In the modern age, it's human nature to turn to Google when you're experiencing issues with, well, anything.
When you're having trouble with your suspension setup, you could end up down a rabbit hole of forums and websites offering their thoughts and possible solutions. It can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you're not an expert on the finer details of your race car.
Your overall performance is tied to every component of your car working optimally, and once you've tuned your race suspension, there are common issues that might crop up. Fixing them doesn't need to be complicated. It will take some experimentation, but that's the fun part! The result is a car that handles how you want it to.
Successfully setting up a racing suspension depends on the driver's preferences. Common racing suspension issues can lead to frustration and loss of time and money.
Some drivers like a loose suspension and can handle a vehicle that moves around more, while others need a more stable platform.
Which one are you?
The only way to find out is through trial and error. Below are 6 of the most common racing suspension issues and possible solutions.
1. "It's a Rough Ride."
If your complaint is about a rough ride, there are a couple of things to think about. Generally, it's because the springs are too stiff or too soft.
SpringsCars sprung too softly will hammer the bump stop or even ride on the bump stop. When springs are too soft, you're more likely to bottom out - especially if you already like your ride height low.
Conversely, there's a misconception that stiff springs will make your car faster. A stiffly run car and a suspension that doesn't move isn't compliant most of the time.
Lastly, with no suspension, your tires have to do all the suspension work and can't create the maximum mechanical grip.
ShocksStiffer shock rates slow spring movements, while a softer shock rate allows the spring to move faster.
If a shock is too stiff, it can cause the tire contact patch to bounce off the road surface over bumps, making your car feel less predictable.
However, too soft shocks will make the body of your car bounce after hitting a bump or rut. How do you find the right balance?
SolutionYou need your springs to be soft enough to maintain contact with the track and provide a ride that strikes the right balance between comfort and performance. Race tracks tend to be smoother than regular roads, so a slightly stiffer setup would work.
Stiffer springs will make your chassis more responsive, improving lateral grip, and reducing travel.
You could also experiment with raising your ride height to avoid bottoming out.
Low-speed compression is essential for stability. With stiffer low-speed compression, you can have a softer spring rate offering more mechanical grip. It's a trade-off.
You could also choose speed and mechanical grip around a corner and put up with a bump.
Some drivers are OK with that. There are specific sectors or areas of the track in any race condition where you can gain an advantage. Sometimes focusing on the handling in these sections can lead to lower lap times. That doesn't necessarily mean you will handle better at every corner, but sometimes maximizing one area will make you faster than your competition.
If the ride does feel too stiff, you can soften the compression damping, meaning your suspension will be more compliant, move around a bit more, and give you a more subtle feel.
Tire temperature is an excellent indication of being too stiff or soft. Stiffer setups tend to increase tire temperature quicker, typically giving the tire a shorter life span. Where softer, more compliant setups take longer to increase tire temperatures but increase the tire's life cycle.
2. "My Car Feels Soft."
An unbalanced suspension lets your car move around too much, especially on corners.
If your car is too softly sprung, you can't control the attitude of the car or the load on each corner.
Low-speed damping that's too soft coupled with a low spring rate makes for an unstable car.
A stiff spring needs the proper shock. If the car feels soft, increase the spring rate. If a stiffer spring feels better from a mechanical grip point of view and feels more stable, both will help your performance.
Sometimes a faster car isn't a better handling car, and the "balance" is typically more important for driver feel. A well-balanced car might be faster for an overall lap vs. a car with optimized handling that is not comfortable.
You could experiment with added preload, increase spring rates, or try a spring rubber.
Get comfortable and confident first, then worry about optimizing damping. Compression or rebound will affect how the car handles and tire wear. Your best bet is to try making adjustments and testing, working from a baseline until you find the optimum setup.
3. "My Brakes Don't Feel Stable."
Braking can sometimes be an afterthought because drivers think about going faster, not slowing down.
But braking effectively and efficiently is essential, especially going into corners.
