Get in line for an alignment as winter fades from McHenry

As winter fades from McHenry, it's time to

prepare you vehicle for summer. That
includes having your wheels aligned.

Whatever the weather in McHenry today, one thing is for certain; the last dregs of winter are fading into the rearview mirror. Warm and sunny days are ahead. You and, hopefully, your car, truck or SUV have survived without too much damage. Of course, it’s likely that the steering and suspension of your vehicle has taken a beating over the winter months.

Winter in McHenry and surrounding areas tend to rough up the steering and suspension of cars, trucks and SUVs. And, even if the components survive the experience, it’s entirely likely that the alignment of your vehicle is no longer quite aligned.

Alignment of a vehicle’s steering system is the process of ensuring that the wheels track properly, that the vehicle remains on course without significant corrections and the steering is responsive.

If the car, truck or SUV is going down a straight, smooth road, without any potholes, and you take your hands off the steering wheel, it should continue straight (if you try this, keep your hands close to the steering wheel so you can quickly take control again).

If the vehicle is out of alignment, it’s likely to drift one way or the other.

Another problem when your car, truck or SUV is out of alignment is that it creates tension among your steering and suspension components. That tension can shorten the lifespan of those components.

In the meantime, a vehicle that is out of alignment will cause additional and uneven wear to the tires. Qualified auto repair technicians can often look at uneven wear on tires and tell you what is wrong, from misalignment to worn steering and suspension parts.

There’s not much you can do to stop winter in McHenry and the surrounding area, but, as soon as you’re sure the worst of winter has passed, it’s a good idea to have your car, truck or SUV’s steering aligned. Once aligned, you’re ready for smooth sailing through summer.

Comments

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

October 20 Hootenanny will benefit veterans with PTSD

Been to a Hootenanny lately? When you read that question did you ask, “What?” Well, if you have gone to a Hootenanny in a while, or if you don’t know what a hootenanny is, we have an event for Oct. 20 that will clear up either question. From 6 p.m. to Midnight, Saturday, Oct. 20, MC3, the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce business networking group, is helping to host an inaugural Veterans R&R Wild Horse Hootenanny at Beyond Stable Farm (11129 Rte. 176, Woodstock). The event will benefit Veterans R&R Operation Wild Horse. Operation Wild Horse serves veterans with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Working with the horses has proven to have an incredibly calming effect on the veterans. And, it’s good for the horses, too, rescued wild mustangs. This means that the hootenanny is for a very good cause. But, it’s also a lot of fun. So, what is a hootenanny? According to a Google search, a hootenanny is “an informal gathering with folk music and sometimes dancing.” The V...

Performance Unlimited Blog

Search This Blog