News

Discover why poor wheel alignment on your car costs you money.

I was once privileged to be involved in a Goodyear demonstration where they had a toy vehicle that allowed them to adjust the wheel alignment of the front tires. The vehicle was allowed to run down a ramp onto a flat surface with various alignment settings and a measurement was taken of how far it traveled before it stopped. I was surprised by the effect the wheel alignment had—it really was dramatic.

Have a look at what the Environmental Protection Authority has to say on the Fuel Economy Impact Analysis of Reformulated Gasoline. Their figures show that bad wheel alignment could cost you 10% or more in fuel.

Have a look also at the Car Care article, An In-Depth Look at Fuel Efficiency Tips, and its section on tires:

How do underinflated tires affect fuel efficiency?

Underinflated tires and incorrect wheel alignment can lead to conditions which increase rolling resistance. This is like driving with the parking brake not fully released, it can cost a mile or two per gallon on a car that normally delivers 20 miles per gallon. Correct tire inflation pressure is critical for good fuel economy, safety, maximum tire life and proper vehicle handling performance.

But it’s not only fuel efficiency; the extra energy used up by the fuel does no good at all and is used to wear your tires faster, make more noise or make your vehicle handle more badly.

How cheap are your tires if you don’t get expert opinion on wheel alignment and other important information from your Tire Store expert?