Bauer Built: How to Recognize the Signs of a Misaligned Vehicle
“As a family-owned business, the Bauer Built Tire & Service team takes pride in being there for each other, for our partners, and for our customers, with a primary goal to get you on the road and traveling down the highway safely,” said Commercial Sales Director Arron Starwalt.
“As a Michelin distributor, our values run hand in hand with theirs—Bauer Built, like Michelin, is dedicated and committed to the promotion of safe practices in the care and handling of all tires.”
Several issues can affect the performance of a tire, including wheel alignment.
Improper wheel alignment can be caused by hitting a curb, driving over a pothole or something in the road, or even a minor fender bender.
Driving an improperly aligned vehicle can lead to:
• Uneven tire wear
• Premature wear and tear
• Vibration and steering difficulty
• Undue stress to a vehicle’s suspension
• Braking and handling difficulties
• Greater fuel consumption
Below are tire wear patterns that may indicate when a vehicle is out of alignment:
- Toe Wear: The typical wear pattern that develops from excessive toe is a feather edged scuff across the crown with excessive toe wear usually visible on both steer tires.
- Free Rolling Wear: Intermittent side forces due to wheel assembly instability cause contact pressure variations, resulting in wear at the edge of a rib circumferentially, which may or may not affect the entire rib widths.
- Camber Wear: Partial or total wear of the shoulder will occur in axles with excessive camber.
- Cupping Wear: Odd wear, cupping, and flat spots typically caused by loose or worn components in steering or suspension systems (loose wheel bearings, worn shock absorbers, steering gear lash, worn tie rod ends, and kingpins), or possible mismount conditions.
- Flat Spotting Wear: Usually caused by brake lock, brake imbalance, out of round brake drums, axle hop, or skip, or a tire being parked on a surface containing hydrocarbon oils, chemicals, and solvents, flat spotting results in rapid, localized wear across the tread width.
- Diagonal Wear: Side forces imposed by a combination of toe and camber create diagonal stress in the footprint of the tire, wearing diagonally across the tread width with patterns tending to follow this same direction.
An alignment problem should be corrected immediately to avoid unnecessary tire damage, expensive vehicle repairs, unwarranted fuel consumption, or worse…an accident.
Bauer Built boasts 36 tire and service centers, 1 wholesale division, 7 Michelin Retread plants, and 3 rim and wheel reconditioning plants located strategically located across the Midwest, ensuring our customers remain safely on the road.
Providing high quality products and services for over 75 years customers have come to rely on Bauer Built for their tire and service needs.
To learn more about Bauer Built’s line of superior products and services, visit Our Services today!
Categories: Bauer Built Blog, Car Care Tips
