Procedure that enhances the performance and longevity of
vehicle Tyres. The wheels are said to be out of alignment when the suspension and steering
system is not operating at their desired angles causing wear and tear of
suspension parts due to impact with puddles
Indications of misalignment
- Irregular Tyre wear
- Handling problems
- Crooked steering wheel
Camber angle-
When watching from front of the car if the wheels are not perpendicular
to the ground than wheels are said to have camber angle. If the distance
between top of the wheels is greater than bottom of wheels the camber angle is
said to be positive vice versa for negative camber
Benefits
- Negative camber is beneficial in racing and formula cars. If positive camber will be set in such cars then the car will try to roll during the cornering.
- Positive camber is beneficial in passenger or commercial vehicles. Such vehicles are made for carrying passenger or goods load. The weight over them straightens the positive camber hence increasing the grip of Tyre with road.
Steering axis inclination (SAI) OR kingpin inclination
When watching from front of the car if the axis of wheels
are not perpendicular to the ground than its said to have SAI angle
Benefits
- Decreases the scrub radius on the contact point of the Tyres hence decreasing steering effort and Tyre wear
- Self straightening of wheels when steering is released-Due to SAI when wheels are turned they lift the car a little hence resisting the wheel turning by the weight that is lifted
Toe Angle
When watching vehicle from the top if the wheel are not parallel
to each other they are said to have toe angle. If the wheels point toward the
centre line of vehicle the angle is said to be positive toe or toe-in and if the
wheels point away from the centre of vehicle the angle is said to be negative toe
or toe-out.
Toe-in benefits
Toe-in is usually kept in RWD cars to prevent the problem of
Fishtailing or over steer it keeps the car stable in the straight line on straight
path (straight line stability). Also at the time of cornering the body roll
transfers weight to exterior Tyres. Thus due to SAI angle (steer straightening by
weight) the Exterior Tyre straighten in the direction of turning hence reducing
turning ability. This is the reason most street cars have toe-in adjustment as
we don’t need instant turning in such vehicles.
Toe-out benefits
Toe-out is usually kept in FWD cars as the front Tyres
thrust in direction they are pointing creating the moment inward due to the
suspension arm thus straightens the wheels while vehicle is in motion. Also it
can increase the turning force during cornering. The inside Tyre will generate
drag force which creates the torque on the whole car and help turn it in the
correct direction. So the problem of under steer (usually in racing cars)
can be cured.
Caster Angle
Angle of steering axis with respect to the vertical axis,
when looking from the side of the vehicle. If the angle will be toward back of
the car or the steering axis touches the ground in-front of the Tyre's contact
patch (lead point) this caster angle is called as positive caster. Similarly,
if the angle will toward front of the car or the steering axis touches the
ground behind the Tyre's contact patch this caster angle is called as negative
caster
Pros and cons of caster
The positive caster tends to straighten the wheels when they
are travelling forward due the moment created at Tyre's contact patch by the
force at lead point. Thus gives the vehicle straight line stability. The
excessive caster angle can increase the steering effort
Negative caster can cause the vehicle to have poor
directional stability, make it tend wander and not return to centre.
2 comments:
So if my tires are worn on one side more than another, I probably have bad wheel alignment. This article makes it sound like that would put a bit of pressure on other parts of the car as well. Since I don't want to cause any damage on my car, I'll take it in to have the wheels aligned. http://www.tyrepowermiami.com.au/services
They can also result from an impact due to a pothole or braking. If the vehicle is pushing towards one side of the road. Best Wheel Alignment In Qatar , Contact US. +974 44512997, 50863355, Car Wheel Alignment and Balance Doha | Best Tires In Qatar
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