Check it after the thaw
Freezing nights and mild days are hard on pavement. Water gets into cracks, freezes, expands, and thaws again, and by late winter the roads carry potholes that were not there in the fall.
A single hard pothole strike can knock a wheel out of alignment. The trouble is that the change is often small enough not to notice. The vehicle still drives. It may pull very slightly, or the steering wheel may sit a little off center on a straight road, and most drivers adjust without thinking about it.
Meanwhile the tires are wearing at an angle. By the time the wear is visible on the shoulder of the tread, a good part of the tire's life is already gone.
That makes spring the sensible time to check, once the worst of the potholes have done their work and before a summer of driving on the result.
Signs to watch for
- The steering wheel sits off center when you are driving straight.
- The vehicle drifts toward one side on a level road.
- One shoulder of a front tire is wearing faster than the other.
- A hard pothole hit, followed by any of the above.
What to bring up when you book
Any impact you remember, and when it happened. If new tires are going on, align at the same visit so they start square.
A vibration rather than a pull is more often balance, and tire and wheel balancing is at this store. Clunks and wander point to worn parts, which is suspension repair. The national alignment page covers how the check works.
About this store
The Reno store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Fred Sinfellow.
See the national car and light truck alignment page for all 40 locations.