Maintaining your Honda involves more than just oil changes and brake checks, vital though they are. One critical element that's easily overlooked is wheel alignment. Proper alignment ensures your vehicle's wheels are set to the optimum angles specified by Honda, enhancing performance, safety, and lifespan. Of course, your local Honda dealership is happy to perform this service for you.
What Does Alignment Involve?
When aligning wheels, a Honda technician looks at three primary angles: camber, toe, and caster. Camber refers to the angle of the wheel face relative to a 90-degree line-up from the ground, so it's critical if tires are to make optimum contact with the road. Toe relates to the alignment of wheels relative to the centerline of a vehicle. Caster refers to the angle between the steering axis and a vertical line passing through the center of the wheel.
Wheel-alignment properties help define the driving traits of the vehicle, so the aim of alignment isn't identical in every case. It returns the car to its original factory specifications, or within acceptable tolerances, catering to the type of vehicle it is and its characteristics. Most vehicles have positive caster, for instance, with the steering axis tilted toward the driver, but the degree of positive caster influences handling and straight-line stability.
Improved Safety
A vital benefit of proper alignment is the maintenance of safety. Misaligned wheels may cause your Honda to pull to one side, resulting in difficulty steering straight and maintaining control, especially at high speeds, in adverse weather conditions, or under heavy braking. Proper alignment ensures your vehicle remains stable and predictable, thereby reducing the risk of accidents.
Tire Longevity
Misaligned wheels can cause tires to wear unevenly, causing you undue expense when you're forced to replace them prematurely. That being said, many modern cars have some mild "negative camber" by default, with wheels pointed slightly inward. This improves traction during cornering.
Prolonged Suspension Life
Misaligned wheels place extra stress on suspension components such as ball joints and bearings, tie rods, control arms, struts, shock absorbers, bushings, and mounts. The uneven wheels can accelerate wear and even cause important parts to fail.
Preserve Fuel Efficiency
Misaligned wheels cause increased rolling resistance, leading to higher fuel or energy consumption as the car has to work harder at any given speed. This also makes your car inherently less eco-friendly, regardless of type.
Have Alignment Checked at Your Honda Dealership
It's generally recommended to have alignment checked once a year or every 10,000 miles. Alternatively, ask your Honda dealer to check it if you notice uneven tire wear or steering that pulls to one side.
Contact Stirling Honda in Longview, WA, and let one of our expert technicians look over your Honda's wheels.
