Here at Trubey's we are proud to say that we have one of the latest and greatest alignment machines. Newest in the Tavares area. The reason we have made such an investment you might ask, well it is because we believe in keeping your investment in the best possible running shape and extending the life of your tires and vehicle. With wheel alignments there are a lot of things to factor in and know. We will attempt to go over these so that you will have a clearer understanding of vehicle alignments. There are 3 things that are measured when doing an alignment. Those 3 things are toe, camber and caster. ToeThe toe is direction the tires point relative to each other (see image). With positive or negative toe you will see uneven wear on your tires and you will also notice the car pulling in one direction while driving. Each tire can have its own toe. For example maybe on your front end one tire has negative toe and the other has positive toe. This would not be good at all for your tires. CamberNow camber is the tire angle pivoting toward or away from the axle (see image). This will also cause uneven wear on your tires and cause some pull and decrease your steering stability. Just like toe each tire can have its own measurement. CasterFinally caster. Caster is the degree that the steering axis is tilted as viewed from the side of the car. Caster doesn't cause any extra wear on your tires but it does effect your steering stability which can be pretty serious. Having your caster adjusted correctly will save you at the time you need to make a sudden turn. Here are Some Examples of Tire WearHow is an Alignment done?Now that you understand the different measurements that are measured to get your vehicle aligned you might ask, How is an alignment done? Well that is a good question. Modern-day wheel alignment equipment includes an on-board computer that has the specifications for all kinds of cars built right in to the software. With your vehicle on the lift we clamp a plate to each tire (see image) these clamps have reference marks on them for the two cameras that are mounted on the top of the alignment machine. After a few procedures are completed such as rolling your vehicle back and forth and turning your wheel the computer will compute these measurement and compare them to the specs for the vehicle. These machines also have a printer on board so that a color copy showing your vehicles alignment can be printed for you. We offer free alignment check's meaning we will put your car the lift and give you a print out of your vehicles measurements. Making the AdjustmentsAfter your measurements are given it is time to align your vehicle to specs. The tech will get under your vehicle and follow the computer instructions and watch the measurement lines as he adjust various parts to get the arrow in the center of the measurement. Each adjustment will have a few degrees it can me off that will put it still in the green but we do our best to get you exactly on target. Extra Parts??There are a few parts that are needed on some vehicles to perform an alignment. When the dealership make a car over time parts wear out and well some of those parts they put on it aren't adjustable. With these parts there are aftermarket parts that can be purchased that will allow your vehicle to be adjusted and put back into proper alignment. These parts can include special bolt or shims and even adjustable control arms. Some of these parts can be a little pricey or labor intensive but it evens out when you are able to spare your tires for an extra couple of thousand miles or so. Ready to Go!Now that you know the alignment basics you can understand why it is important to get your vehicle aligned we look forward to seeing you.
20 Comments
|
AuthorHere are a few things that have been going on around Trubey Auto Repair. Archives
February 2016
Categories
All
|