When is it time for an alignment?

As winter winds down and potholes begin to plaque the roads, the alignment of your vehicle can easily be knocked out of whack.

You'll probably recognize this term from any number of visits to the mechanic. They'll either offer to check your alignment, or they'll inform you that your vehicle could use some tweaking in that department.

Vehicles come off the assembly line with a certain alignment for each make and model, according to Firestone Complete Auto Care. The idea is that your tires will be set up in such a way that your vehicle will drive as straight and efficiently as possible.

The alignment of the tires is a fairly complex set of factors, according to Tire Rack. There's the camber, or angle of a tire when viewed vertically; the toe, or how a tire compares to the vehicle's centerline when viewed from above; and the caster, a more obscure measure which determines the slope of a line drawn through the steering pivots when viewed from the side.

The more abuse your tires go through, the more likely you are to be out of alignment. While potholes are particularly effective at jostling wheels out of alignment, careless driving habits such as bumping into curbs will affect it as well. The regular wear and tear on the tires and vehicle will also move the measures away from the factory standards.

The longer your car is out of alignment, the faster your tires will wear down. For example, a car with a camber that is out of alignment means the center of the tire will not be aligned entirely with the pavement. Conrad's Tire Express and Total Car Care of Columbus, Ohio, says situations like this will wear away at the inner and outer edges of a tire.

Noticing a misalignment can be difficult. Firestone says the alignment is measured in tiny increments, so you aren't likely to notice by sight or feel if your car needs an adjustment. This is why an alignment is typically measured by a computer.

However, advanced tire wear will make itself known. The longer you drive with your tires out of alignment, the faster your tires will wear down. This can lead to warning signs such as a vibrating steering wheel or a pull in one direction when driving. Unfortunately, as Texas Tire Sales points out, the tire will likely be too worn to save if it is worn down to this level.

Regular alignments will help avoid costly tire replacements. Conrad's says tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 7,000 miles, and that this work can be done with every other oil change for the sake of convenience. The rotation will help even out the wear on the tires, since each location on the car subjects a tire to different stresses.

Firestone says it is also a good idea to get an alignment every 6,000 miles, so the rule of every other oil change works here as well. Conrad's suggests that many mechanics will offer a free alignment check with a tune-up, and that the alignment should be done immediately if a problem is detected. Otherwise, the business recommends an alignment at least once a year.