Misaligned wheels are one of the most common problems after an accident. It can happen even during a low-speed impact, after hitting a curb, or after hitting a pothole. You may not even have other visible damage but could still have alignment problems.

It’s important to watch for the signs that your car might need a wheel alignment so you can get it taken care of as soon as possible.

Shaky Steering Wheel

You might feel your steering wheel shake back and forth or vibrate while driving. This may be especially noticeable at high speeds. One or more of the tires could be trying to go in different directions, with the steering wheel trying to accommodate for it.

Pulling

Another sign you may need an alignment is that the vehicle may pull or drift to one side. If you have to fight to keep it going in the right direction, you don’t have full control over the vehicle.

It might show up as a very noticeable hard pulling, where you need to hold the steering wheel at an odd position to keep it aligned. Or it could be soft pulling where the care glides gently to one side.

Off-Center Steering Wheel

If the logo in the middle is crooked and it hasn’t ever been removed, your steering wheel is not centered. This is usually a sign that the wheels are out of alignment and should be fixed as soon as possible.

Uneven Tread Wear

Your tires’ tread should wear evenly. You may notice more wear on one side of the tread blocks if they aren’t wearing evenly. Or, the tread on one tire could wear differently than the tire on the opposite side of the car. This would require a wheel alignment to fix the problem.

If You Don’t Get an Alignment

If your wheels are not aligned, you can face several problems that can have serious consequences for your vehicle. Your tires can have premature wear. This means you may have to replace them thousands of miles earlier than normal.

In addition, your fuel economy may be reduced, leading you to spend more on gas. Your steering system may face additional strain, causing components to wear out earlier than they should. Some of these components can be expensive to replace.

Finally, you may not be able to control the vehicle as well as you need to. This can create a dangerous situation that could lead to accidents and injuries.

How to Fix Wheel Alignment Problems

Because unbalanced alignment is such a serious problem, it’s important that you get your vehicle into a repair shop right away after an accident. A professional will be able to fix your car to the manufacturer’s specifications for alignment for your model.

Plus, wheel alignment is not something you can do by yourself. A good professional will have access to the proper equipment, such as unibody alignment equipment. You’ll know your vehicle is in good hands.

Spot the Signs

By keeping an eye on signs that your car needs a wheel alignment after an accident, you’ll be able to get the problem taken care of right away. This can help prevent further damage and even dangerous situations.

If you spot any of these signs, call Limerick Auto Body right away to get your car back up to speed.

Did you know that the most popular car color is white, followed by black? No matter what color your car is, you want to be sure that the paint is in great condition.

Unfortunately, vehicles are prone to paint defects that can range from very noticeable to hardly noticeable. Some are easily fixed while larger or deeper defects can be more difficult to repair.

Have you noticed some pain defects on your car, or are you wondering what to look for? Here are five common defects to watch for.

1. Clear Coat Defects

The topcoat of your car is clear, and it protects your car from the elements. Most importantly, it protects from UV rays to avoid fading of color. If you love the glossy look of your car, this is the topcoat that helps you achieve it.

Unfortunately, this coat can start to wear out, starting to appear cloudy. This is typically referred to as oxidation, caused by exposure to the elements.

To repair this, the area of oxidation needs to be sanded down. After the sanding, a fresh coat of paint is applied to the area.

2. Holograms

Often the least noticeable of paint issues is a hologram. They’re often caused by buffers such as retail car washes and can even by humans touching the car.

The process to repair these depends on your needs. They can be temporarily fixed with wax, but this is more of a band-aid approach.

The best way to permanently fix this is to take it to a professional who will polish the paint. This will bring it back to its original look and eliminate the appearance of the holograms.

3. Specks of Dust

In most cases, cars are painted in clean areas free from debris. However, sometimes a car is subject to getting dust or dirt on it during the paint job. It can also be caused by a dirty applicator.

If your car has this problem, you’ll notice a raised dot on the car. You should feel it when you run your finger over it.

To repair this, the area with the dust will need to be sanded down, then the paint will need to be reapplied and polished. After this, it will look good as new!

4. Blisters in the Paint

Like paint problems caused by dust, blistering is also an effect of a dirty surface. The cause can also be moisture, which lifts the paint.

It appears as small areas of paint lifting and breaking off the car.

The only way to rectify this is to remove the existing paint entirely and do a full repaint.

5. Paint Chips

A chip is one of the most common types of car paint defects, but it’s also one that is very hard to avoid. It’s typically caused by chips from rocks hitting the car as you drive, and chipping at the paint.

Depending on the size of the chip, a touch-up to the paint may be all that’s needed. For a larger area. it may have to be sanded down and have a reapplication of paint.

Identify and Repair Paint Defects

Paint defects on your car can be a pain, but most of the time, they’re easily fixed. With a little bit of care from a professional shop, your car can look good as new.

We have a paint performance guarantee at Limerick Auto Body provided by PPG Industries. Only the top auto shops can be certified and offer this premium service to clients.

Are you interested in having car paint defects repaired? Please contact us today!