Parts of a Car That Should Be Aligned or Inspected Yearly
Here we explain the car components that need yearly inspection and alignment services, with tips on spotting warning signs that something’s wrong.
As a vehicle owner, you need to know that regular inspections keeps your car’s safe and optimizes its performance and longevity. These can be done through annual checks of important components like wheel alignment, suspension, steering, and brakes, and all can prevent costly repairs down the road.
Inspections help decrease wear and tear too and improve handling, fuel efficiency and safety.
Wheel Alignment
Wheel alignment adjustments are meant to ensure that all four wheels are properly aligned with each other while driving. When wheels are not aligned properly, it can cause uneven tire wear, pulling, and an obvious reduction in fuel efficiency. Make sure your wheels are always aligned.
Signs Your Wheels Need Alignment
There are several indicators that wheel alignment may be necessary.
- If you notice your vehicle pulling to one side,
- uneven tire wear, or
- a crooked steering wheel,
Wheel misalignment strains the suspension and steering systems too and leads to faster wear. Annual alignment helps keep your vehicle safer and extends the lifespan of multiple components. If you experience any of the above, it’s time for a wheel alignment check because addressing these issues early, prevents further wear on the tires and the steering system.
Suspension System Components
Your vehicle’s suspension system also affects driving comfort and stability. When the suspension goes, a lot of other problems start coming up.
Key parts of the suspension system like shocks, struts, and bushings should be checked once a year to make sure no issues have started and that they function properly while supporting a smooth, balanced drive.
How Shock Absorbers and Struts Work
Shock absorbers and struts control the motion of your vehicle over bumps and dips. When worn, they can make the vehicle feel bouncy or unstable, increasing wear on tires and other suspension parts. Replacing them when worn keeps the suspension balanced.
How Bushings and Joints Work
The vehicles bushings and joints connect suspension parts and absorb road shock while driving over bumps etc. In time they can crack or simply wear out, which leads to noise, vibrations, and poor handling. Yearly checks by your mechanic will help identify any wear before it happens and starts affecting other components. Suspension checks also prevent minor repairs from becoming costly and keeps your drive smooth and safe.
The Steering System Check
Probably one of the most important parts of the vehicle is the steering system. The steering system helps your vehicle accurately respond to driver input. All the steering components including the rack, pinion, and tie rods, should be inspected annually for wear or looseness.
How the Rack and Pinions Work
The rack and pinion system translates the steering wheel movement into the turning of the wheels. When you turn your steering wheel left or right, the rack and pinion tells the wheels which way to turn.
This area of a vehicle isn’t usually prone to extreme wear, but if it’s having problems, it can make the steering wheel feel lose and affecting overall handling.
How the Tie Rods and Ball Joints Work
Tie rods and ball joints connect the steering system to the wheels. When these particular parts wear out, it affects steering accuracy and vehicle stability. If needed, checking and replacing these components when they wear out, improves handling and reduces risks of breakdowns.
Overall ensuring the steering system is in top shape helps maintain vehicle control and enhances safety.
The Brakes and Related Components
Your car’s brake performance requires various other parts to work together, including the brake pads, rotors, and calipers. This area of the vehicle will also do well to go through an annual inspection to ensure your vehicle can stop safely and also to prevent costly repairs.
How the Brake Pads and Rotors Work
The brake pads clamp down onto the rotors which creates the friction needed to slow-down and stop your vehicle. The rotors are discs connected to each wheel, and dissipates the heat generated by this braking action. Brake pads and rotors wear down with long-term use and reduce braking strength.
Checking the condition of these parts yearly helps prevent brake failure and keeps stopping at distances safe. If they are worn down, your mechanic will replace the pads or rotors as a part of the overall brake maintenance.
How the Calipers and Brake Lines Work
Calipers apply pressure to the brake pads and the brake lines carry fluid to the brakes when you press them. Wear in either of these components can lead to brake failure but inspecting these components yearly – and replacing them as needed – maintains braking safety.
Tire Condition and Balance
Your tires are the only part of your vehicle that has contact with the road, so they need to be regularly maintained too. Your mechanic (and you can do it too) will check the tire tread, tired inflation, and balance your tires once a year to maintain safe handling and extend tire life.
Tread Depth and Wear
Worn tire treads start wearing out it reduces driving traction – especially in wet conditions. Your mechanic will inspect tread depth and driving patterns to identify uneven wear which may indicate alignment issues or suspension wear. Replacing worn tires is a must to improve safety and driving performance.
Tire Balancing
Properly balanced tires prevents uneven wear and improves driving comfort. When tires are out of balance, they cause vibrations – especially at high speeds – and lead to uneven tire wear, reduced fuel efficiency, and increased strain on the vehicle’s suspension system.
Depending on how you drive, tire balancing should be done at least once a year to ensure everything is in order and to help prevent premature tire wear.
Keep Your Car in Top Shape with Regular Inspections
These particular vehicle checks extend your vehicle’s life, improve handling, and prevent costly repairs. If you are finding any of these issues with your car and live in Brantford, visit our mechanic services page to see the ways we can help you.
Leave a Reply