- Check tires for proper inflation. Pressing
a tire gauge onto the valve of each wheel and comparing the
reading to the recommended pressure printed on the tire's sidewall
can do this.
- Add air as needed.
- Check for uneven wear in the tread. Drive
to a mechanic and ask for the alignment to be checked and adjusted
if the tread is worn unevenly.
- With a jack, lift the car and place the front
end on jack stands.
- Hold one front wheel by its top and bottom.
Shake the wheel to check for looseness. If loose, take it to
a mechanic and ask for wheel bearing service.
- Take the car off the jack stands and drive
it on a road with little traffic.
- Watch out for any drift in the steering.
Remove your hands from the wheel momentarily if necessary
to check the drift.
- If the car drifts or the tires have uneven
wear, it is advisable to take the car to a mechanic for alignment
without further examination. While you are having the alignment
checked, ask your mechanic to check the ball joints for wear.
- A vibration in the steering wheel can also
simply mean that the wheels are unbalanced. Hitting a pothole
can dislodge a balancing weight from the wheel rim and make
the car feel as though it is out of alignment.