Check your tire pressures before deciding whether you need wheel alignment. Opposing tires that do not have balanced tire pressure can indicate the unnecessary need for wheel alignment. Wheel alignment is the science of aligning the rear wheels to run in the same tracks as the front wheels. Correct wheel alignment can improve the mileage tires will last by up to 10 000 kms.

I was driving from Durban to Nelspruit eying the craters euphemistically referred to as potholes. I am sure I saw a Landrover fall into the one, but on closer inspection could not find any positive proof barring what looked like the tracks of some Continental tires. The bottom was not visible so we remain unsure of whether there were any survivors. Back to my point, beside the fact, that not all of us drive rugged 4×4 vehicles. Believe me, they also need wheel alignment after a trip on those Mpumalanga roads. I got to wondering about how often wheel alignment should be done. I spoke to Gary at HI-Q on my return to Nelspruit who said “It’s a good idea to check your alignment every 10 - 12000 kms”

Being a little cheap, I asked Gary if that was not just to make the wheel alignment companies more money. He assured me that the cost of wheel alignment vs the cost of tires made it a bargain. If you had to replace those tires on your BMW every 10 000 km’s because your wheel alignment was off kilter it would cost you a lot more. Knowing that I had just spent R 2 grand on two tires it starts making sense.

If your camber or toe in are out you can wear a tire down to canvass in as little as 3000 km’s. I did that once back when I hit a kerb with my Mazda tree to tree in the eighties. In essence, Gary just reinforced what I already knew. Pop into HI-Q down in Riverside Industrial Park right opposite Volvo and Land Rover on the way to the mall. Gary and his team will freely advise you if their services are essential.

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