Have you noticed that when you are driving down the road, you are experiencing difficulty controlling your vehicle and the steering seems off? Can you see excessive wear on the tires? If so, you might have one or more wheels that is out of balance. Here are some of the more common reasons why this occurs.

Road Hazards

In many cases, wheels get out of balance due to hazards on the road. When you hit a curb, you might not realize it did damage that you don't notice right away. However, hitting a curb or a parking space bumper is actually a common reason for wheels to get out of balance, especially if it was a particularly hard hit. There are also other road hazards that can cause wheel misalignment, including going too quickly over potholes or speed bumps, both of which bend the wheel slightly.

Off-Road Driving

Off-road driving can be a lot of fun, but unfortunately it is really hard on your vehicle, especially the wheels and tires. When you are driving over rocks and gravel, and around curves and dips too quickly, you are putting those wheels through quite a bit of trauma. When this happens, the tires go through tread more quickly and can get worn when they hit the scratchy gravel surface. This in turn causes the wheels to become misaligned. If you are going to be off-road driving, have high-quality wheels and tires that can handle it.

The Wheel Parts Are Worn

If you have an older vehicle with wheel parts that have never been replaced, they might be worn. This can cause your wheels to get out of balance more often since they no longer hold the suspension as effectively. Springs and various other parts of the wheel will get worn over time and need to be replaced. They go through years and thousands of miles of wear and tear, so naturally they aren't going to be the same quality forever. If your suspension starts to sag due to these parts, it will cause misalignment of the wheels. Luckily, they are not difficult to replace.

No Suspension Modification

If you drive a truck that has been lifted, you need to make sure the mechanic who did the raising of the truck also raised the tire suspension. Not doing this is a common problem which can cause the wheels to become misaligned. Wheel suspension heights need to coincide with the level of the vehicle. 

For more information, talk to a company like Alaska Chevron Service.