (angle of inclination of the wheel plane compared to the vertical direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle), Caster angle (angle of inclination of the steering axis compared to the vertical direction when viewed from the vehicle next to the vehicle), Toe-in (wheel toe-in), SAI (Sterring Axis Inclination - tilt of the steering column), Thrust Angle (angle of deviation between the vehicle's center axis and the direction of movement of the rear axle).

The process of bringing the vehicle's parameters back to the manufacturer's standards is called the 4-wheel alignment method. Previously, due to the lack of technical skills and machinery, users could experience a situation where they brought their vehicles to the warranty center and experienced a "healthy pig becoming a lame pig" or could not feel the obvious difference before and after the alignment.

Incorrect wheel alignment angles arise during vehicle use.

According to Mr. Ha, nowadays, with the development of science and technology and modern machinery systems from reputable centers, measuring and aligning the vehicle's angle has become more accurate and effective. Customers driving on the highway can clearly feel it, without getting tired hands, and the tire's lifespan has also improved significantly.

In some cases, after performing the toe alignment but the vehicle still experiences vibration and steering wobble, according to experts, it is likely due to a dynamic balance error. Accordingly, when the vehicle has traveled a certain distance, the tire must be replaced but the user simply installs another tire without performing wheel alignment to achieve balance according to the manufacturer's specifications or during use on the highway, bumpy, rough roads will cause tire deformation, no longer achieving balance at all points. This is a fairly common cause but not everyone knows how to diagnose their vehicle.

Therefore, when customers bring their vehicles to reputable repair centers, technicians often check both the wheel alignment angle and dynamic balance using specialized equipment. Based on the parameters of weight, horizontal force, vertical force, height, and stiffness of each tire that the machine measures and the database from the manufacturer, the machine will provide appropriate solutions so that the vehicle can go straightest and vibrate least. When necessary, to achieve optimal balance, the machine will weigh and add lead edges inside the tire. Regarding this part, if the machine is not really accurate, the vehicle's dynamic balance error will be even more serious.

Therefore, before deciding to "take action", customers need to consult with truly reputable sources with the latest technology to entrust their car to avoid the situation of "losing money and getting sick".

According to VNN