Alignments

Wheel alignment sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker's specification. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear, and to ensure that vehicle travel is straight and true (without "pulling" to one side). Alignment angles can also be altered beyond the maker's specifications to obtain a specific handling characteristic. Motorsport and off-road applications may call for angles to be adjusted well beyond "normal" for a variety of reasons.

The primary angles are the basic angle alignment of the wheels relative to each other and to the car body. These adjustments are the camber, caster and toe. On some cars, not all of these can be adjusted on every wheel.

These three parameters can be further categorized into front and rear, so summarily the parameters are:

Front: Caster (left & right)
Front: Camber (left & right)
Front: Toe (left, right & total)
Rear: Camber (left & right)
Rear: Toe (left, right & total)
Rear: Thrust angle

The secondary angles include numerous other adjustments, such as:

SAI (Steering Axis Inclination) (left & right)
Included angle (left & right)
Toe out on turns (left & right)
Maximum Turns (left & right)
Toe curve change (left & right)
Track width difference
Wheelbase difference
Front ride height (left & right)
Rear ride height (left & right)
Frame angle

Setback (front & rear) is often referred as a wheel alignment angle. However setback simply exists because of the measuring system and does not have any specification from car manufacturers.

The certified mechanics at Winkler Automotive use computerized alignments machines and will correct wheel angles on the front and rear of the vehicles. Please contact us today for an appointment.

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