Chassis maintenance can keep your car on road

When is the last time you pushed a shopping cart that seemed unbalanced, always wanting to pull itself in one direction or another? For frequent shoppers, the answer to this question is most likely "recently." Still, those who have not experienced this problem recently in their local grocery store may have had a similar experience on the road.

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Many drivers who feel their vehicle "pulling" to one side while driving often first think it's time to take their car into the shop for an alignment issue. However, this often is not the real cause to the problem.

Worn chassis parts, specifically ball joints, tie-rod ends and sway bar links often cause drivers to feel uneven riding patterns such as the one described in their vehicles. In other cases regarding tire alignment issues, tire wear caused by a bad alignment was originally caused by a worn and sloppy suspension or chassis part that wore out. Symptoms of worn chassis parts include: scrubbed or cupped tires, uneven tire wear and shimmy or chatter in the steering wheel.

If your vehicle suffers from any of these symptoms, it may be time to have your chassis parts inspected. You may be in need of new ball joints, tie rods, or a number of other chassis components.

Let's looks at some maintenance tips. Ball joints, along with other suspension components, should be inspected annually along with a complete wheel alignment. Ball joint inspection methods and specifications vary, so have your vehicle inspected by a qualified service professional.

For more information on chassis part maintenance, visit www.federalmogul.com.