Have a suspicion that your truck is in need of a wheel alignment, but not sure what signs to look for? Here are four reasons to take your truck in and have a mechanic make some necessary adjustments. 

Uneven Tire Wear

Your truck's tires are going to naturally wear down over time, but what you want to look for is uneven tread wear. Take a look at the tires and how they are wearing down since they all should be wearing down evenly down the middle of the tire. Be concerned if you see one side of the tire more worn down than the center, and if different tires are worn down in different places. You can get out a tread depth gauge to actually measure the tread or look at the tread bar that goes across the width of the tire to compare them. If there is an issue, this is a clear sign that your vehicle is in need of a wheel alignment. 

Difficulty Staying Centered

If you're driving down the center of a road that is completely flat, look at how your vehicle handles if you take your hands off the wheel for a moment. If everything is fine with the vehicle and the road, your vehicle should continue to move forward and stay centered in your lane. You should be concerned if you notice the vehicle drifting to one side when you take your hands off the wheel. A potential reason for this is if the wheels are out of alignment, with one wheel's alignment being off and turned ever so slightly towards the direction that your truck is drifting.

Loose Steering Wheel

Your vehicle's steering wheel should be very responsive. If you turn the wheel a small amount, your wheels should move a small amount, and it is as simple as that. Watch out for a loose steering wheel, where you give it a small nudge clockwise or counterclockwise and the vehicle does not respond by moving at all. This is a sign of wheel misalignment.

Vibrating Steering Wheel

A vibrating steering wheel can also be an issue for a variety of reasons, but pay attention to if it is vibrating while you are driving down the road without braking. If the steering wheel vibrates in this condition, it means that the wheels are out of alignment and they are pulling the vehicle in different directions.  

For more information, reach out to a company like Louisville  Auto Spring.