Summer driving is a popular activity. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, and campers are all sharing the road during the summer as each driver heads off to vacation or recreation. Long drives and hot asphalt can cause a lot of wear and tear on the tires we rely on to keep us firmly on the road. Autobahn Foreign & Domestic Car Repair keeps their friends’, neighbors’, and customers’ tires rolling straight and true with expert tire alignment services in Yorktown Heights. Autobahn knows their superior service and their satisfied customers’ positive word of mouth makes them the go-to team for tire alignments in Yorktown Heights and other services like: General auto repairs Transmission repairs State inspections Oil changes Tire alignment New tires Proper tire alignment, or wheel alignment, helps your tires perform as they were designed and keeps them lasting longer, with less uneven wear and tear. A tire alignment by Autobahn may even be the solution to vibrations felt through the steering wheel or pulling of the steering wheel to the right or left-side of the road. A tire alignment adjusts the vehicle’s suspension system (not actually its wheels or tires) to keep all four wheels firmly, evenly, and correctly on the road and performing as expected. A tire alignment may be indicated if you notice: Uneven tire tread wear Pulling to the left or right An off-center steering wheel orientation while driving straight Vibrations felt through the steering column A simple inspection of a tire’s tread can indicate a need for a tire (or wheel) alignment. Some tell-tale signs of uneven or improper tire wear can include: feathering—where the tire tread is smooth on one side and sharp on the other; camber wear—the outside of the tire treads are more worn than the center treads of the tire; and heel/toe wear—when the tire tread wears down more quickly on one side as the tire rotates. Each of these unusual tire tread wear patterns indicates the need for a tire alignment service. Camber, Caster, and Toe A tire alignment service involves three separate measurements of each wheel’s orientation; camber, caster and toe. Camber refers to the angle that the tire/wheel rests at while viewing the vehicle from the direct front or rear. Misaligned or extremely angled wheels, also known as a negative or positive camber, indicate improper alignment and the need for a tire alignment. Caster refers to the axis or pivot point where the tire turns to point left or right. It’s often observed from the side of the vehicle while looking at the wheels. Positive caster means that the axis or pivot point tilts toward the rear of the vehicle. Negative caster means that this centerline tilts toward the front of the vehicle. Toe is a measurement of the angle at which the wheels point toward each other or away from each other when viewed as if above the vehicle (imagine if a car could be pigeon-toed or duck-footed). Either situation requires adjustment to keep the tires and suspension components in good order. Have all your toys ready for summer. Autobahn Foreign and Domestic Auto Repair in Yorktown Heights can have each of your vehicle’s tires aligned and ready to roll into summer fun. Apr 24th, 2016 Ron Guarino, Autobahn Car Repair