Wheel Alignment and its Benefits to Your Auto

Is your vehicle drifting or pulling to one side of the road during your commute? Are your tires wearing unevenly? If these things are unfolding with your car, you may just be in need of a wheel alignment on your Bloomington based car. Call Hagen Automotive and we can get you scheduled for a wheel alignment.  

Having your wheels aligned ensures that your four wheels on are pointed properly to meet the specifications set forth by the auto manufacturer, optimizing your wheels for maximum tire contact with the road surface. When the alignment is off, countless issues can emerge.

How do you measure wheel alignment on my vehicle?
Each car has its own individual alignment requirements according to its suspension components. The weight, size, length, and anticipated usage of the model are all considered when the manufacturer establishes the appropriate alignment angle specs. If your vehicle is beyond the boundaries of the factory specifications, then your technician will make the necessary adjustments to the alignment angles. The amount of time necessary to complete a wheel alignment varies from vehicle to vehicle.

How frequently should I have my alignment done?
Most auto makers advise at least one alignment per year, others automotive professionals say once every six months or every 6000 miles. Another rule of thumb, a simple one, when you notice that your alignment is off, call Hagen’s to schedule a wheel alignment. Any individual vehicle’s need for an alignment varies due to several factors, like overall road quality where you drive. 

What happens if I do not have my vehicle’s wheels aligned?
When wheels are not aligned correctly, the tires will be scrubbing the road surface—causing unnecessary wear—an uneven dulling of the tires. Most manufacturers of tires will not even honor their warranties without proof that you had a wheel alignment done as they were installed. Wheels not in proper alignment make your car have to work significantly harder, burn off extra fuel and ultimately operate under lower gas mileage. Driving a car that veers is a safety hazard as well—on wet or icy roads. Simply put, your vehicle is being stressed in multiple areas the longer you drive it while the wheels are misaligned.

For more information on wheel alignment near Bloomington, call Hagen Automotive at 952-937-2774, or you can contact us and Request an Appointment.

Common Forms of Brake Repair

Sometimes, needing new brakes can be stressful. But a lot of the time, we see the same types of brake problems over and over, so our mechanics are well versed on how to repair them without a lot of hassle. Here are a few of the most common forms of brake repair we do for St Louis Park residents.

Brake pad replacement

Normally, we recommend that you get new brake pads every 20,000 miles, but sometimes they'll wear down sooner than this, especially if you drive a lot. We will check your brake pads during a routine oil change. There's an indicator that will stick out of the brake pad, and it will tell us when it's time to replace your brake pads.

Line replacement

This is usually an emergency brake repair, and this is needed when the line that carries the fluid from your master cylinder into and throughout the whole brake system gets punctured or damaged. This fluid is vital to the way your car's brake system works and continues to function, and it needs to be clean at all times. If there is even just a bit of dirt in it, it can possibly cause problems in other parts of the system. We can sometimes patch the line and not replace it, but it depends on how big the problem is.

“Bleeding” the brake line

When we bleed a brake line, we drain out all of the brake fluid to replace it with new fluid.  We usually do this when there are air bubbles or when the fluid gets dirty and contaminated. We do this after every brake repair job that we do in order to ensure that the lines have fluid in them and there are not any air pockets throughout those lines. We also check this when the lines and master cylinder are in good repair but you're still having trouble getting your car to stop, even after you've applied a lot of pressure to your brakes.

These are just a few of the most common forms of brake repair that our mechanics do. Of course, we can handle any problem you're having with your brakes, so call us the next time you're experiencing trouble stopping your vehicle.

Would you like more information on brake repair near St Louis Park? Call Hagen Automotive at 952-937-2774 or 952-937-2711, or you can contact us and Request an Appointment.