The straight and narrow on wheel alignment

Your car pulls a bit to the right. Or, because this is an election year, maybe it pulls to the left. No big deal, right? Only if money and safety are no big deal. If one or both matter to you, however, you probably need to get your wheels aligned.

Alignment problems not only affect vehicle handling, they can also cut tire life drastically, which is especially costly if you have expensive tires. But the biggest cost of driving a vehicle that's not properly aligned is the fuel it wastes. And anyone who didn't arrive recently from another planet knows all about today's astronomical fuel costs.

But the most important reason to keep wheels aligned is safety. Worn tires, which poor alignment can cause, provide less traction in skids and on wet or slippery roads, and don't perform as well in emergency driving maneuvers.

The problem with getting an alignment in our area is timing. We have an annual "pothole season" and this year's wasn't good. Automobile manufacturers recommend alignment (and wheel balancing) about once a year. Because a good jolt from a pothole can immediately put a recently aligned vehicle out of whack again, it might be a good idea, if your last alignment was nearly a year ago, to wait until most potholes have been filled.

But don't wait too long. Having your alignment checked is recommended if you notice the following:

Your steering wheel "pulls" or "drifts" right or left when you're driving straight on a level road;

Your steering wheel isn't centered when your vehicle moves straight ahead;

If there's vibration in your steering wheel or a "loose" feeling in the steering, you probably have one or more wheels that need balancing. Getting that done when you get an alignment can be a time-saver.

Many places do alignments and balancing. Motorists should consider dealerships for these services because dealer technicians are experienced in this area. Many dealerships also have newer equipment that measures lateral and radial force variations in tires when they're on rollers, simulating real-world driving. The equipment is better for the many vehicles with front-wheel drive and/or independent rear suspensions.

The new equipment is especially good for vehicles with finely tuned suspensions. By compensating for tire variations, the equipment enables those suspensions to perform as intended.

When you get an alignment at a dealership, you know that all possible causes of a misalignment - including broken or bent parts, improper tire inflation, too-tight lug nuts, brakes and power steering - will be checked and your vehicle will receive pre- and post-alignment test drives.