Wheel Alignment

Fundamentals
Chapter 67

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Objectives
• Describe each wheel alignment angle
• Tell which alignment angles cause wear or pull

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 Introduction
• Correct wheel alignment
– Allows vehicle to run straight on the highway
• Little steering effort
• Minimal tire wear
– This chapter deals with principles of different
wheel alignment angles

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 Wheel Alignment Angles
• Five wheel alignment angles
– Toe
– Camber
– Caster
– Steering axis inclination (SAI)
– Turning radius

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Toe
• Comparison of distances between fronts and
rears of a pair of tires
– Alignment angle most responsible for tire wear
• Toe-in: tires closer together at the front
– Every 1/16" of toe-in results in 11 feet per mile
scuff
• Tires move sideways for 11 feet out of every mile
• Toe-out: tires further apart at the front

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 Toe (cont'd.)
• Causes of incorrect toe
– Improper adjustment
– Bent steering linkage
– Change in caster or camber adjustment
– Looseness in steering linkage due to wear
• Change in toe on one side of the vehicle
– Will be split through steering linkage with the
wheel on the other side
• Front toe: adjustable on all vehicles
– Rear toe adjustable on some
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Camber
• Camber: inward or outward tilt of tire at top
– Adjustable on most vehicles
• Positive camber: tire tilts out
– Negative camber: tire tilts in
• Inside and outside edges of tread on cambered
tire have different radii
– Rotate at different speeds
• Camber angle
– Controlled by position of control arms or struts
– Camber roll: tire tends to roll in a circle
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Caster
• Caster: forward or rearward tilt of the spindle
support arm
– Positive caster: top tilted to the rear
• Lead point in front of true vertical
– Negative caster: steering axis tilts forward
• Moving the point of load behind the wheel
– Sometimes adjustable on front wheels
– Front wheels have different caster settings
• Vehicle will pull toward the side with the most
negative caster

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Steering Axis Inclination
• Amount the spindle support arm leans in at top
– Not a tire wearing angle
• Three functions
– After a turn, SAI helps vehicle return to straight
– SAI keeps vehicle going straight down the road
– Allows car to have less positive caster
• Included angle
– Combination of SAI and camber
• Some cars with large SAI wear outsides of tires

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Scrub Radius
• Factor of steering axis inclination
– Pivot point for front tire’s footprint
– Distance at the road surface between centerline
of true vertical and steering axis pivot centerline
• More scrub radius makes it harder to steer
– Positive camber reduces scrub radius

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Scrub Radius (cont'd.)
• Causes of incorrect scrub radius
– Lower profile tires and offset wheel rims
– Tires and wheels too tall installed on RWD
vehicle
– Bent front suspension member
– Damage to frame at crossmember

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Turning Radius
• When turning: outside wheel must travel in
wider arc than inside wheel
– Turning radius: alignment angle that controls arc
traveled
• Also called Ackermann angle
– Tires toe out during turn
• Steering arms are angled inward or outward

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Tracking
• Wheel base: distance between front and rear
tires
• Track: side-to-side distance between axle’s tires
– All four wheels should form an exact rectangle
• Tracking is off: car tries to steer to the side
– Front wheels try to follow direction of rear wheels
• Dog tracking: rear axle out of line to the right
– Causes steering to be aimed to the right

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Set-Back
• Amount that one front wheel is behind front
wheel on other side
– Measured in degrees
• Negative angle
– Wheel on left side is set back
• Cause vehicle to steer to left
• Cause brake pull

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Special Handling Characteristics
• Slip angle: during a turn for a tire to continue
turning in the same direction
– Amount of slip angle depends on:
• Weight exerted vertically on the tire
• Tire pressure and wheel alignment setting
• Positive camber
• Understeer: vehicle does not respond to
movement of steering wheel during hard turn
• Oversteer: vehicle turns too far in response to
steering wheel movement
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning