Wheel"Alignment" Service"
Contents
1. ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 6 Measuring to be sure the left and right sides of the vehicle are of equal height If this measurement is not equal side to side by as little as 1 8 inch 3 mm it can affect the handling of the vehicle ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 7 The bulge in this tire was not noticed until it was removed from the vehicle as part of a routine brake inspection After replacing this tire the vehicle stopped pulling and vibrating ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 8 Equal outer CV joint angles produce equal steer torque toe in If one side receives more engine torque that side creates more toe in and the result is a pull toward one side especially during acceleration DME ATER SITTER TOMA TIERA PONGuT VUNUT pe On QE NE ONEETER COME MME m COUA Ds BOMH EDIS VOrRELE AIRES huc ug pt i H viene Tord FOOOUCED GY OUTER CY 2067 AGLI ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 9 Broken or defective engine or transaxle mounts can cause the powertrain to sag causing unequal drive axle shaft CV joint angles STPOnNGIN OGM Mw rne STEER TORQUE UMDOLML DIVE AMOLES ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service CHART 52 1 FRACTIONS et VW ya ALWAYS LEARNIN2. ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 44 An aftermarket camber shim can be added to change the front camber on this Honda ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 45 An aftermarket kit for this Ford is installed at the top of the strut tower and allows more camber and caster adjustment than is possible with the factory adjustment ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 46 A typical tire temperature pyrometer The probe used is a needle that penetrates about 1 4 inch 7 mm into the tread of the tire for most accurate readings ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 16 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 47 Jig holes used at the assembly plant to locate suspension and drivetrain components Check service information for the exact place to measure and the specified dimensions when checking for body or frame damage ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 1 Begin the alignment procedure by first driving the vehicle onto the alignment rack as straight as possible ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 2 Position the front tires in the center of the turn plates These turn plates can be moved inward and outward to match a vehicle of any width x ee T T ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSO
3. the strut rod bushing then the length of the rod can be adjusted to change caster Lhe rah om reperres erat BOOTS CUNMECT cagron B ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 11 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 32 Placing shims between the frame and the upper control arm pivot shaft is a popular method of alignment for many SLA suspensions Both camber and caster can be easily changed by adding or removing shims nr e war f a Tareas iaut to crane I Sar n O T ee one Lod Pomm Center S Adta Ceseeeh pa alip Genes Peer n MALOL PORT Sias anp peme M mort eee Puent Cralpe ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 33 The general rule of thumb is that a 1 8 inch shim added or removed from both shim locations changes the camber angle about 1 2 degree Adding or removing a 1 8 inch shim from one shim location changes the caster by about 1 4 degree ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 34 Some SLA type suspensions use slotted holes for alignment angle adjustments When the pivot shaft bolts are loosened the pivot shaft is free to move unless held by special clamps as shown By turning the threaded portion of the clamps the camber and caster can be set and checked before tightening the pivot shaft bolts HPPEN Contec aru ADAG TMEMT TOOL Bb ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 12 chapte
4. G PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 10 This alignment chart indicates the preferred setting with a plus or minus tolerance WHEEL ALJOMMERT SPER ANONS ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 11 Using the alignment rack hydraulic jacks raise the tires off the rack so that they can be rotated as part of the compensating process ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 12 An optical type wheel sensor Compensation is achieved by simply rolling the vehicle backward and forward ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 13 If toe for an oversize tire is set by distance the toe angle will be too small Toe angle is the same regardless of tire size pa SIANDAAL umi eje DPUERACE Lae werrute pranan wes Ounwairr ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 14 The protractor scale on the front turn plates allows the technician to test the turning radius by tuming one wheel to an angle specified by the manufacturer and observing the angle of the other front wheel Most newer alignment machines can display tuming angle based on sensor readings and therefore the protractor scale on the turn plate is not needed or used ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 15 By ch
5. N 17 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 3 Raise the vehicle and position the alignment rack following the rack manufacturer s instructions ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 4 Check and adjust tire pressures and perform the pre alignment checks necessary to be assured of proper alignment ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 5 Select the exact vehicle on the alignment machine ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 18 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 6 Securely mount the alignment heads or target wheels ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 7 If mounting a transmitter type alignment head be sure to attach the retaining wire to the tire valve ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 8 After installation of the heads follow the specified procedure for compensation which allows accurate alignment readings ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 19 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 9 Polling compensation is used on machines that use lasers and wheel targets Moa g soye o Omn ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 10 An alignment reading is displayed even though caster has not yet been measured The readings marked in re
6. RSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 17 One last adjustment of the left front toe is needed to achieve a perfect alignment The final alignment reading can be printed and attached to the work order ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 22 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 18 After disconnecting all of the attachments reinstalling the valve caps and removing the steering wheel holder the vehicle should be test driven to check for proper alignment before retuming it to the customer ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 23
7. ce FIGURE 52 19 Thrust line alignment sets the front toe parallel with the rear wheel toe CLOETE CENTERLINE ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 20 Four wheel alignment corrects for any rearwheel toe to make the thrust line and the geometric centerline of the vehicle both the same Geomrmnc CENTEREMNE ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 21 The rear camber is adjustable on this vehicle by rotating the eccentric cam and watching the alignment machine display FOCANTIIC cau ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 22 Some vehicles use a threaded fastener similar to a tie rod to adjust camber on the rear suspension CALEN ADJUSTER _ KNUCHLE CONTROL AMW ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 23 Aftermarket alignment parts or kits are available to change the rear camber cies ee ave chess d omer OOUT anne ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 24 Full contact plastic or metal shims can be placed between the axle housing and the brake backing plate to change rear camber toe or both AP TENMASAET uuv ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 25 The rear toe was easily set on this vehicle The adjusting nuts were easy to
8. chapter A CV ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 1 Positive camber The dotted line represents true vertical and the solid line represents the angle of the wheel amis ce Taa VERTICAL NEPUNE ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 2 Positive caster ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 3 Toe in also called positive toe ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 4 Typical tire wear chart as found in a service manual Abnormal tire wear usually indicates a fault in a steering or suspension component that should be corrected or replaced before an alignment is performed T s Ae Oe ALAA UW Lan ee ranr A Tea Wes Te ee Cree OTe OAC TO NAPE TO PORER Loe free ee OP Pet IN OEteet were ter wa eT ee alee om wer Lode Pph eco at tee beet Gott ee inba tmy wer AST Tee ETPP wOna brin uet Ey han ses kiru mia ees ann F palt PUTE 7 KLAL IPTD EPPES Are ees Caen Ov nVa aatra mana pe COPENTE OF Tt Orley PLE bens wes aa a ee Oe mre ie tower wre 14 TLE TORE OE Le thee t OME TS a PETTY GOOR 14 CAT pe a COMED OF TER na pcm jv ER 44 ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 5 Measuring points for ride trim height vary by manufacturer
9. d indicate that they are not within specifications ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 11 Before performing a caster sweep install a brake pedal depressor to keep the front wheels from rotating when the steering wheel is tumed ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 20 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 12 Perform the caster sweep by turning the front wheels inward and then outward following the instructions on the screen ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 13 Most alignment machines will display where to make the alignment correction and will often include drawings and live action videos that show the procedure ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 14 The rear toe is being adjusted by rotating the eccentric cam on the lower control arm while watching the display ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 21 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 15 The alignment machine display indicates that front caster is not a factory adjustable angle The manufacturer does not Specify a front CASTER adjustment ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service UNFIGURE 52 16 Adjusting the front toe on this vehicle involves loosening the jam nut left wrench and rotating the tie rod using the right wrench ALWAYS LEARNING PEA
