Has Your Truck Wheel Alignment Gone Awry? Here's How to Tell -- and What You Can Do!

Automotive Blog

Wondering how to tell if your truck wheel alignment is off -- and if so, what you can do to fix it? There are several signs of poor truck wheel alignment to watch for, all of which are listed below. You'll even learn a few tricks to improve the truck alignment before you take it in for servicing!

The Signs That Your Truck Wheel Alignment Has Gone Awry 

There are some signs that clearly indicate your truck wheel alignment has gone awry, including all of the following. 

• Does your truck naturally tend to gravitate to either the left or the right side of the road?
• Have you noticed uneven wear on your tyres?
• Have your tyres worn down faster than usual?
• Is your steering wheel crooked, even whilst driving straight ahead?
• Do your tyres squeal more than usual?

Whilst these issues could also be connected to other problems, the odds are high that your truck has alignment issues, especially if you've noticed more than one of these issues. It's best to see a truck wheel alignment specialist as soon as possible. However, there are also a few things you can do beforehand that might help correct the alignment. 

What You Can do to Fix Truck Wheel Alignment?

Whilst truck wheel alignment is something best handled by the professionals, there are some things you can do to alleviate at least some of the alignment problems before you take your truck in for servicing. These include: 

• Remove the junk from the truck: you might be surprised at just how much can accumulate in your truck. In most cases, a truck bed essentially functions as a boot -- which means that it's often full of heavy things like sporting equipment, auto supplies, and nearly anything else that you've forgotten to remove. Taking these items out of the truck can greatly lighten the load, which might help restore proper wheel alignment.
• Check your air pressure: if you haven't checked your tyre air pressure in some time, this is the ideal time to do so. If your tyres aren't inflated to the manufacturer's standards, the chances are high that your alignment has been negatively affected. Correcting the tyre pressure might restore alignment, especially if the problem hasn't been present for very long. 
• Change your driving habits: this one might be difficult -- but it's well worth the effort, now and in the long term. If you're an erratic driver, or if you tend to speed, driving more carefully and slowly can be beneficial in a couple of ways. Fast or erratic driving means that you have to respond quickly whilst on the road, placing extra pressure on your truck steering and suspension. Less strain on the steering and suspension can equal improved alignment. 

If you've noticed signs of truck wheel alignment problems, it's best to take your truck in for servicing promptly, in addition to putting the tips above into practise. Keeping a close watch on your truck alignment now might just save you money and frustration in the long term! 

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4 December 2017