When you don't have enough front compression, you might nosedive as you enter a corner because you're transferring weight very quickly to the front of the car and overloading the front tires.
SolutionIncrease the front compression to limit weight transference. Springs and shocks go hand in hand, so you could also increase the spring rate on your front springs to limit nosediving.
Rear Pitching upIf you nose dive, the rear of your car will pitch up, which could be a combination of not enough front compression or not enough rear rebound.
SolutionIncrease rear rebound and front compression, and try them independently. If you change both simultaneously, you won't know which one helped.
Setup is too StiffIf your whole setup is too stiff, the suspension doesn't move or dive when you brake, and your tires become instantly loaded.
Once the tires meet the maximum load they can handle, they will lose grip.
Soften springs and compression damping.
4. "I'm Struggling With Understeer."
Turning the steering wheel harshly or at speed might result in your front tires losing traction, forcing the nose of the car to slide wide across the track or 'push,' typically as you approach a corner.
A corner comprises three different sections: Entry, Mid-corner/Apex, and Exit. If you don't go into the corner well, you won't recover well.
As you enter a corner, you'll start to steer and apply the brakes, loading the front end of the car. If your front compression is too stiff and you load the front tires too quickly, when you turn the wheel, you've reached the maximum weight the tires can take, and they won't grip, causing your car to slide.
SolutionMake everything softer on the front by reducing low-speed compression and making the front springs softer, allowing the front to move slightly more.
As you enter the corner, the weight transfers to the car's front, but when you move into the corner's apex, the weight will start shifting to the car's rear.
SolutionIncrease front rebound to stop weight transferring too quickly to the rear and losing grip in the front, allowing you to turn. Decreasing the rear rebound would have a similar effect.
Exit UndersteerOnce you're back on the throttle, through the apex, and trying to steer, the car might not go where you want it to go. Your front rebound might be too stiff, making the front end feel like it's locked down because there's no weight transference.
SolutionReduce front rebound and retest. If you reduce the rebound too much, the weight will transfer backward too quickly, meaning your front tires lose traction.
Increase rear compression if the weight transfers too quickly. Make the balance better, but be warned, you'll take grip away from the tires, and it's usually driver-dependent.
5. "Oversteer is a Problem."
Oversteer is when your car rotates more than the angle requested by your steering input, causing the rear tires to slide sideways as you enter a corner.
Entry OversteerFront compression is too soft. As you brake entering a corner, and the car pitches forward, the rear of your vehicle will feel light and, as you turn, want to come around.
SolutionIncrease front compression, especially low-speed, to make it a little stiffer and slow down weight transference. Stiffening your front springs has a similar effect.
Apex OversteerAs you get back to the throttle, if the rear springs are too stiff, the rear tire can't take the same load as it does in the front and gives you the loose condition.
SolutionDecrease front rebound and soften your rear compression or spring rate. Remember, some drivers like a loose car and can control using the throttle; others don't.
Once you're back on the throttle and you hit it hard, you need to reduce the front rebound to allow you to load the rear tires harder by transferring the weight. If you can't load the rear tires, you'll lose traction.
SolutionReduce front rebound and reduce rear compression. How much will come down to making minor adjustments and testing. Find a balance.
6. "My Racecar Isn't Handling Well."
Lack of confidence in your car's setup leads to poor performance. Finding the right balance between stiff and soft springs and suspension is paramount.
The wrong setup also leads to tire wear. Aggressive, stiff suspension burns your tires up, and too-soft suspension doesn't allow your tire temperature to reach optimum levels, meaning loss of grip.
When your car is underdamped/overdamped and not controlling the sudden input, you won't feel confident that you can handle the car.
A compliant setup. Your suspension should fully absorb the impact of any bump at any speed to keep your tires in contact with the track. You can achieve the desired setup by testing and retesting. In our experience, springs and shocks are often set up too stiff.
Another often overlooked element is the sway bar. They help your car handle turns and prevent body lean, but they're like a band-aid. They can also mask what you're trying to do with your shocks and springs.
