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Interested in saving money while keeping you and your family safe on the road?
Let's talk about your car's alignment. In its simplest form alignment is keeping
all of the tires on your vehicle moving in the same direction
to maximize control and driving efficiency. A vehicle with proper
alignment
handles correctly, achieves optimal fuel efficiency,
and maximizes tire life. A vehicle with poor alignment on the other hand, pulls
or drifts on the road,
wastes fuel, and causes premature and uneven tire wear.
Costing you money and putting your safety at risk.
Here's another way to think about alignment. In a poorly aligned
vehicle, each wheel may be pointing in a slightly different direction,
essentially skidding to a minor degree. If your tires are perpetually skidding,
they not only wear out prematurely, but also make it harder for your vehicle to
move,
which puts extra stress on your vehicle and consumes more fuel.
This costs you money. So you might ask, how does a car get
out of alignment and what's needed to get back into alignment?
A car comes aligned by the factory when it's purchased new.
Its alignment can change however over the course of normal driving.
This change can be accelerated however, when driving on rough roads or when
hitting potholes,
curbs, and other obstacles. There are a number of different procedures and techniques
to align a vehicle.
In general they all work towards getting your car's wheels and tires to do
two basic things. 1: Get them all traveling in the same direction.
2: Get the tires to strike the road at the proper angle.
There are several different types of alignments available today.
Your Les Schwab alignment professional will review with you
all the types of alignment appropriate for your vehicle.
Not sure if your vehicle needs an alignment? Just ask.
If we inspect your vehicle and find your wheels are within the factory specified range,
we won't charge you a penny. If you do need it aligned however,
our work is backed by our Les Schwab Warranty. Now, let's talk about suspension.
Your car is suspended by a unique combination of
springs, shocks, and/or struts. Shock absorbers
aid in ride control by keeping the car manageable during regular driving.
They do this by keeping the tires on the road.
Preventing any excess bounce after hitting a bump.
Keeping your tires on the road is the only way
you keep control of your car. Worn or damaged shocks
don't keep your tires on the road like they're supposed to. Which means you have
less control over your vehicle.
This is especially dangerous on rough and winding roads.
Because warn or damaged shocks aren't doing their job,
additional problems can result with your vehicle, including accelerated
wear on other parts of your suspension system and tires,
costing you even more money in the future. Because shocks and struts wear
slowly over time,
it can sometimes prove difficult to know if they're working properly or not.
Not sure if your suspension needs work?
Here are a few symptoms to look for. Does your vehicle
feel like it rolls or sways on turns?
Does the front end of your car dive when braking, then bounce when stopped?
Does your car bounce or feel like it's sliding on
winding or rough roads? Does your car
bottom out on bumps? Can you feel your car shimmying back and forth through
the steering wheel when you drive?
If so, you'll want to have one of our trained suspension experts take a look at your
vehicle.
Following industry inspection procedures, we'll check to see if
any of your suspension parts need to be replaced. If so,
we'll provide you with a complete cost estimate free of charge,
so you can make an informed decision.
Les Schwab Tires uses only professional grade
parts. And, they're backed with Les Schwab's Parts and Labor Warranty.
Alignment, suspension, shocks, and struts are all important parts of enjoying a
safe, comfortable ride in your vehicle.
Properly maintained they will not only help to keep you safe,
but will also save you money in increased fuel efficiency
and lower repair and parts replacement costs.
If you have any questions about your suspension
or your alignment, ask one of our helpful trained professionals.
Thanks for watching, and thanks for making Les Schwab your tire,
alignment, and suspension store.