12/21/2023 0 Comments Front end alignmentPositive camber, like positive caster, affects straight-ahead stability and steering wheel return. Normal camber angles have little visible effect on tire wear, but extreme camber causes noticeably abnormal tire wear and shortens tire life. Engineers design small amounts of positive or negative camber into vehicle suspensions to aid handling and steering. Positive camber causes the outer tread of the tire to wear more than the inner tread negative camber has the opposite effect. Zero camber-a perfectly vertical wheel and tire-causes the least tire wear. If the top of the tire tilts inward, the camber angle is negative. If the tire appears to tilt outward at the top, the camber angle is positive. Like caster, camber is measured in degrees of an angle. CamberĬamber is the tilt of the wheel from true vertical as viewed from the front of the vehicle. Remember this when troubleshooting a complaint of vehicle pull or wander. If caster is unequal from side to side, the vehicle will pull toward the side with less positive (or more negative) caster. Extremely negative caster and the related shimmy can contribute to cupped wear of the front tires. Too little caster can make steering unstable and cause wheel shimmy. Power steering allows the use of more positive caster than would be acceptable with manual steering. On the other hand, positive caster increases the effort needed to turn the wheel. A normal amount of positive caster provides stability and makes the steering wheel straighten out after turning. High positive caster makes the front wheels want to go straight ahead. Caster is not measured for rear wheels.Ĭaster affects straightline stability and steering wheel return. If the steering axis tilts forward, the caster angle is negative. If the steering axis tilts backward-that is, the upper ball joint or strut mounting point is behind the lower ball joint-the caster angle is positive. Caster is measured in degrees of an angle. CasterĬaster is the tilt of the steering axis of each front wheel as viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, let's review these basic alignment angles with an eye toward typical complaints and troubleshooting. Before you plunge into system diagnosis, take a moment to think about the system operating principles. Troubleshooting a complaint about vehicle handling, ride or vibration starts with knowing what a particular alignment angle does and how all the angles work together. All alignment angles are directional control angles, which means they affect steering and vehicle control. Caster and setback are not tire-wear angles unless extremely out of specification. Because camber is related to steering axis inclination, SAI also can be considered a tire-wearing angle. If they're incorrect, the tires will wear unevenly and faster than normal. Tire Wear & Directional ControlĬamber, toe and toe-out on turns are tire-wear angles. Rear wheel camber and toe also must be checked for a four-wheel alignment. When we move from two-wheel to four-wheel alignment, we add setback and the vehicle thrust angle into the equation. Traditionally, five alignment angles are checked at the front wheels-caster, camber, toe, steering axis inclination (SAI) and toe-out on turns. ![]() Wheel alignment integrates all the factors of steering and suspension geometry to provide safe handling, good ride quality and maximum tire life.įront wheel alignment is described in terms of angles formed by steering and suspension components. Modern steering and suspension systems are great examples of solid geometry at work.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |