12-14
Problem Possible Cause Action
Excessive vibration of
steering wheel (shimming)Broken steering linkage Replace
Looseness of steering gear box Retighten
Broken or binding of steering ball joint Replace
Worn or damaged front wheel bearing Replace
Damaged wheel or tire Repair or replace
Defective suspension Repair or replace
Abnormal noise from
steering systemLooseness of steering gear box Retighten
Defective steering gear Replace the gear
assembly
Interference between steering column and
partsRepair
Looseness of steering linkage Retighten
Loosened or damaged oil pump drive belt Adjust or replace
Looseness of oil pump bracket Replace
Looseness of oil pump Replace
Air insertion into system Bleed air
Defective oil pump Replace
Abnormal noise when
turning steering wheelLooseness of steering column Retighten
Worn or damaged steering shaft bearing Replace the steering
column
Looseness of intermediate shaft Retighten
Too heavy steering wheel Worn or damaged steering shaft bearing Replace the steering
column
14-18
4. WHEEL ALIGNMENT
▶Toe-in
▶Camber
In automotive engineering, toe, also known as
tracking, is the symmetric angle that each wheel
makes with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as a
function of static geometry, and kinematic and
compliant effects. This can be contrasted with
steer, which is the anti-symmetric angle, i.e. both
wheels point to the left or right, in parallel (roughly).
Positive toe, or toe in, is the front of the wheel
pointing in towards the center line of the vehicle.
Negative toe, or toe out, is the front of the wheel
pointing away from the center line of the vehicle.
Toe can be measured in linear units, at the front of
the tire, or as an angular deflection.
Camber is the angle made by the wheels of a
vehicle; specifically, it is the angle between the
vertical axis of the wheels used for steering and
the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from
the front or rear. It is used in the design of steering
and suspension. If the top of the wheel is farther
out than the bottom (that is, away from the axle), it
is called positive camber; if the bottom of the
wheel is farther out than the top, it is called
negative camber. Wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are parallel to each other
and perpendicular to the ground, thus maximizing tire life and ensures straight and true tracking along a
straight and level road.
Camber angle alters the handling qualities of a particular suspension design; in particular, negative
camber improves grip when cornering. This is because it places the tire at a better angle to the road,
transmitting the forces through the vertical plane of the tire rather than through a shear force across it.
Another reason for negative camber is that a rubber tire tends to roll on itself while cornering. Negative
camber can also be caused by excessive weight on the front wheels. This is commonly seen on
modified cars with larger engines than standard; the weight of the modified engine can make the wheels
negatively camber. The inside edge of the contact patch would begin to lift off of the ground if the tire had
zero camber, reducing the area of the contact patch. This effect is compensated for by applying negative
camber, maximizing the contact patch area. Note that this is only true for the outside tire during the turn;
the inside tire would benefit most from positive camber.
