- Joined
- January 26, 2004
- Messages
- 6,113
- Reaction score
- 22
- City, State
- Mechanicsville, Virginia
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2004 Acura TL
A wheel alignment has many benefits for our vehicles. A wheel alignment will keep our vehicle straight, good gas mileage, good tire wear, allows us to change for performance (better cornering), and keep us aware of any suspension, steering, or other vehicle damage.
When a alignment on a vehicle is off, it concerns the customer and it also can cause other problems including premature tie wear, bad gas mileage, and hard steering.
Today, computerized alignment systems are used to align the cars to their specs. Todays vehicles consist of non-adjustable and adjustable angles. Adjustable angles for the Explorer are front tires Toe, Caster, and Camber. Non-adjustable angles include the rear axles Toe, Caster, and Camber. This simply means that to adjust the front angles on the Explorer, there are actual things to change that will effect our angles. On the rear, we do not have anything to change our angles. If a tire/wheel is showing out of spec on the rear, look for axle/frame damage and any other suspension damage.
There are three major adjustments that are critical to a vehicles alignment: Toe, Caster, and Camber. Here is a great illustration:
Toe - refers to the in-ward or out-ward tilt of the tires in comparison to the other side. Toe-in refers to the tires being tilted toward one another while Toe-out refers to the tires being tilted outward of one another. Toe issues usually cause "feathering" of the tires.
Camber - Is the tilt of the wheel in and out on a vertical basis, viewed from the front. Negative (more) Camber is when the wheel is tilted in-ward, while Positive (less) Camber is tilted outward. Here is an illustration:
Caster - Is the relationship between a verticle line from the bottom of the wheel to the top in relation to the balljoints. Caster being off will give you "bump steer" - which is when you hit a bump your steering "searchs" the road. See the illustration below:
Positive:
Negative:
The other angle that plays an effect in an alignment is the Thrust Angle. This is basically the relationship between all four wheels. See the picture above!
Hunter, Inc. makes GREAT alignment machines. We have one at work, and I have used two other Hunter alignment machines - and they are all simple to use. Here is a picture of the computer and the alignment head (which go on all four wheels)
-Drew
Problems and Why
Below is a chart I found, but I am going to add a little to it:
1 Problem: Incorrect Camber Setting
1 Effect: Tire Wear Issues (usually inner or outter), Ball Joint/Wheel Bearing Wear
2 Problem: Too Much Positive Caster
2 Effect: Hard Steering, Excessive Road Shock, Wheel Shimmy
3 Problem: Too Much Negative Caster
3 Effect: Wander (i.e. bump steer), Weave, Instability at high speeds (death wobble)
4 Problem: Unequal Caster
4 Effect: Pull To Side Most negative/least positive caster
5 Problem: Incorrect Toe Setting
5 Effect: Tire Wear (feathering, inner and outter wear issues)
Hopefully that'll help also!
MORE INFORMATION ON PAGE TWO!!!
When a alignment on a vehicle is off, it concerns the customer and it also can cause other problems including premature tie wear, bad gas mileage, and hard steering.
Today, computerized alignment systems are used to align the cars to their specs. Todays vehicles consist of non-adjustable and adjustable angles. Adjustable angles for the Explorer are front tires Toe, Caster, and Camber. Non-adjustable angles include the rear axles Toe, Caster, and Camber. This simply means that to adjust the front angles on the Explorer, there are actual things to change that will effect our angles. On the rear, we do not have anything to change our angles. If a tire/wheel is showing out of spec on the rear, look for axle/frame damage and any other suspension damage.
There are three major adjustments that are critical to a vehicles alignment: Toe, Caster, and Camber. Here is a great illustration:
Toe - refers to the in-ward or out-ward tilt of the tires in comparison to the other side. Toe-in refers to the tires being tilted toward one another while Toe-out refers to the tires being tilted outward of one another. Toe issues usually cause "feathering" of the tires.
Camber - Is the tilt of the wheel in and out on a vertical basis, viewed from the front. Negative (more) Camber is when the wheel is tilted in-ward, while Positive (less) Camber is tilted outward. Here is an illustration:
Caster - Is the relationship between a verticle line from the bottom of the wheel to the top in relation to the balljoints. Caster being off will give you "bump steer" - which is when you hit a bump your steering "searchs" the road. See the illustration below:
Positive:
Negative:
The other angle that plays an effect in an alignment is the Thrust Angle. This is basically the relationship between all four wheels. See the picture above!
Hunter, Inc. makes GREAT alignment machines. We have one at work, and I have used two other Hunter alignment machines - and they are all simple to use. Here is a picture of the computer and the alignment head (which go on all four wheels)
-Drew
Problems and Why
Below is a chart I found, but I am going to add a little to it:
1 Problem: Incorrect Camber Setting
1 Effect: Tire Wear Issues (usually inner or outter), Ball Joint/Wheel Bearing Wear
2 Problem: Too Much Positive Caster
2 Effect: Hard Steering, Excessive Road Shock, Wheel Shimmy
3 Problem: Too Much Negative Caster
3 Effect: Wander (i.e. bump steer), Weave, Instability at high speeds (death wobble)
4 Problem: Unequal Caster
4 Effect: Pull To Side Most negative/least positive caster
5 Problem: Incorrect Toe Setting
5 Effect: Tire Wear (feathering, inner and outter wear issues)
Hopefully that'll help also!
MORE INFORMATION ON PAGE TWO!!!
