After a hard hit, check before the tires tell you
A loaded truck that drops a wheel into a deep pothole, clips a curb on a tight turn, or runs over debris it could not avoid takes a large force through the steering and axles in a fraction of a second. Sometimes nothing moves. Sometimes a tie rod bends slightly, a spring shifts on its seat, or an axle is pushed out of square.
The trouble is that a small change is easy to miss. The truck still drives. The driver may notice the steering wheel sitting a little off center and adjust without thinking about it. The evidence arrives weeks later, on the steer tires, by which time a set has lost a good part of its life.
A simple rule for the fleet
Any impact a driver describes as hard is a reason to check alignment soon, not at the next scheduled visit. Make it easy to report:
- Ask drivers to note impacts on their log or by text the same day.
- Ask them specifically about the steering wheel position on a straight road afterwards.
- Treat a new pull or a changed steering feel after an impact as a reason to book.
A check after a known event costs far less than the tires it protects, and it often finds a bent part that needs replacing anyway.
What else to look at
A hard hit can also damage the wheel or the tire itself, so have both looked at during the same visit. Wheel refurbishing is here for a wheel that is damaged but sound, and trailer alignment for a trailer that took the same hit. The national heavy-duty truck alignment page covers what the measurement includes.
Other stores nearby
Joplin aligns trucks to the west, and Kansas City to the northwest.
About this store
The Springfield store runs nineteen services and is managed by Steve Richardson.
See the national heavy-duty truck alignment page for all 40 locations.