Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment, sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard vehicle maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the manufacturers specification. If wheel alignment is off, tyre life is shortened while car and mileage performance also decrease.

At Clarkes Tyres, we offer computerised 4 wheel laser alignment which ensures your vehicles wheel alignment is the same as the day it left the showroom.

Types of Wheel Alignment

 

Caster

Definition of Caster is the angle created by steering axis and vertical line to the ground when viewed from the side. Caster is positive if the axis is angled backward, and negative if forward. Typically, positive caster will make the vehicle more stable at high speeds.

Camber

Definition of Camber is the angle created by steering axis and vertical line to the ground when viewed from the front or rear. If the top of the tire is farther out than the bottom (that is, away from the axle), it is called positive camber; if the bottom of the tire is farther out than the top, it is called negative camber; if the tire stands perfectly vertical, it is called neutral camber.

With the development of suspension and vehicle technology, most vehicles today have negative camber, which increases outer tire’s contact area and provides stable cornering performance.

Toe

Definition of Toe is the angle created by tire direction and vehicle direction when viewed from the upper. If the tire’s front is inward, it’s called Toe-in; if outward, called Toe-out. Too much toe-out usually causes fast wear on tire’s inner surface of tread. And Too much toe-in causes fast wear on outer surface of tread in reverse. Both cases results in worse riding comfort and less fuel efficiency.

Information: Hankook