WHEEL ALIGNMENT

Having the appropriate adjustments will maximize the life of your tires. In a nutshell, wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they're perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The purpose of having the appropriate adjustments is the maximize tire life. In short, you want a vehicle that tracks straight and true when you are driving alone a straight and level road.

CAMBER

Camber is the inward (negative) tilt of wheels when viewing the vehicle from the front. If the top of the wheels is leaning out from the center of the vehicle, then the camber is positive, if its leaning in, the the camber is negative. Excessive positive or negative camber causes wear onthe outside or inside tread of the wheel (one-side wear). Use of the king point offset improves steering ease.

POSITIVE CAMBER - Outward Tilt viewed from the front

NEGATIVE CAMBER - Inward Tilt viewed from the front

TOE

The toe measurement is the difference in the distance between the front of the tires and the back of the tires. Since tires with camber have a tendency to slant inward or outward (camber thrust) when viewed from above, tires are set as close as possible to zero. Toe-in means that the front of the tires are closer to each other than the rear. Toe-out is just the opposite, tires with excessive toe-in or toe-out suffer more readily form feathering. The toe position will vary depending on the driver system and the type of suspension as well as between the front and rear wheels. Tires suffer from feather edge wear when improperly aligned.

KING PIN OFFSET (Inclination)

The KING PIN OFFSET is the distance from the point where the suspension axis intersects the fround to the longitudinal line that runs thruough the center of the tire's contact patch. The KING PIN OFFSET affects the vehicle's steering, braking and handling characteristics. The example, steering handling becomes lighter as the KING PIN angle narrows. Allows, KING PIN angle has a major impact on the ability of the steering wheel to return to its start position.

CASTER

Caster is the degree (as represented in an angle) to which a wheel i situated ahead of or behind the top mount. It ensures the force, which attempts to restore the wheels direction to the straightforward direction when the steering wheel is turned.