Sometimes it might be worth disconnecting the sway bar to see if it improves drivability. If you don't get results from adjusting shocks and springs, take the bar away and see if the driver notices improvements.
It Takes a Team Effort
Now that you know the most common racing suspension issues, the best way to overcome them is by working with suspension experts to optimize your setup. Just buying the right parts isn't the whole solution.
This detailed webinar sheds more light on common racing suspension issues and how to solve them.
Not everyone is familiar with the terminology associated with wheel alignments. While you may not find it necessary to become acquainted with terms such as camber, caster, and toe, it is beneficial to understand the workings of these three major alignment parameters. Proper wheel alignment is essential to maintaining vehicle and tire longevity, while also ensuring that your ride is both safe and comfortable.
Camber is the angle of the wheel relative to the vertical of the vehicle, and depending on the tilt, is either considered positive camber or negative camber. When the top of the tires tilt away from the center of the vehicle you have positive camber, and when the top of the tires are tilted inward you have negative camber.
One isn't better than the other, but varying camber angles have different effects on your vehicle.
Depending on the type of vehicle that you drive, a little positive or negative camber can be useful, but too much of either is both dangerous and bad for your tires. All vehicle manufacturers will provide exact specifications for appropriate camber. Technicians will use these angles to properly align the camber. If you think that your vehicle is due for an alignment, you can (call the store for an appointment).
Caster is the angle that identifies the forward or backward slope of a line that is drawn through the upper and lower steering pivot points.
It does not affect tire wear, but caster does have an influence on the directional control of the steering. Caster angle settings allow manufacturers to balance steering effort, high speed stability, and front end cornering effectiveness.
Positive and negative caster mainly apply to race cars, and unless your vehicle is lifted or customized in some way that calls for an adjustment, street cars usually run on factory determined settings.
Toe is a measurement that determines how much the front and/or rear wheels are turned in or out from a straight-ahead position. The amount of toe, whether it's toe-in or toe-out, is expressed as the difference between the track widths as they are measured at the leading and trailing edges of the tires. Toe is expressed in degrees or fractions of an inch, and while your wheels should be pointed directly ahead as you are traveling straight forward, there are some benefits to toeing depending on the type of vehicle that you drive.
The purpose of toe is to ensure that all four wheels roll parallel to one another. However, race cars use toe-out to promote enhanced turning ability. Street cars, or basic passenger cars, use toe-in because there is no need to corner quickly. Toe-in also provides increased stability because it discourages turning. If your vehicle has the proper amount of toe you should experience ideal straight line stability, corner entry, and very little tire wear.
So, in a rut, the steering wheel rips out of your hands, when driving straight the ATV goes to the right or left, you notice uneven tire wear or you see that one or both wheels sharply go to the side with the steering wheel set straight - all these are clear signs that that it's time for toe and camber adjustment .
It should be noted that on some ATVs only the convergence is regulated, and the camber is set by the manufacturer.
Getting rid of the problem.
There are many ways, we will try to talk about the most obvious and intuitive.
Which nuts to turn?
#1 Loosen nuts; No. 2 Toe adjustment (turn the tie rod itself with a wrench; No. 3 camber adjustment;
Attention! You do not need to hang the ATV, adjust it on a flat surface without holes and hills, set the steering wheel straight.
Visually we try to evaluate the wheels in front, look at the eye, it will immediately become clear which wheel goes to the side more and which one less. Sometimes adjusting by eye is enough, if we want everything according to science, then we move on.
Method 1
On the rim, on the very edge from the inside, on both sides of each wheel, near the shoulder, we make marks with a marker so that the marks are parallel to the ground.
With the help of a simple ruler, we set the convergence, we rest the ruler against the marks and measure the front and back along the marks.
A ruler is a pipe inserted into a pipe of a larger diameter, at its ends there are L-shaped stops (curved so that the bottom of the ATV does not interfere), with which we will rest against the marks.
