A low-speed curb strike can still move the alignment
Most people connect alignment problems with a hard pothole at speed. In town, a more common cause happens at almost walking pace: the front wheel rolling into a curb while parking, turning a tight corner, or pulling out of a narrow space.
It does not feel like much. There is a bump, maybe a scrape, and the car carries on. The force, though, goes straight into the steering and suspension parts on that corner, sideways, which is the direction they are least built to take. A tie rod can bend slightly. A control arm can shift. Nothing looks wrong.
What follows is gradual. The steering wheel sits a few degrees off when you drive straight. The vehicle drifts a little. The inside or outside edge of one front tire starts wearing faster than the rest of the tread. By the time any of that is obvious, the tire has already paid for it.
When to book after a curb strike
- The steering wheel is no longer centered on a straight road.
- The vehicle now pulls or drifts where it did not before.
- A scuff on the wheel or tire sidewall on the corner that hit.
- One front tire wearing on an edge.
If you hit something hard enough to remember, it is worth a check even if the car feels fine.
Vans and work pickups
A business vehicle that parks against curbs all day, backs into tight spots at customer sites and runs a route of tight turns collects small knocks steadily. Checking alignment whenever new tires go on is a simple way to make sure none of those knocks is quietly wearing the replacements.
Vibration rather than pull is usually tire and wheel balancing. Clunks and loose steering point to suspension repair. Both are here. The national alignment page covers what the check involves.
About this store
The Owensboro store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Paul Wilson.
See the national car and light truck alignment page for all 40 locations.