It’s almost mid-April here in Johnsburg, IL. Even if the winter of ’22-’23 throws a fit or two before passing into the record books, at this point, we’ve got the worst of it licked. We could get two feet of snow but it won’t last long. Temperatures may fall but they’ll bounce back. But it’s time to think about the effects of winter on your steering, suspension and alignment.

Winter is hard on vehicles, even mild winters are trouble. And however this Johnsburg winter was for you, it gave your car, truck or SUV a test. But now you’re looking forward to summer. Warm weather is on the horizon and, no doubt, you want to make the most of it.

Expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes will cause cracks and potholes to appear in the pavement. Blocks of ice and snow appeared on the road. Both of these tended to jostle and bump your vehicle. They may have knocked your alignment out of whack. 

If there was a weak link in your steering or suspension, winter is liable to find it. Winter won’t just find that weak link; it will expand on that sore spot. A progressing problem will progress until it can’t be reasonably ignored.

The problem with suspension, steering and alignment problems is that they’re contagious; they will cause wear and tear to spread. 

Your vehicle depends on all the suspension and steering components to work together, the way they were designed, to keep you driving smoothly down the street – to give you the control of your vehicle that you count on. But if your tie-rod ends, for instance, are worn, it will affect how your tires wear. Other components of the suspension and steering will bear additional strain. 

The same thing goes for the alignment. The alignment, when properly adjusted, keeps your car running down the street in a straight line. It avoids causing additional and uneven wear to your tires while maintaining optimal control.

If this Johnsburg winter knocked anything out of alignment, or damaged any of your steering or suspension components out of whack, every mile you drive this summer is adding to your vehicle’s woes. The solution is to have your steering, suspension and alignment checked out now before any additional damage is done.