WHEEL ALIGNMENT aka TIRE ALIGNMENT Dispelling the so-called complexity.
There are three angles that make up the term “aligned”. Each manufacturer spends millions on making sure the angles are set up for maximum safety, performance and tire life.
Caster controls the handling of your vehicle when you turn to take a curb or a bend. The caster angles are directly correlated to your steering wheel. If your caster was out of range, you might struggle to get the vehicle to turn properly and it might feel loose or slow to respond. The further positive your caster
is, the better your handling. Most vehicles today do not have adjustable caster. Once power steering came in to play, caster was set in place when the vehicle is manufactured. Some European models, CUV’s, older vehicles and modified vehicles still have adjustable caster.
Camber is like caster in function. Your camber also controls the handling of your vehicle through curbs and turns. A positive camber helps control your vehicle and negative camber provides the ability to make swift and sharp corners. If you have ever watched anyone do an auto cross event, chances are you have seen some wildly negative camber.
If your car runs over a brutal speed bump and causes one of the front tires to lose some grip on the road, the negative camber of the other tire will respond by pushing your vehicle towards the tire that lost its grip. So, your car will lose most of its balance or stability, which may make it more vulnerable and damage your tires.
Too much of a positive camber can leave you feeling like your car is pulling to one side. Many vehicles with front-wheel-drives have a non-adjustable camber. If you feel that your car is out of camber, perhaps from an accident, pothole or new tire replacement, you must replace or repair the worn or bent component that is related to your wheels. If you are unsure, you can check the alignment angles anytime, on any hard surface, with your QT Woman QuickTrick kit.
Most vehicles have a positive camber fixed on them with the intention of improving the quality of their rides and the stability of their vehicle.
Toe angle is easily remembered if you think about being pigeon toed. It is the angle of your tires pointing towards or away from each other. The toe alignment is also tied to the stability of your vehicle. The angle of the toe of the wheels refers to how far the wheels are slanted in relation to an imaginary line drawn down the center of the vehicle from front to back. Wheels are toe in or “positive toe” if the forward edge of the wheels are aligned inward towards the center of the vehicle. Toe out or “negative toe” means that the tires are aligned so they are splayed outward away from the center of the car when viewed from above. Too much positive or negative toe will result in poor handling and tire wear. The toe angles are the most commonly adjusted alignment angles on all vehicles.
When a shop performs an alignment on a vehicle, they will always go in order of caster, camber and then toe alignment correction. This ensures angles which have been aligned can stay that way as others are adjusted. If a mechanic adjusts toe angle prior to camber, there is a good chance the toe alignment will now be out of specification.
Click the video link below the document to watch how the angles look in real time while the QuickTrick is set up to measure.
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