For convenience, we fasten the tape measure onto the ruler and look at the numbers, the shiny bolt is the lock, rested on the marks in front and fixed it, looked at the numbers and repeated the procedure on the back of the wheels.
We loosen the locking nuts on the steering rods, turn the rods in one direction or another, twisted and measured a bit, realized that it was a little or a lot, we turn further. Wheel alignment is measured between the edges of the rim. The wheels should be as in the figure below, the difference between A and B should be 0-3mm (less in front and more in the back). Universal convergence is made 0 mm.
After we lock the nuts and try to drive, perhaps the steering wheel will be a little crooked, and the quad will drive smoothly. We loosen the lock nuts again and turn the rods for the same number of revolutions, thereby aligning the steering wheel, but without touching the convergence.
Nothing needs to be adjusted on the rear suspension.
Method 2
1. Set the steering wheel to straight ahead.
2. Place the stands in front of the ATV perpendicular to the rear wheels as shown.
3. Stretch the elastic band around the ATV legs so that it just touches the rear wheels lightly.
4. Measure the distance between the tensioned tape and the front and rear points on the front wheel rim. The distance to the far point on the rim should be 2 - 3 mm greater than the distance to the near point on the same rim.
You yourself could see for yourself that there is nothing complicated in adjusting the toe and camber on an ATV, and you yourself are quite capable of doing it without resorting to the services of a car service. So we put the saved money in our pocket and happy and satisfied we go for a ride.
"Carburet setting...
Wheel chains... "
Camber-toe adjustment stand
To carry out the operation, you will need the following tools and components:
First, set the wheels to the straight position. We adjust the steering wheel, standing on the side of the car and watching the wheels. We make chalk marks on the top and bottom of the wheel in diameter.
Next, take a plumb line and apply it to the wing, measuring the distance from the top and bottom edges of the disk to the place where the plumb line is applied.
The difference between the distances must be plus/minus 3 mm.
After that, you will need to roll the car a little forward so that the chalk marks turn 90 degrees. We repeat the measurement again, in the same way as before.
The video explains what wheel alignment is and how it is adjusted:
This repeated procedure is carried out in order to measure cleanliness, because neither the wing, nor the platform, nor the wheel itself can be considered an ideally even reference point.
The wheel must then be removed. And then loosen the bolts securing the steering knuckle bracket and shock absorber. After that, the steering knuckle must be moved outward or inward by the distance that we received in the measurement process.
Then put the wheel and bracket back in place.
This procedure will help you set the correct camber angle. And even here, errors are allowed, but they must be as follows:
Alignment-camber is also carried out by adjusting the toe-in. To do this, use a special telescopic ruler. Again, you need to work on a perfectly flat area and set the wheels in the “straight” direction.
Now on the inside of the tire, closer to the disk, we put chalk marks. We set the ruler in such a way that it does not touch any parts of the suspension, bodywork, etc., but rests with the ends against the marks. Then we fix the line. In this case, "0" will need to be compared with a fixed scale indicator.
Video - how to do wheel alignment correctly:
We roll the car a little forward, and the ruler moves back, again without touching any details. We check the evidence. If the distance between the wheels has become smaller, you need to shorten the steering rods. If it has become more, the tie rods need to be lengthened. The length of the rods is adjusted using a special clutch.
Adjustment carried out in this way will allow you to safely reach the nearest workshop.
Wheel alignment has long ceased to be a problem for motorists. Almost every service station has equipment that performs the required amount of work to adjust the geometry of the wheels.
Modern stands on which work is carried out are of several types:
The equipment provides quick and precise adjustment of the wheel geometry with the output of the results to the car enthusiast (what happened before the repair, and how it happened after). In this case, the total setup time takes no more than a few minutes.
The main thing is to find a service station with experienced specialists who know how to handle specialized equipment.
Owners of car services often buy equipment for wheel alignment installation, but there are no competent craftsmen to service it.
