Also known as a front-end alignment, a wheel alignment helps your car, truck or SUV stay straight as you drive down the road. If your alignment is bad, your car will start to drift one way or another (even though you think you’re driving straight). The main problem with having a poor alignment is uneven and premature tire wear, but it can also lead to suspension failure, bad steering control, driver fatigue and more.

Operating a vehicle is a balancing act. Tires, steering and shocks/springs must work together with the vehicle’s power and acceleration to keep moving. And if you’re not driving with a proper wheel alignment, you’re fighting against gravity and physics just to drive straight.

The good news is that it’s an easy thing to fix. Your local dealership, tire shop or just about any automotive service center can set things straight.

But keep in mind: a wheel alignment doesn’t last forever. You can’t just do it once and assume you’re safe forever. Your car’s alignment can change almost imperceptibly over time as the car ages. Plus, anyone can have a run-in with a curb or pothole, and these impacts can mess up your alignment QUICK.

A front-end alignment usually costs between $65 and $100 (some brands, of course, are more). At that price, it should be a regular part of your car care regime. To make an alignment even more economical, some car care facilities offer lifetime alignment packages for around $200. Your car gets a scheduled alignment every 6,000 miles (or as needed) for as long as you own it.

You should get your car’s alignment checked every six months or 6,000 miles, whichever comes first. Definitely don’t go more than 10,000 miles without an alignment.

Having your tires rotated? Have the alignment checked.

Having a tire (or more than one tire) replaced? An alignment is necessary to make sure the tires wear evenly.

With a proper alignment, you’ll save money in the long run since you’re not replacing tires prematurely and you can help avert other issues that can crop up with the steering or suspension.

It can be tricky for an average person to know whether their vehicle needs an alignment or not. Unlike a lot of other automotive systems, there’s no warning light to tell you that your car, truck or SUV needs a good straightening out.

You may need an alignment if you start seeing any of these:

• Your vehicle drifts to one side or the other.
• You feel vibration through the steering column.
• You hear a squeal when cornering.
• Your tires are wearing unevenly or worn more on the inside than the outside.
• Your steering wheel isn’t straight, even though you’re driving straight.

Local service centers can easily diagnose if your car needs an alignment. And with the Kelley Blue Book Fair Market Range to help out, you’ll always know a fair price to pay.