Have you ever chosen a cart at the grocery store with one of the wheels that didn’t track properly? You push the cart down the frozen-food aisle but it keeps trying to slam into the glass doors if you don’t fight it. Did you know that the same principle applies to your car as you drive down the road in McHenry?

Think about how much energy you have to expend to keep that cart with the ‘crazy wheel’ going where you want it to go. No doubt, your car has more than enough energy to overcome most errantly aligned wheels. As you hold the steering wheel, you may feel the car pulling to one side or the other.

The way to counter this problem with a shopping cart is to replace a bad wheel. The way to fix the problem with your car is with a wheel alignment.

A wheel alignment ensures that the wheels are tracking true and easy. A wheel alignment ensures that the car isn’t side tracking. It ensures that the wheels aren’t fighting to go their own way rather than where you want them to go.

When a car is properly aligned, the steering wheel should align straight as you drive down a straight away. And, above all, the wheels should not force you to fight to control the steering wheel.

Why is it important to have your car properly aligned?

There are several reasons you want to keep your car’s wheels aligned. First of all, an improperly aligned car forces you to expend energy and attention fighting what comes across as though the car has a mind of its own. In this way, it could contribute to an accident, not to mention fatigue if you’re driving a long way from your McHenry home.

Secondly, if your wheels are out of alignment, your tires will experience more and uneven wear. In other words, drive too long in a car that is not aligned and you’ll spend money sooner replacing tires.

Thirdly, beyond the tires, a misaligned car puts stress on suspension and steering parts and components. Once again, drive that way long enough, and you could find yourself replacing steering and suspension parts that might otherwise have lasted a much longer time.

Fourthly, misaligned wheels can hurt you at the pump. Think about it; when you’re pushing that shopping cart down the aisle at the grocery store, and the cart’s trying to go this way when you want to go that way, you have to expend energy getting your way. 

It’s the same thing with your car; if the wheels are fighting to go their own way, rather than tracking smoothly as they cooperate with the ride, your engine has to work harder to get you where you’re going. As mentioned above, other than the most extreme cases, the engine is probably up to the challenge. But it’s still expending more energy winning the battle.

In other words, a properly aligned car will save you money at the gas pump. As for that crazy shopping cart, grab another and focus on your shopping, not the cart.