Mmm. Did you perhaps hit a hole that you didn't see the other day? Does your car now "pull" to the right or to the left? Or does the steering wheel have too much "play"? You can answer these questions by doing an alignment and convergence check and a road test. Then you can arrange to fix the problem!
Steps
Step 1. Rule out a tire problem
Before checking the wheel alignment, you must be sure that the cause of the steering problems lies not in the tires.
- Check the pressure of all four tires and inflate them if necessary. You can find the recommended pressure level on the label affixed to the inside of the driver's side door.
- Check that the tread and wheel size are the same on all 4 tires. You shouldn't have the normal ones on one side and the winter ones on the other. This or any other combination can cause road holding problems.
- Check for oddly worn or damaged tires. Check them in all their parts. Are they symmetrical and circular? Are there any missing pieces of the tread? Carefully run your hand over the entire surface of the tire to feel if there are any deformities or bulges that indicate that the tread is peeling off the steel layer.
Step 2. Check the anterior-posterior alignment
There are several things to consider in rear-wheel drive cars. You can check for severe misalignments with a tape measure and 60cm spirit level. Here's what to do:
- Toe-in: the front of each tire, when in a straight position, points slightly towards the inside of the vehicle. This gives you an advantage when cornering because traction is the same on each tire, but if the angle is excessive, the OUTSIDE of the tread wears out too quickly. Measure the distance of the front and rear tires from the car's midline to understand how much convergence they have.
- Caster. This is the angle that forms at the midline of the car with the front and rear of each tire. To check this angle it is best to go to a tire dealer who has all the necessary tools; but unless the ball joints, arm bushings and pins are badly damaged, this is a parameter that does not vary much.
- Camber. This is the angle at the vertex of the center line of the tire perpendicular to the cross section of the car. You have to park the car on a flat surface and with a 60 cm mason's level check if the tires are plumb.
Step 3. Take a road test
Choose a flat, level road with smooth asphalt and perform the following tests.
- Loosen your grip on the steering enough to let the car go "by itself". Choose a day without wind and rain. You will need to align if the machine tends to the right or left.
- Check for the noise coming from the rear and front wheels. Drive slowly to feel any scratches, groans or friction that could indicate excessive tire friction on the road or other problems.
- Ask someone to follow you at a moderate speed, so that they can observe the front-rear alignment of the tires. If the front tires do not travel the same path as the rear ones, you may have a bent frame.
- It zigzags through an empty parking lot while someone looks at the tires. If you notice an abnormal position of the tires or unusual noises, there may be problems.
Step 4. Check if the tires wear unnaturally
You may have an alignment problem if the inside or outside of the front tires is particularly worn. Other causes could be:
- Worn struts or deteriorated shock absorbers can cause the tires to rebound while driving creating wear on the tread.
- Damaged or loose bearings can cause the tires to tilt, since they are the components that ensure the fixing of the tires in their position on the spindle of the vehicle.
- Worn link ends, ball joints, upper and lower control arm bushings, or other damaged steering components.
- A bad steering pinion or power steering.
- Bad driving habits, such as cornering at high speed, braking sharply or zigzagging, can be the cause of rapid or abnormal wear of the entire set of tires.
Step 5. Have the front-to-back alignment checked and repeat the driving tests to make sure everything is resolved
Step 6. Finished
Advice
- A good time to check for abnormalities in your tires is when you inflate them and then spin them.
- Alignment problems are by no means uncommon and you don't need great mechanic skills to diagnose them. However, it is important that you rely on a professional tire repairer to troubleshoot, as they have the right tools at their disposal to get your vehicle back in perfect condition.
- Always charge the car in a balanced manner. Heavy objects on one side of the car can cause more stress on the suspension, leading to problems unrelated to the steering system.
Warnings
- Be careful when running your hand over the edge of the eraser. If the tread is coming off, there may be uncovered steel staples that can injure you.
- Maintain complete control of the vehicle when you do road tests to understand if the car "pulls" to the right or left.
