After a scheduled repair of the car's chassis, it is sometimes necessary to correctly align the wheels. It's no secret that poorly adjusted wheels can have a significant impact on the cost of car ownership, significantly increasing fuel and rubber consumption. In addition, the car becomes poorly controlled even at relatively low speeds, and this factor may well become the cause of an accident on the road.
Necessary
- - a plumb line;
- - a piece of chalk;
- - flat area;
- - a key for adjusting the steering knuckle;
- - telescopic ruler;
- - assistant.
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare machine for camber and toe adjustment. Look in the instructions for the vehicle for the tire pressure at normal load and speed. Check the status of the disks. In case the wheel alignment procedure is carried out without preliminary repair of the suspension or shock absorbers, make sure that all the levers and joints are functioning well. Also, it is necessary to "shoe" the car with a set of the same rubber, preferably new and not yet passed through.
Step 2
If the car was repaired not at the service, but with your own hands, then you should worry about the camber-convergence in advance, marking with paint or any other available method the position of the suspension connections relative to each other, and also calculate the number of revolutions when dismantling the steering rods. All these measures will help with the assembly of the suspension and the subsequent alignment of the wheels.
Step 3
Find a level area, preferably concrete or asphalt. Adjust the camber with a simple tool. If you have an assistant, ask him to take the chalk and put the diameter marks on the wheel to be measured - one at the bottom and the other at the top. Attach a rope or plumb line to the wing. Measure the distance between the lanyard and the wheel in the marked areas with a ruler. It should correspond to the norm of ± 3mm.
Step 4
To eliminate measurement errors, carry out the calculations again, this time on a different wheel. Then turn the car around and examine the rest. Compare the findings. If necessary, lift the machine with a jack, remove the wheel in order to adjust the camber.
Step 5
Using a wrench, loosen the shock absorber strut mounts to the steering knuckle. Move your fist inward or, conversely, outward, depending on the data obtained during verification. Tighten the loose bolts of the strut mountings, place the wheel, carefully remove the machine from the jack. Then rock the car a couple of times, removing any possible suspension stress, and measure again.
Step 6
Take care of the toe adjustment. Set the wheels as straight as possible. Use chalk to mark the inside of the two front wheels. Take a ruler and place its edges on the marks. It is necessary to set a zero level on the scale and fix it. Now it's time for the assistant to roll the car forward a bit. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the ruler does not "come" into the suspension or the body, that is, the movement of the car should be minimal.
Step 7
Measure the distance between the front wheels. Depending on the figures obtained, shorten or lengthen the steering rods, and again carry out control measurements.