Many car enthusiasts adjust their wheel geometry by hand.
One of the methods can be used here:
The most common option is with a telescopic ruler and plumb bob.
You also need a regular ruler, chalk and a set of wrenches to complete the job.
First adjust the camber and then the toe.
All operations are carried out in a garage, which saves money and nerves. The disadvantage is a high measurement error - 1 mm in one direction and the other.
Read more on this topic here https://autotopik.ru/remont/513-razval-shozhdenie-koles-svoimi-rukami.html.
On VAZ 2101, 2103 cars, these works are performed as follows.
Before you start adjusting the camber and toe angles, it is imperative to check the chassis of the car. If repairs are needed, then alignment is pointless. Steering and suspension must be in perfect order.
Pay attention to three points on which the wheel alignment on the car depends very much:
Be sure to check the tire pressure before adjusting the wheel alignment and make sure that you accidentally left a couple of bags of potatoes or cement in the trunk
To avoid unnecessary camber and toe-in adjustments after suspension repair, mark all disconnectable joints relative to each other before disassembling the suspension.
This is best done with a chisel, core or paint. It is also necessary to count the number of revolutions when turning out the tips from the steering rods.
Camber adjustment is performed in the following order (we remind you that in our case, the steps are described for a VAZ 2109 car):
Rear wheel drive vehicles should have a camber angle of +1/+3mm, while front wheel drive vehicles should have a camber range of -1 to +1mm.
To adjust the toe angle, it is most convenient to measure with a special telescopic ruler with a scale.
Toe adjustment ruler
It is more convenient to work in the pit. The steering wheel must be in the straight ahead position.
Before adjusting the toe, on the inside of the wheels, make one mark with chalk on the left and right tires as close as possible to the rims.
After creating a preload in the ruler, install it with the ends resting on the marked points so that its body does not touch the bodywork and suspension parts.
Gently shake the ruler, on the movable scale align the “zero” with the fixed pointer
Fix the scale.
Carefully roll the vehicle forward so that the ruler moves back along with the wheels without touching the suspension or body parts.
Check the readings .. If on the VAZ 2109 the distance between the wheels at the back is less than at the front, then the tie rods must be shortened, and if more, then lengthen
and if more, then lengthen it.
Look in turn from the side of each front wheel to the alignment of each rear. With the steering wheel spoke horizontally, you can easily see whether or not both wheels are offset to the left or right. If the displacement is clearly noticeable, then by unscrewing one rod and twisting the other by the same number of revolutions, correct the displacement.
After adjusting the wheel alignment with your own hands, you should think about which wheels to choose: stamped or cast? It is believed that alloy wheels significantly reduce the load on the suspension, while stamped wheels are more practical.
VAZ 2107 wheel alignment must be checked as planned or after an accident, when the first signs of deviation from the norm appear.
It is better that the adjustment is made by specialists at the service, but this procedure can also be done by yourself. The main thing is to do everything as carefully and carefully as possible.
The described definition is understood as the angle of inclination of the VAZ 2107 wheel vertically. If the top is tilted outward, then there is positive camber. Accordingly, if the element is inclined inward, then such an angle has a “-” sign and is called negative camber.
The second part of the wording "camber toe" means that while the car is moving, convergence will occur. On front-wheel drive cars, it is usually negative, and on rear-wheel drive cars, it is positive. Such a device ensures that alignment occurs during movement, and the position is parallel.
Adjustment may be necessary if:
If the camber is not correct, the car will constantly “pull” to one side. To determine this, it is enough to remove your hands from the steering wheel. If the adjustment is performed poorly, then the tires of the car will wear out very quickly, and some suspension parts may also fail.
To make the alignment of the VAZ 2107 without the help of specialists with your own hands, you must have:
A successful adjustment does not require a specialized service. Both negative camber and positive camber can be brought back to normal with your own hands.
Before carrying out the procedure, check the condition of the suspension. All its elements must be analyzed for backlash.
