How to Determine if the Car Body is Aligned?
3 Answers
Methods to determine if the car body is aligned: 1. While driving, when the reference lines in both side mirrors are parallel to the car body, the body is aligned; 2. When parking, observe through the rearview mirror whether the rear of the car is parallel to the road edge or parking lines; 3. After parking, if the front part of the car is perpendicular to the road edge, the body is aligned. Methods to determine if the steering wheel is centered: 1. Remember the number of turns made to the steering wheel; 2. Observe the logo on the steering wheel—each car has its brand logo. If the logo is upside down, the steering wheel is not centered; if it's upright, the steering wheel is centered; 3. Start the car and move forward. If the car deviates from the lane while moving, the steering wheel is not centered; if it moves straight, the steering wheel is centered.
People who have been driving for over a decade usually check if their car is aligned like this: glance at the relative positions of the left and right edges of the rearview mirror against the road markings or the adjacent green belt—if they're parallel, the car is straight. Beginners can roll down the window while parking to observe if the distance between the wheels and the curb is even; if one side is significantly farther than the other, the car is crooked. I prefer to slightly release the steering wheel on open roads to see which way the car drifts—when driving straight, the wheel will naturally correct itself slightly. You can also practice at red lights by aligning the dashboard with the traffic light pole ahead for accuracy. If still unsure, install a small convex mirror on the side mirror or use reference points through the corners of the windshield for assistance.
I remember when learning to drive, the instructor taught me two reference points to judge the car's alignment: first, using the bottom edge of the windshield as a ruler to check if it's parallel with the distant road edge; second, observing whether there's an angle between the road divider line and the car body in the rearview mirror. I still use this method today—it's super handy. Another trick is watching the vehicle's path when the steering wheel is straight; if it drifts, the wheel isn't properly aligned. During reversing, I rely more on the reversing camera guidelines—when the two lines overlap, it's good. I've made it a habit to check if the dashboard is level after adjusting direction, so I don't have to constantly worry about alignment while driving.
