When Caster and Camber Go Bad: Wheel Alignment Woes

While your vehicle’s wheels get a lot of use, you probably don’t think too much about them, provided your vehicle is riding smoothly and your tires are neither flat or bald, but your wheels, and their alignment, are essential to keeping your automobile in healthy driving shape. But if your wheels are out of alignment, you’ll find yourself suddenly a lot more aware of them, as your car may pull to one side, feel unstable, suddenly have a stiff or sticky steering wheel, or be unevenly wearing your tires. All of these are indications of wheel alignment issues and require the expert attention of the ASE-certified technician team at DK Hardee Automotive & Express, Elkin, North Carolina’s premiere auto repair shop.

Signs of Alignment Issues

So you’ve noticed your vehicle has a wheel alignment issue, and you’ve brought it into DK Hardee for expert diagnosis and repair. One of our friendly, expert mechanics will assess and adjust, if necessary, your wheels’ caster and camber. But what is that? Caster is the forward or rearward tilt of your vehicle’s steering axis. Wheels with caster issues create issues with steering wheel returnability and vehicle stability. In most cases, the caster angle will be positive to improve stability and handling. Camber also affects your car’s stability, and its angle can greatly impact your tire wear. A vehicle with an incorrect camber angle will pull to the side. In most cases, the correct camber setting for your vehicle will be zero, as a positive camber creates excessive outside tire tread wear, and a negative camber creates excess inside tire tread wear. Often, these settings can become off or incorrect due to impacts, like bumping a curb, overloading a vehicle with excess weight, or a bent or damaged part.

We Got You Covered

Whatever the issue, DK Hardee Automotive & Express offers laser precision wheel alignment to achieve the optimal alignment for your vehicle, whatever the issue. Laser precision offers the most accurate readings, allowing our expert mechanics to correct your vehicle’s alignment to the optimal level for your specific driving needs. Open Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm and Saturdays from 8:00 am to noon. We’re always around to assist you with your vehicle’s needs, from sunroof to tires, bumper to bumper. Come see us and get your vehicle back to its ideal driving shape