QuestionI recently got a tow and now my wheel alignment is off. The car appears turned slightly to the right when I drive forward. Can this be corrected?
AnswerHi Jason,
I don't quite understand the question. You say your car appears turned slightly, when you drive forward. Is this to mean your car is bent to the right? Or does it appear that the steering wheel is turned to the right when you drive forward? Or does it look, from outside the car, like you are turning right when the car is going forward?
At any rate, everything can be corrected. If the body is physically bent to the right, a frame rack will fix that. If the steering wheel is slightly right when you are driving forward, this can be a few causes. The towing could have caused this by bending something (tierod, drag link, etc.). You could have a low tire and the car leans to the side. A sagging or broken spring can cause this. An alignment or alignment inspection can correct this problem. They are needed from time to time, even when nothing is wrong underneith the car.
If the steering wheel is turned to the right, then the problem is on the left. The setting of the wheel is correcting the problem on the other side of the car. If you have an alignment issue, you need to fix it. Tire wear will develop in as few as 500 miles. Alignments are about $50. You can get an inspection/estimate for free, but they will try to sell you something.
Good luck with this. Don't wait too long before having this looked at, or it could cost a couple of tires.
C J S
