What is Four-Wheel Alignment for Vehicles?
2 Answers
Four-wheel alignment refers to the collective term for front wheel alignment and rear wheel alignment. The installation of a vehicle's steering wheels, steering knuckles, and front axle has specific relative positions. This type of installation with defined relative positions is called steering wheel alignment, also known as front wheel alignment. Front wheel alignment includes four components: caster, camber, toe-out, and toe-in. For the rear wheels, there is also a relative installation position with the rear axle, known as rear wheel alignment. Rear wheel alignment includes wheel camber and individual rear wheel toe-in. When driving, if you experience symptoms such as heavy steering, shaking, pulling to one side, misalignment, or failure to return to center, or notice abnormal tire wear like uneven wear, scalloped wear, block wear, or biased wear, as well as sensations of floating, bumping, or swaying while driving, it is time to perform a four-wheel alignment.
I've been driving for over a decade, and wheel alignment is essentially a professional job of adjusting the four angles of the wheels to ensure they are parallel to the road surface. Common issues include the steering wheel pulling to one side, severe uneven tire wear, or the car feeling unstable and shaky while driving. If alignment isn't done, tires wear out quickly, becoming useless in just two or three months, forcing you to waste money on new tires. It also increases the risk of the car veering off course at high speeds, potentially leading to accidents. I recommend my friends to get an alignment check every 10,000 kilometers or after hitting potholes. Find a reliable repair shop where they can use professional equipment to measure and adjust the camber and toe angles accurately. Spending a small amount of money can save you from big troubles and make your drive much smoother.
