Your suspension and steering alignment is designed to provide your truck with pristine handling and maneuvering abilities. However, if this alignment is off by even a fraction of an inch, your ability to control your truck will be significantly reduced. To put this into perspective, let’s visualize your truck’s camber angle. Camber refers to the upright position of your wheels, perpendicular to the ground. If this angle is off, whether it be negative or positive camber, your vehicle is at a higher risk of rolling when you turn. Other angles like your toe angle can impact your steering as the toe refers to the angle at which your wheels are pointing. For perspective, they should both be pointing and rolling in the same direction!
Another common symptom of misalignment is premature component wear. Whether it be your tire tread, your bushings, or even major components like your axle shafts, misalignment can affect them all. Why is this, you may ask? Well, when your truck isn’t properly aligned you’re forcing components to work at odd angles. Manufacturers design and test their components based on very specific angle specifications. Operating outside of these specifications leads to premature component wear.
This is by far the easiest symptom to notice. If you let go of your steering wheel on a straight road, does your truck turn to one side? If so, you likely have a misaligned camber or toe angle. We highly recommend bringing your truck in for service. Fleet Services Group offers front-end, two-axle, and three-axle alignments for trucks, as well as an all-encompassing set of trailer alignment services.
To learn more about our truck and trailer alignment services, call us at Fleet Services Group today!