Wheel Alignments are much different today!

Wheel alignment is an important aspect of vehicle maintenance that ensures your tires are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. When your wheels are correctly aligned, your car will drive straight and true, and your tires will wear evenly, which can save you money on replacements. Oftentimes, vehicles equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) will require special procedures to ensure that the active safety systems are prepared to carry out the tasks they were engineered to perform. 

Reasons for Wheel Alignment

Proper wheel alignment is essential for several reasons:

1. Improved Safety: Misaligned wheels can make your car pull to one side, making it harder to control and increasing the risk of accidents.
2. Increased Fuel Efficiency: When your wheels are properly aligned, your car will require less energy to move, which can improve your fuel economy and save you money at the pump.
3. Extended Tire Life: Uneven tire wear is one of the most obvious signs of misaligned wheels. When your wheels are correctly aligned, your tires will wear evenly, which can save you money on replacements.
4. Smoother Ride: Properly aligned wheels will provide a smoother ride by reducing vibrations and road noise.
5. Reduced Wear and Tear on Suspension: Misaligned wheels can put extra stress on the suspension, which can cause it to wear out more quickly.

It is recommended to have your wheels aligned every 12,000 to 15,000 miles or at least once a year, or whenever you notice any unusual tire wear or handling problems. It is also a good idea to have your alignment checked whenever you have new tires installed or if you hit a pothole or curb.

Radar Calibration

Oftentimes not only does the camera systems require recalibration but so goes it with Radar sensors. Sensors supporting active safety systems such as Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) and other driving support systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) typically need a special procedure carried out on the vehicle so the systems can perform optimally. This image shows one step of the radar sensor calibration before software processes can take place. 

Abnormal tire wear

As mentioned earlier, uneven tire wear is one of the most obvious signs of misaligned wheels. When your wheels are correctly aligned, your tires will wear evenly, which can save you money on replacements.