Suspension and Tire Issues
When you start your vehicle’s engine, you have a few normal expectations. You expect it will take you where you want to go and back again, you expect your vehicle’s systems to respond as they were designed to, and you do not expect it to have any issues… until it does.
From the perspective of your vehicle’s suspension including your wheels and tires, you don’t expect your vehicle to shake and bounce and pull to one side or the other as you travel down the road. However, this is generally the reality for cars with tire and suspension issues.
Reasons Your Vehicle Might Shake
Sometimes your car gets the shakes when you reach a certain speed. It might shake or bounce more than usual when you go over a speed bump or hit a pothole. The way your vehicle is vibrating can explain a lot about the cause of its issues.
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- Alignment: If your wheels are out of alignment, it might result in your car shaking or vibrating while driving. You might not notice the vibration until you reach highway speeds.
- Tire Balance: One or more tires out of balance can also cause vibration at highway speeds.
- Worn Suspension Parts: Suspension parts wearing out or failing can contribute to alignment issues as well as handling issues. This can be a likely source of a rough ride or your car pulling to the right or left.
- Worn Out Shocks and/ or struts: When your shocks or struts wear out, you might notice your car bouncing more than usual when you go over bumps. Shocks and struts that are really worn out can cause vibrations (bouncing) on the highway as well.
- Tire Failure: Sometimes, a vehicle might begin shaking shortly before a tire fails. You might have a worn flat spot, dry rot, or tread separation that leads to the presence of a vibration. Tire failure can be instantly dangerous. If your vehicle is shaking, especially if it feels violent or is getting worse rapidly, you need to bring it to us immediately.
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The Dangers of Suspension and Tire Issues
Suspension issues are not something to take lightly. Dangers of worn-out shocks and struts include:
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- The problem will only get worse and possibly more expensive to repair as time goes on.
- Worn suspension and misalignment will cause your tires to wear unevenly. The best-case scenario is that you simply have to replace your tires (and worn parts) sooner than you would otherwise. The worst-case scenario, however, is a tire failure.
- A vehicle that’s shaking or pulling to one side is more difficult to drive. This increases your likelihood of an accident and reduces your ability to make evasive maneuvers.
- Suspension issues and uneven tire wear can contribute to hydroplaning and other weather-related driving issues.
- A tire that is worn out or wearing unevenly is susceptible to failure. A tire failure is one of the most frightening experiences for drivers and can be incredibly dangerous to you and other vehicles.
- Any issue with worn out parts can ultimately cause other parts of your vehicle to fail sooner than they should.
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What Drivers Should Do About Suspension Issues
When your vehicle is shaking, the problem is not going to correct itself. You need to bring your vehicle to your trusted mechanic for suspension or tire repairs.
Your mechanic can help diagnose the exact cause of your vehicle shaking or pulling to one side or the other. They will be able to correct alignment issues and identify whether it is time for new tires.
When your tires are worn, it affects not just the handling and performance of your vehicle but also poses a safety risk. You don’t want to risk tire failure by allowing a tire to become severely damaged.
The same is true for suspension parts. You need to have them inspected and repaired as quickly as possible.
Contact Us
Postle Tire Barn has been Tuscaloosa and West Alabama’s tire and suspension specialists for more than 40 years. We are located in Tuscaloosa, AL on Jug Factory Road behind McDonald’s. We are family owned and family operated, and would love to earn your business.
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