If they are available, wheel alignment on a VAZ 2107 car is problematic, and sometimes simply impossible.
Experts recommend loading the car before adjusting the camber by hand. Requires a weight of about 320 kg. To do this, you can use some kind of cargo or plant four people of average build. It is also recommended to fill the car up to the recommended rate. This is also a load that must be taken into account.
The last stage of preparation is to check the tires of the VAZ 2107. Before performing a wheel alignment, you should make sure that the pressure is correct. Assistance is required to complete the entire procedure from checking to setting the desired angle. It is not possible to complete the entire process on your own.
The first step is to make sure that the steering wheel is level. After that, it is necessary to press on the front and rear bumpers of the VAZ 2107 with a force of up to 50 kg.
Then pull the thread vertically down from the top of the wheel. Using a caliper, find the distance from below and above. If the difference is, for example, 3 mm, this means that the angle is approximately 30°.
In case of any deviations, the alignment must be done immediately.
If the vehicle's camber is normal, then the angle value is 0°5'+20' without load and 4°30'+20' with load. To check the convergence, you need to take a thread with hooks and attach it to the end of the rear wheel on one side, and on the front wheel on the other.
Now two bars with a total thickness of 28 mm should be placed under the thread. If the front ramp does not touch at 2 points, then it is necessary to adjust the convergence of the front wheels. To do this, you will need 2 wrenches, with which the clamps on the tie rod couplings are loosened.
Then you can take the pliers and move the clutch with your own hands until the thread touches the wheel at 2 points. Camber alignment requires precision, so it is best to check all measurements several times.
You can adjust the camber if you follow a simple procedure with each wheel until you get the desired result. In order for the collapse to match the norm, sometimes you have to spend a lot of time, so you need to be patient.
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Camber is the angle of deviation of the wheel axis from the vertical position. The camber is positive when the top of the wheel is tilted outward from the center of the car, and negative when the top is directed towards the center of the car.
This angle is needed to reduce the steering gear of oscillatory movements of the wheel when driving over bumps. Also, the task of this angle is to ensure the largest possible contact patch of the ramp tread with the surface of the track. The presence of this angle also affects the stability of the car when cornering.
Camber
On vehicles that do not use MacPherson suspension, camber has a slight positive value, that is, the top of the wheels deviates from the center of the car. Typically, the rolloff value is small, around 2 degrees.
MacPherson strut suspension has either a zero value, that is, the wheel axle is strictly perpendicular to the road surface, or, in some cases, the camber of the MacPherson strut suspension has a negative value.
Negative roll angle values are also used on cars that compete on a circuit track.
It should be said that it is difficult to achieve significant accuracy when setting this angle, often its adjustment is made rather roughly. As a result, setting the camber angle only leads to the fact that there is no increased tire wear. Also, the camber adjustment should be carried out immediately on both wheels, otherwise in the future the car will be carried away to the side where a smaller angle is set. Well, on the one hand, the tire will wear out much faster.
Wheel alignment
Let's move on to the wheel alignment angle, which is called "toe". This is the angle that is set between the plane of the wheel and the longitudinal axis of the car itself. This angle is needed to reduce the withdrawal of the car. Also, this angle significantly affects the rate of tire wear. This angle can be measured in either degrees or millimeters. Measuring toe in millimeters is pretty straightforward. The car is placed on the site, first the distance between the inner edges of the front wheels is measured in their rear part, and then in the front. Further, the value obtained by measuring the distance between the wheels in their front part is subtracted from the value obtained when measuring in the rear. This value must be either zero for MacPherson struts or a positive value for other mounts. If the value is negative, this angle is incorrectly set.
Caster
Castor is the angle of longitudinal deviation of the suspension strut from its perpendicular position relative to the road surface. This angle provides additional stabilization of the wheels in the conditions of their rectilinear movement. It also provides self-alignment of the position of the wheels during the ride, ensuring the straightness of movement. This angle must have the same value on both racks, otherwise the difference in these angles may lead to the demolition of the car to one side.
