Is Your Audi Pulling to One Side? Time For a Wheel Alignment!
Have you ever noticed your Audi pulling to one side, even while driving on a straight road? It is usually a sign that something is wrong with your wheel alignment or steering and suspension system. Misaligned wheels of your Audi can occur from something as simple as hitting a pothole or curb. Eventually, small impacts can gradually make your alignment out of balance. This problem not only compromises your ability to maintain control over your Audi but also increases the risk of accidents, especially during emergency maneuvers. We at Orion Automotive Service, located near you in Ann Arbor, Michigan (MI), will dive into the causes of alignment issues, troubleshoot them, and discuss the benefits of maintaining proper wheel alignment.
5 Common Reasons Behind Wheel Alignment Issues in Audis
- Hitting Potholes or Curbs: When you hit a pothole, speed bump, or debris at speed, it delivers a sudden, forceful impact to your suspension system, which is a frequent offender. This jerk can bend components, shift alignment settings, or cause immediate damage. It makes your vehicle out of sync.
- Worn Suspension Components: Critical suspension components, such as ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, and shock absorbers, naturally wear out over time and mileage. This wear creates excessive looseness in the system, which eventually prevents the wheels from holding their correct angles and leads to misalignment.
- Heavy Loading or Towing: Carrying excessive weight in your Audi’s trunk or towing a trailer consistently stresses the suspension system beyond its normal operating parameters. This prolonged strain causes springs to sag or components to shift, leading to misalignment.
- Accidents and Collisions: Even minor bending of fenders that do not seem to involve the wheels directly may twist the frame components, bend suspension mounts, or subtly alter the geometry of your car’s undercarriage, which causes chronic alignment issues.
- Aging or Sagging of Springs: The coil springs in your Audi support the vehicle’s weight and maintain ride height. As they age, these coil springs can sag or lose tension unevenly. This change in ride height directly affects the camber and caster angles, which leads to misalignment even if no other components are visibly damaged.
If you are facing any such issues or have encountered any of those mentioned earlier, drive directly to Orion Automotive Service, located near you in Chelsea and Dexter, MI, and we will take care of your Audi by performing proper wheel alignment.
Top Signs to Know Your Audi’s Wheels Are Misaligned
- Vehicle Pulling to One Side: This is the most noticeable sign that your Audi is out of wheel alignment. You can judge it yourself by performing it while driving your Audi on a straight road: release the steering wheel for a moment and see if your Audi consistently drifts and pulls to the left or right.
- Uneven Tire Wear: Inspect your Audi’s tires. Always check for patterns like feathering―Tread blocks get worn smooth on one side and sharp on the other, or cupping ― uneven wear around the tire’s circumference, or excessive wear on only the inner or outer edge of the tire.
- Vibrations in the Steering Wheel: Severe misalignments can contribute to steering wheel shaking, along with tire imbalance, which is often the most common cause. When the vibrations are pronounced and accompanied by other alignment symptoms, you should come in for an inspection.
Orion Automotive Service: The Best Auto Repair Shop in Ann Arbor, MI
We at Orion Automotive Service, located 
near you in Ann Arbor, MI, have established ourselves as one of the most sought-after auto repair and service facilities, committed to providing our customers with the best maintenance, service, and repair for their European high-end cars.
- We have been serving our friends and communities in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Saline, and Scio Township, MI, since 1994.
- We are an excellent auto repair shop offering exceptional maintenance and repair services to car owners.
- Our technicians are trained and experienced in handling luxury European vehicles, so your Audi is in good hands.
- We use accurate diagnostic techniques and repair it in accordance with the service plan we develop after a close discussion with you.