10. ecking the SAI camber and included angle a damaged suspension component can be determined by using this chart ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 16 In this example both SAI and camber are far from being equal side to side However both sides have the same included angle indicating that the frame may be out of alignment An attempt to align this vehicle by adjusting the camber on both sides with either factory or aftermarket kits would result in a totally incorrect alignment LEFT RAL 8 AOOO O NA F LEFT CAMBE J ANOLE UT MGMT CAMBER F a s I ap aj a je j f VEHICLE CONTE ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 17 This is the same vehicle as shown in Figure 52 16 except now the frame cradle has been shifted over and correctly positioned Notice how both the SAI and camber become equal without any other adjustments necessary LAPT SA tz mLoneN TBAT OIRN LEFT CaMuEm 9 AWOLA 19 K o 5 t i p e a VUIT CENTE MUNE BIBRA Ceure te ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 18 Geometric centerline type alignment sets the front toe readings based on the geometric centerline of the vehicle and does not consider the thrust line of the rear wheel toe angles S2OMe hie CENTERLINE ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Servi
11. ett Quart wo DUTEA IDO WOT GI THE OG ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 39 Toe is adjusted on a parallelogram type steering linkage by turning adjustable tie rod sleeves Special tie rod sleeve adjusting tools should be used that grip the slot in the sleeve and will not crush the sleeve while it is being rotated MED RIIET Iw NHA LEP heen hanye SAND DLEE VE TUNG OOWwWRER TUM UPWARD Tum DOWWARD PLAN UMMAN TD COC anr TU MCL AGE TU eC ee Ate 2U DOCAA Abd HOO LANU BOO LIEG moo uw PDN Lawuth ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 40 Special tie rod adjusting tools should be used to rotate the tie rod adjusting sleeves The tool grips the slot in the sleeve and allows the service technician to rotate the sleeve without squeezing or damaging the sleeve ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 41 Most vehicles have alignment marks made at the factory on the steering shaft and steering wheel to help the service technician keep the steering wheel in the center position ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 42 A puller being used to remove a steering wheel after the steering wheel retaining nut has been removed ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 43 The toe in on the right wheel creates a turning force toward the right
12. get to and tum Adjusting rear toe is not this easy on every vehicle ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 26 By moving various rear Suspension members the rear toe can be changed ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 27 The use of these plastic or metal shims requires that the rear wheel as well as the hub assembly and or backing plate be removed Proper torque during reassembly is critical to avoid damage to the shims ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 28 Many struts allow camber adjustment at the strut to knuckle fasteners Here a special tool is being used to hold and move the strut into alignment with the fasteners loosened Once the desired camber angle is achieved the strut nuts are tightened and the tool is removed smut ANREP WELY ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 10 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 29 Some struts require modification of the upper mount for camber adjustment ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 30 An example of the many methods that are commonly used to adjust front caster and camber wate tee ee t oe ee te ts ee at Sie ee ee te en ee es ee o ee oe eee ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 31 If there is a nut on both sides of
13. r 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 35 When the nut is loosened and the bolt on the eccentric cam is rotated the upper control arm moves in and out By adjusting both eccentric cams both camber and caster can be adjusted tceco came urver ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 36 Typical shim alignment chart As noted 1 8 inch 0 125 shims can be substituted for the 0 120 inch shims 1 82 inch 0 0625 shims can be substituted for the 0 060 inch shims and 1 32 inch 0 03125 shims can be substituted for the 0 030 inch shims i t t i 3 bee t T j ta HIMNIN jus u HIN SIN LLS ji izi TOSEIE 4 gt 4 PO EE TL EAE dred bi bade f t EEU TIA JE pipe te ul nie wali JUF TWE ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 37 Many procedures for setting toe specify that the steering wheel be held in the straight ahead position using a steering wheel lock as shown One method recommended by Hunter Engineering sets toe without using a steering wheel lock ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON 13 chapter 52 Wheel Alignment Service FIGURE 52 38 Adjusting toe by rotating the tie rod on a vehicle equipped with rack and pinion steering LODSE OID an FARVANN GOUN pereg San petne es E OD ERD PN eee TMG g wor
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