3 Less-Obvious Signs That Your Truck Needs Wheel Alignment
When is the right time to have your truck checked for a wheel alignment? This question bugs many truck owners. Others who do not have the slightest idea regarding wheel alignment do not even bother until it is too late. Wheel alignment is essential for proper handling of a truck and the safety of a driver. Some obvious signs indicate that your truck needs a wheel alignment, but these should not be your primary focus. However, you should be more concerned about the subtle signs, as highlighted in this article.
First-Time Off-Roading
Trucks are designed to perform well on off-road tracks, primarily because of their robust suspension system. However, most trucks come out of a manufacturing plant with stock suspensions that can only handle so much shock. While shock suspensions are enough for relatively rough roads, they are not the best choice for off-road terrain. Therefore, if you decide to take your truck off-road for the first time with stock suspensions, you have to check for wheel alignment immediately afterwards. It is because misalignment chances are quite high if a truck's suspension system cannot take what a terrain throws at it.
Extended Overloading
While trucks can carry heavy loads, they have a limit. However, that does not stop truck owners from overloading the vehicles. That said, there is nothing wrong with overloading your truck occasionally as long as you keep the trips short. Therefore, if you realise you have been overloading your truck frequently, then it is time to check for wheel misalignment. The reason is that overloading your truck forces the bed to sag at the centre, thereby damaging the leaf springs. Besides, it forces the tyres to bulge out, thus causing tire misalignment and the potential of a serious accident. Therefore, take your truck for wheel alignment inspection every time you overload it.
Persistent Uneven Tire Pressure
All tires are supposed to have even pressure to ensure drivability. However, some tires tend to lose pressure faster than others for various reasons, but this can be corrected by filling the tires. However, wheel alignment is affected if one or two tires are persistently losing pressure. It is particularly more challenging if you do not discover the problem in good time. Therefore, if you find that you are continually refilling one tire with pressure, then you should inspect the truck for wheel misalignment as soon as possible.
Contact a mechanic that offers truck wheel alignment services to learn more.
