Is the car pulling while driving? Check wheel alignment
Especially in older cars, it is worth checking the alignment of the wheels and axles once a year. If it is incorrect, the car will not move properly and the tires will wear unevenly.
During the annual technical inspection of the car, the diagnostician checks the condition of the suspension, but does not check the geometry. Unfortunately, many drivers forget about the geometry check due to the positive result of the inspection.
Unfortunately, in every car, the suspension settings change automatically while driving and it is impossible to stop this process. Vibrations and shocks are transmitted to the entire system through the wheels, which over time leads to displacement and deformation of individual elements. The situation worsens slowly, gradually, but for example, as a result of hitting an obstacle with a wheel or entering a pit, the settings can change immediately. Checking the geometry, depending on the situation, may lead to the need to replace bearings, rocker arms, steering rods or stabilizer links.
Multiple Options
In the service, a specialist checks and adjusts the camber angles, the tilt of the kingpin and the extension of the kingpin. – Incorrect camber setting can cause uneven tire wear. When looking at the car from the front, this is the angle of rotation of the wheel from the vertical. It is positive when the upper part of the wheel protrudes more from the body. Then the outer part of the tire wears out faster, explains Krzysztof Sach from Res-Motors Service in Rzeszow.
On the other hand, the deviation of the lower part of the wheel by a negative angle leads to accelerated wear of the inner part of the tire. This is due to excessive vehicle pressure on that part of the tire. In order for the car to drive steadily and for the tires to wear equally on both sides, the wheels must lie flat on the road. In addition, a large difference between the camber angles causes the car to pull while driving.
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The second extremely important parameter is the kingpin angle. This determines the angle between the steering knuckle and the vertical perpendicular to the ground. Measured along the transverse axis of the vehicle. In the case of vehicles equipped with ball studs (hinges), this is a straight line passing through the axes of both joints when turning. – A very important parameter when adjusting is the turning radius, i.e. the distance between the points formed when passing through the plane of the axis of the steering knuckle and the camber, says Krzysztof Sach.
The radius is positive when the intersection points of these axes are below the road plane. On the other hand, when they are above the angle, the angle will be negative. The angle of the steering spindle is set simultaneously with the angle of rotation of the wheel.
Wheel stability, especially at high speeds and large turning radius, is greatly influenced by the steering angle. Overtaking creates a stabilizing moment. We are talking about a positive angle when the point of intersection of the axis of rotation with the road is in front of the point of contact of the tire with the ground. If, on the other hand, the point of intersection of the axle pin with the road is after the point of contact of the tire with the road, the angle has a negative value. The correct setting of this parameter leads to the automatic return of the wheels immediately after the turn.
