The Tire Shop, Inc. - Alignments


Wheel alignment is the proper adjustment of ALL the interrelated suspension angles. In alignment terminology, these adjustment angles are called caster, camber, and toe-in. Camber: the inward or outward tilt of the wheel measured from top to bottom. Camber is adjusted to prevent excessive tire wear and to enhance straight ahead stability. It is measured in degrees and has several methods of adjustment Toe: is the difference in the distance measured on any axle between the leading edges and trailing edges of the wheel and tire assemblies at spindle height. This is the most critical tire wearing angle. The angle formed by a horizontal line through the plane of one wheel versus a centerline is called the individual toe. Caster: forward or rearward tilt of the steering knuckle pivot points, is also called the steering axis. Caster is measured in degrees, from the steering axis to vertical, as viewed from the side. It is computed in degrees by looking at the camber change of each wheel through a specified steer. There are three types of caster settings. Positive caster angle is when the top of the steering axis it tilted rearward. Negative caster angle is when the top of the steering axis is tilted forward. Negative caster can cause difficulty in returning out of a turn and wandering & weaving at high speeds. If the vehicle has unequal caster, it can cause the vehicle to pull from side to side. And zero degree caster is when the top of the steering axis is exactly vertical. Inspection of the tires can help in diagnosing some wheel alignment failures. The tire wear patterns associated with improper alignment include single shoulder wear, cupping and feather edging. Proper tire pressure is essential along with proper wheel alignment for extended tire wear. The correct pressure not only allows tires to perform at the standard for which they were designed, but is directly related to ride height. Remember that cold tires will register a slightly lower pressure than tires that are warm for usage. Tires with low pressure will wear both outer edges. Over inflation will wear the center of the tires.		JOHN BEAN IMAGE ALIGNERS Most complete alignment software in its class Using high resolution digital cameras and patented three dimensional modeling technology, the vertical planes of each of the vehicle's wheels as well as the plane is modeled from the center points of each spindle axis where the wheels attach to the vehicle. The geometric relationships of each individual wheel plane to each other and to the common vehicle plane determine the various measurements which form the basis for the vehicle's wheel alignment in three dimensions. The computer then compairs these measurements to the car manufacturers' specifications and tells the operator which angles need to be adjusted and by how much. This is done with live computerized modeling rather than gravity based measuring devices. The V3D imaging technology offers easier, faster and more accurate alignments.