If you start to notice that your car is pulling to one side as you drive or that your tyres are wearing unevenly you may have a problem with your wheel alignment, but what causes this?

Curbing the car- catching curb stones when you drive not only scuffs your wheels but can easily knock the alignment out of place. The same can happen from hitting a pot hole in the road.

General wear and tear- this can occur sooner than you think, sometimes after 12-18 months as the springs and suspension components start to wear.

Speed bumps – if you drive over speed bumps too quickly this can cause shock to the suspension sending the wheels out of alignment.

Collision – if you have a bump in the car, especially a side impact it can easily knock the alignment out of place quite dramatically, if this happens the car may not be safe to drive as the wheels can start catching on the wheel arch.

If in doubt it’s always good to pop to a garage and get your alignment checked.

For those of you that want to improve your cars performance without spending thousands of pounds, I have created the ultimate guide below. With these top tips you can not only often see improvements in speed and power but also in fuel economy.

1)      Make your car as light as possible. Fact- a lighter car will go faster. Not only that, but it can improve handling of the car and fuel usage. You can go the whole hog and start ripping out the back seats and replacing panels with carbon fibre, but always start with the basics. Do you really realise how much weight you carry around day to day in your boot? Many of us only empty our cars out a few times a year and it can be surprising how much weight this can add up to.

2)      Change your oil regularly. Changing your oil and using a decent quality one, can improve performance and look after your engine for some time. Recent studies have shown that improving the quality of the oil in your car can add up to 15bhp .

Welcome to your new information resource, tyre and wheel centre, where we provide information about tyres, cars, car parts, and car maintenance. Car tyres have huge impact on your cars performance, and we can provide everything you need to know to make your car perform to its highest standard.