School is officially over and family vacations are to be had! Do you love road trips as much as my family does? If so, I hope you got your alignment checked. The weather has been dreadful in Winnipeg. We had one of the biggest snowfalls this winter in over a hundred years, followed by a lot of rain in the spring, more snow, and not-so-nice temperatures. We switched out our winter tires about 3 weeks ago! The potholes in this city are a nightmare too! Every time we’d try to be careful over one or not see one until it is too late, boom- a little nudge off of the alignment. How are your tires doing? When you switched out your tires did you get your alignment checked? “Alignment problems are often caused by hitting potholes; even hitting a single bump at an awkward angle can create alignment issues that drivers sometimes leave unchecked. A 2017 Kal Tire study found that 32 % of motorists with pothole damage reported their steering started pulling to one side, yet only 44% whose vehicles sustained pothole damage had it fixed, with many leaving damaged undercarriages, shocks, and struts. Other problems caused by potholes included”: • vehicles vibrating, shaking, or wobbling (37%) • damage to undercarriage (28%) • vehicle bouncing/swaying (22%) • flat or damaged tires (17%), body dents (14%), leaking fluid (4%) With the nicer weather and even though gas prices are higher, I know people are more inclined to increase their leisure travel to see family and friends. Winnipeg is such a cottage town in the summer, we’ll be doing lots of road trips this year as we explore our home province and see what Manitoba has to offer. But we have to know before we go if our car needs an alignment. Mind you, in older vehicles, it shows up more compared to newer ones and ours is a 2016 and we needed a little tweaking thanks to the potholes. Not all need an alignment but you can get a free alignment check at Kal Tire. So if you’re planning a road trip this summer, head to Kal Tire and have them check it before heading out. It doesn’t cost a thing to have them checked and you’ll have peace of mind, however, the average price for an alignment is $125. Did you know that misalignment over time can cause uneven tire wear? An alignment can help extend the life span of your tires, it saves on gas, and in the end, it helps you to get an extra season or more out of your investment in tires. The team at my local Kal Tire off Kenaston, Fabian the manager shared these great tips of 5 Awesome Benefits of Wheel Alignment: 1) Fuel Efficiency 2) Smoother Ride 3) Improved Steering 4) Fewer Auto Repairs 5) Longer-Lasting Tires How does an alignment save your tires and make them fuel efficient? It ensures drivers get the best fuel efficiency because misaligned tires can drag. Ensuring your wheels are adjusted back to factory spec will help your tires wear evenly and get the best fuel economy possible. Money matters! With the increases in the cost of fuel and basic living expenses, we can all use a little relief, and spending a little($125) on an alignment saves you from replacing your tires sooner than you would normally need to and from filling up the gas tank sooner then they might like too. I never knew alignment would affect fuel efficiency this much. How do you know if you’re misaligned? • It feels like your vehicle is pulling to one side while you’re driving • Uneven tread wear on your tires • Your front-end shimmies or vibrates after hitting a bump • Your steering wheel is off-centered when driving straight We had the absolute best experience at our local Kal Tire on Lowson Crescent here in Winnipeg as they shared everything we need to know about our tires and alignment. With three kids in tow, we want to be sure our car is in tip-top shape. The technology used was really interesting to see as this was a first for me. At Kal Tire, their technicians are certified and perform computerized wheel alignments that use state-of-the-art technology to ensure the following: All four wheels are parallel All four wheels are sitting flat on the road The steering wheel is centered I hope you’ve found the above information extremely useful as I love working with Kal Tire to bring awareness to fuel efficiency, tires, and road safety. What are your plans for the summer? When was the last time you had your alignment checked? Check out the latest in Kal Tire promotions here. Check out my other posts with Kal Tire here Disclosure: This sponsored post was written in collaboration with Kal Tire. All opinions are always my own and never influenced in any way.
The post Getting Aligned for road trips with Kal Tire #TooAlignOrNotToAlign #KnowBeforeYouGo #WhoDoYouDriveSafelyFor #TalkToKal #SummerRoadie appeared first on The Mama Ash Blog.