Steering wheel alignment and tire alignment are related but somewhat separate things. Your steering wheel turns the tire wheels, and if either are out of place, they could affect the other. Here is how to tell if either alignments are dysfunctional.

You Have to Keep Your Steering Wheel Crooked to Keep Your Tires Straight

If you are driving down the road or highway and the only way you can keep your tires going straight is to keep your steering wheel off-center, this is an alignment issue. In this case it could be the steering wheel or the tires or both. The more severe the alignment problem, the further you have to turn the steering wheel in one direction to get the tires to go straight. If you find that your tires start pulling you off to one side of the road or another when you make the steering wheel straight, then you definitely should see an alignment technician to get this fixed.

Your Wheels Wobble

Wobbling wheels are a sign that your tires are out of alignment. The wheels are trying desperately to compensate for this by wobbling in and out to keep the car going one direction. The tires may even try to pull your vehicle in opposing directions, thus requiring you to overcompensate by turning them in the opposite direction. In reality, however, your steering wheel cannot fix the problem, since the steering wheel is not contributing to the wheels' alignment issues. Since other tire issues could ensue (tie rods bust, axle breaks, etc.) you should get your wobbly wheels fixed as soon as possible.

The Whole Car Shakes from Side to Side

If your vehicle feels like it has one or more opposite tires rolling over lumps in the road, this is a sign of really bad alignment. It is also a sign that one or more of your tires may be badly worn and is about to blow. Since a visit with a tire and wheel repair shop can fix all of these problems at the same time, you should just schedule an appointment for an alignment. The technician who does the alignment work will find the other problems and alert you to them. Then you can choose to fix them the same day or return soon to fix them another day if time does not permit you to fix them at the first appointment.

For more information, contact local professionals like D Wells Automotive Service.