Check your tire treads

Next, inspect each of your tires to see the condition of the treads. This will help you determine if you need to replace your tires already, if your tires are underinflated or overinflated most of the time, or if your tires need to be realigned. Doing this helps you take the necessary action promptly so that your ride stays safe on the road.

Regular wheel alignment

After that, you need to have your car’s wheels realigned from time to time, especially if you feel that your car isn’t running in a straight line forward. Misaligned wheels can result to poor handling and steering issues. It can also affect your car’s braking performance. Take your car to us at HEART Certified Auto Care for expert wheel alignment.

Check essential fluids

Next, check if you need to top up or replace the brake and power steering fluids in your car. It would be best if you have a mechanic check it for you. These fluids are essential to giving you the control you need when driving. Also, ask a mechanic to inspect your power steering belt to determine if it needs a bit of tightening or needs to be replaced.

Inspect your suspension system

You should also take your car for professional suspension system inspection, especially when you experience certain issues such as unusual vibrations, pulling over to one side, or loose cornering. Trained mechanics will look at every single part of your car’s suspension system to determine if there’s something that needs to be replaced, cleaned, adjusted, or topped up. They will then give you some recommendations on what you can do so that your ride stays safe and comfortable.

As a rule of thumb, always refer to your car’s owner’s manual to know when you need to have your suspension system inspected, even when you don’t feel any problem when driving. This will help you prevent issues from appearing. If your car gets involved in any accident, have it inspected as well so that hidden issues will be resolved.

Drive carefully

Just because your suspension system works fine doesn’t mean you should abuse it. When you drive, take care to avoid potholes or rushing into speed bumps. Driving into these at high speeds can cause your car to receive heavy impact. This will damage your suspension system, resulting in expensive repairs. Drive within speed limits, and slow down as you approach speed bumps and potholes. If you can, avoid them entirely.

Avoid overloading your car

Next, resist the temptation to overload your car. Know your car’s carrying capacity and stay within the limits. For example, if you drive a 4-seater sedan like the Prius, you should limit your passengers to a maximum of four people. Avoid overloading the trunk with luggage as well. Carrying too many passengers and/or too much load can overload your car’s dampers and eventually damage your entire suspension system. It will also weaken your car’s ability to slow down while braking, increasing the risk of accidents.

Avoid hitting or mounting curbs

Lastly, make sure to avoid hitting or mounting curbs, especially when parking on the side of the street. Hitting curbs repeatedly can cause your wheels and camber to become misaligned. This will result to uneven wear on the tires, negatively affecting your handling and grip on the road. It can also damage your wheels. What’s more, parking with one side up on a curbs can cause uneven tire pressure, as well as mechanical issues with your suspension system. Park your car on a flat surface as much as possible.