Wheel Alignment: What it is and Why It’s Important

A wheel alignment is a very important service that you should have done regularly at your Cadillac dealer to ensure you get the best performance out of your vehicle. Let’s go over what an alignment actually does and why it’s so important.

Understanding Wheel Alignment at Your Cadillac Dealer

What It’s About

When you first bought your Cadillac, all of your tires were perfectly straight and balanced. This includes the camber, toe, and caster. The camber refers to how much your wheels tilt vertically. A positive camber means your wheels are tilting outward a bit, while a negative one means they’re tilting a bit inward. What you want is a neutral camber.

The “toe” refers to the direction your tires are pointing. You want them pointing straight ahead, not slightly inward or slightly outward. Finally, the caster refers to the angle of your steering axis. If it’s straight, you’ll have perfectly balanced steering. If it moves to the side a bit, the main effect is a compromised handling for your vehicle.

Why It Matters

Obviously, the very first consideration is the handling of your vehicle. That’s the most immediate negative, and you want to always be sure that it’s easy to drive your car and that your steering wheel is never pulling to one side or the other. Everything mentioned above has a direct effect on your tire wear, too. If the toe or the camber are off, your tires will wear in an uneven pattern on parts that weren’t meant to bear the full weight of the vehicle. This can lead to premature tire wear and even blowouts.

Then there is a question of fuel efficiency. When all the tires are exactly where they’re supposed to be, they provide the least resistance on the road and thus the least amount of strain on your engine. When they’re pointing in slightly wonky directions, it forces your engine to work harder and compromises your fuel efficiency. Finally, it’s not just your tire is wearing down early that you have to worry about. If things aren’t aligned properly, every mile is harder on your suspension and steering then it should be.

How Often?

All in all, an alignment is a simple, easy, and cost-effective way to protect expensive parts of your vehicle, such as the suspension, as well as ensure you get the longest possible life out of your tires. You should get service once or twice a year, usually when you get your oil changed; but if you go over a particularly nasty pothole or bumpy road, or if you notice shaking in your steering wheel or difficulty holding the car straight, come see us.

If it’s time for an alignment, get your Cadillac taken care of right at Service Cadillac in Lafayette, LA today.

Tags: Cadillac Alignment, Cadillac wheel alignment, Service Cadillac, Wheel Alignment
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