Wheel Alignment Auckland – Wheel Alignment Service
Having a wheel alignment is one of the most essential services your vehicle needs. It keeps you safe, helps you save on fuel, and improves the suspension and performance of your vehicle.
What exactly is a wheel alignment?
A wheel alignment ensures your wheels are aligned correctly – lined up straight and not angled to one side. If your wheels are not aligned properly, we will correct that for you. We do this by hoisting your car up, adjusting and rotating the tyres as needed, and modifying any other components that affect the alignment of your wheels.
At Roskill Auto Mechanical, our Wheel Alignment service also includes a full Toe Adjustment, and Camber & Caster adjustment. Toe, camber and caster all relate to the way your tyres tilt inward or outward, forward or backward. If it’s appropriate for your vehicle, we’ll reset the steering angle sensor that measures your steering wheel’s position and wheel angle as you drive.
The experienced team at Roskill Auto Mechanical uses state-of-the-art equipment and technology to diagnose, assess and repair. We are experienced in looking, after all, makes and models of vehicles, including European and luxury brands.
At Roskill Auto Mechanical, we offer a professional Wheel Alignment for just $90, including GST. Contact us online or call us on 09 242 1870 to book an appointment.
How do you know if your vehicle needs a wheel alignment?
Your vehicle pulls or drifts to one side
If your vehicle pulls to one side, the most obvious sign that your wheels are not aligned properly. One way to detect this is to slightly lift your hands off the steering wheel for two to three seconds when you’re driving along a flat, straight stretch of road at a medium speed. Keep your hands hovering a centimetre off the steering wheel, and only do this when there are no other cars around and it is safe to do so. It’s best to do this in an empty parking lot.
If the car starts to move to the left or right when your hands are not on the wheel (i.e. the car doesn’t drive in a straight line on its own), your wheel alignment may be off. There’s no reason for your car to turn left or right on its own if you’re on level ground.
Your tyres wear unevenly
You may be able to spot this yourself. When your car is parked, have a look at the tyres from the front of the vehicle and then from the back of the vehicle. Does it look like the tyres are worn out more on the left or right side? If so, your car may be pulling to the left or right slightly without you noticing it.
Does it look like one or two of your tyres are wearing out faster than the other tyres? Is there less tread on one or two of the tyres than the others? If so, this may be an indication that your wheels are not aligned.
If you can’t spot any of these differences yourself, ask your mechanic to have a look. Often they can tell just by looking at a set of tyres whether the vehicle’s wheel alignment or steering is faulty.
Your steering wheel judders or vibrates
You shouldn’t feel any shaking, juddering or vibrating through the steering wheel when you’re driving. The steering wheel should feel still and smooth under your hands. If it’s not, this may be a sign that something is amiss with your wheel alignment. Give us a call, and we can book a convenient time for you to check this out.
Your steering wheel is off centre
We don’t usually pay attention to whether our steering wheel is lined up and centred perfectly, but it’s a good check to do from time to time. Next time you are driving along a straight section of road, glance down and take note of how the steering wheel looks. Is the logo in the centre of the wheel right side up and straight? Or is it slightly angled to the left or right? If it’s not centred, there may be issues with how your steering system and wheels are aligned.
Your tyres squeal
If you have a wheel alignment problem, you may hear a squealing sound from your tyres as you accelerate or as you turn. This is caused by friction that isn’t right. Your tyres are rubbing (against the ground or against another part of the car) in a way they aren’t meant to.
Your steering is very loose
What we mean here is that you can position your hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel and move the wheel to the left or right a few centimetres without having any effect on your steering. You can effectively steer your car slightly left or right, and the car doesn’t react. This isn’t a good thing. This tells us that your car’s steering isn’t as responsive as it should be and may have problems with its steering or wheel alignment. We strongly suggest you give us a call and have this looked at right away to prevent an accident.
Checking the condition of your tyres
Other than having a wheel alignment done, we also recommend having your tyres checked regularly. This may be every six months or every 8000 kms for an “average” driver.
At Roskill Auto Mechanical, we offer a comprehensive Car Tyre Care Package for $165, including GST. This comprehensive tyre check and replacement service helps you drive safely on the road.
Before recommending a tyre change, we’ll assess your current tyres for safety and compliance. For your WOF, the current requirement for tyre tread depth is a minimum of 1.5mm. We strongly advise that you have an experienced auto mechanic check this for you. Driving on worn or old tyres can be a serious safety risk.
We’ll also adjust the tyre pressure as needed, balance all four wheels, rotate the tyres if needed, and provide a final Wheel Alignment report.
Why is a wheel alignment important?
In short, proper wheel alignment keeps you safe and keeps your vehicle working most efficiently.
We like to compare it to an injury with the human body. You may have heard of something called referred pain. If you injure your back and don’t do anything about it, you’ll likely end up having hip pain or knee pain. This is because the injury or damage done to one part of your body affects how the rest of you functions. You overcompensate for the back injury by walking with a limp or not standing or sitting correctly, which has a flow-on effect on other parts.
The same is true for your vehicle. If you continue to drive with poor or improper wheel alignment, you’ll likely experience damage or unnecessary wear and tear on other parts of the vehicle. Ignoring the initial problem will lead to other potentially dangerous and more expensive issues.
If you experience any of the signs above – your vehicle pulling to one side, your steering wheel vibrating, etc. – please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Contact us online or call us on 09 242 1870.
