What are the techniques for checking if the car's front is aligned from inside the vehicle?
2 Answers
The techniques for checking if the car's front is aligned from inside the vehicle are: 1. Use the wipers as a reference to determine if the front is aligned by comparing them with road markings and maintaining a fixed distance or angle while driving. If they deviate, it indicates the front is not aligned; 2. Rely on your sense of position—sit upright in the driver's seat and look far ahead, not just at the car's body lines; 3. From a distant perspective, if you feel you are in the center of the road and the car body is also centered, then the front is aligned; 4. Learn to look far ahead and observe distant traffic lights, the rear of the car in front, or lane markings to check if the front is aligned.
I've been driving for nearly twenty years, and judging whether the car's front is aligned mainly relies on three simple methods. First, observe the relative position between the lower edge of the windshield and the road surface—when aligned straight with the distant lane lines, the distances on both sides should be roughly symmetrical. Next, feel the damping feedback from the steering wheel; if the car is perfectly straight, the steering will feel light and effortless without any pulling sensation. Some cars may have a small bump or scratch on the dashboard—I personally use a small round sticker on the center console as a reference point. At first, it might not be very accurate, but with a few more practices, you'll develop a sense for it. Additionally, when parking, don’t just focus on the front of the car—the parallelism between the car body and the lane lines in the side mirrors is also very telling. Combining these small techniques makes the judgment much more reliable.
