Posted on 9/16/2015
At 106 St. Tire & Wheel, we get a lot of questions about wheel alignments...so we thought it would be a good idea to set the record straight and clear up any misconceptions. Your car leaves the factory with the wheels set at specific angles for proper drivability, stability, and handling. The crucial alignment angles for the front wheels are toe-in/toe-out, referring to the direction in which a wheel points (relative to a dead-ahead straight line); caster, which refers to the position of the top of the wheel, and camber, which is the offset of the suspension relative to an imaginary vertical straight line behind the wheel. Many newer vehicles also are designed with adjustable rear suspensions, and a four-wheel alignment ensures that the rear wheels' “thrust angle” is at a proper relationship with the front wheels. There are only two major signs that can indicate improper wheel alignment. One is a persistent pull to the right or ... read more