Front axle.
The convergence of the steered wheels is carried out by changing the length of the steering rods. This is done by rotating the clutch and steering tip.
Procedure.
1. The car is set to the parking brake, the wheels should be directed straight, and the steering wheel in a level position (preferably fixed)
to align the wheel with the direction of travel line.
3. Next, take a larger protractor and measure the angle. If a protractor is not at hand, you can use the method of measuring distances, from the wheel to the cord (on average, on cars, the toe angle is 0-0.25 Degrees, which will approximately be the same as 0-1 mm on the ruler for each wheel).
4. The lock nut is loosened and by rotating the steering rod, the required distance is set, creating the desired angle.
5. Once the corners are set and tied to the direction of travel, the distance between the wheels can be measured. Measurements are taken at the front and rear of the wheels, and the difference between them will be equal to the toe angle (0-2 mm in millimeters, if the distance difference between the wheels is 5 mm, the rubber will be completely consumed in 1000 km). To measure, you will need a special rail, if it is not there, then it is quite possible to get by with an ordinary tape measure or make the rail yourself.
How to make a measuring rod
To measure the toe angles, you can make your own by purchasing a telescopic bar for curtains in a shower or bathtub at a hardware store. Previously, it is enough to put a scale on it and that's it, the rail is ready.
Common mistake !!!
By setting the value of the angle of convergence of the wheels on the rail and not tying it to the line of the direction of the car, you will get a crooked steering position, and also a deviation from a straight line is possible. This completes the front wheel alignment procedure.
Rear axle adjustment
In contrast to the front axle, where the wheels are steerable, rear wheel toe adjustment is carried out according to a different algorithm. The rear toe-in is adjustable only for vehicles with independent rear wheel suspension. Adjustment occurs by rotating eccentric bolts that change the distance of the rod or lever to the hub, and in rare cases by adjusting the rods by rotating the couplings. The value of the angle of convergence of the rear wheels, in most cars is 0-0.5 degrees, and in rare cases 1-1.5 °. The wheels are almost parallel to each other.
Deviation of the wheel position, from a vertical straight line, most often occurs in vehicles with multi-link suspension. On machines with a primitive McPherson, by and large, there is nothing to adjust there, with the exception of cars with a special design.
- the car is installed on a perfectly flat surface, there should be no inclinations in either the vertical or horizontal plane. - a plumb line with a cord is taken and applied to the upper part of the wing or wheel arch of the car. - further, the measurement is made with an ordinary ruler at two points, from the cord to the wheel of the car. The resulting distance difference will be the camber angle of the wheel. On average, you can call a difference of 10 mm = 1 °, comparable to a tire size of 15-17 inches
- use the keys and adjusting mechanisms to change the position of the wheel.
- measure and adjust the camber angle on the other side of the car in the same way.
Important!
When setting the toe and camber angles, it is necessary to roll the car forward and backward at a distance of 1 meter. This is done in order to relieve stress in the tires and suspension. After rolling, measurements are taken again for the purpose of control. If there are no changes or they are not significant, everything is left in its place.
What is more accurate and better to set the readings of the camber angles, a computer stand or a hand tool?
- To the surprise of all motorists, a computer stand, only in perfectly calibrated conditions, can give a reliable and accurate result. Unfortunately, there are not many such stands, in a significant mass, the equipment requires more adjustment than cars. Also, the qualification and education of the specialist who performs the adjustment process plays an important role here.
In practice, the fact has been repeatedly confirmed that a much better adjustment of the wheel angles occurs by mechanical measurements and manually setting values, because the human factor plays a big role here, and the “protractor”, electronic or “wooden”, is only a tool …
The adjustment for the camber is done as follows:
From this we can conclude. If the distance is the same as that of the upper and that of the lower mark, then the wheels are all right and no adjustment can be made. But, if there is a difference that corresponds to 3 millimeters or more, then you should continue to make adjustments.
