Adjusting the camber - toe on a 3d stand

Every motorist knows situations when the car begins to pull to the side when driving in a straight line. It also happens that it fits poorly into a turn or the tires wear unevenly. In such cases, wheel alignment is adjusted, which in professional language is called measuring and setting the angular values ​​of the wheels.

The wheels of the car must be at the correct angle to the vertical. Moreover, it is different on different machines. On trucks, the distance between the upper edges of wheels located on the same axle must be greater than the distance between the lower edges (so-called positive camber): when the vehicle is loaded, the wheels will stand strictly vertically - “to zero”. On racing cars the opposite is true - negative camber allows you to take turns at speed without tipping over. Well, when the wheels are vertical, they talk about zero camber, which is considered the most gentle on the tires.

As for toe-in, this is the angle between the plane in which the wheels rotate and the longitudinal plane of the car. Incorrect alignment is any deviation from zero, causing much more wear on the tires than even incorrect camber.

There are many reasons why the wheel angle may be violated: chassis repairs, collisions with obstacles, how long ago the adjustment was made, overload, etc. Impaired controllability, increased wear of tires, excessive battery charge, squealing tires when cornering, failure of the steering wheel to return to its original position after completing a maneuver - these are sure signs that it’s time for your electric vehicle to undergo a wheel alignment adjustment.

What is wheel alignment

Adjusting wheel alignment involves setting the correct angles of inclination and rotation of the car's wheels. Violation of the correct angles is a natural process that occurs during the operation of the car. Incorrect angles are not so critical in summer, but in winter and on wet roads they make themselves felt strongly.

You can understand that the car needs wheel alignment adjustment by the following symptoms:

• When moving in a straight line, the car moves to the side;
• Rubber wears out quickly;
• The steering wheel does not return to the straight position after turning;
• Exchange rate stability deteriorates at high speed;
• You can feel the steering wheel beating, it is difficult to turn the steering wheel;
• Tires squeal when maneuvering.
• It is necessary to check the wheel angle without these violations, just in fact:
• Deformation of the wheel rim after falling into a hole;
• Replacement of steering tips, rods, suspension arms, silent blocks;
• Changes in ground clearance as a result of installing new springs.

Such wheel alignment violations cannot be ignored, because they significantly increase the risk of an emergency. Even without any signs of violations, experts recommend measuring wheel alignment angles after every 20 thousand km. mileage.

Adjustment equipment

We have already mentioned that the camber can be zero, positive and negative. Motorists often ask the question: is wheel alignment performed on the rear wheels? Here everything depends on the design of the suspension: today many cars are produced on which only the angles of the front wheels are adjusted.

In the past, wheel alignment was adjusted using special overhangs, but today many more modern stands are used:

• Laser - a laser beam is used to control the angle of the wheels. This method is highly accurate, but nowadays it is becoming a thing of the past, because... even more accurate stands appear;
• Optical - one of the first, with the help of which the angle of the front wheels was set. Today they are used less and less due to the need to measure many different parameters;
• Computer based, which are based on reading indicators by sensors mounted on wheels. The sensors sense the angular values ​​of the wheels and transmit the signal to the computer, where it converts it into visual graphs and diagrams. The pinnacle of development of computer stands today are 3D stands.

What is 3D camber?

Computer 3D stands use machine vision technology with video cameras and flat gradient targets. Targets are mounted on wheels that roll around the stand. Sensitive cameras read angular readings (caster) and transmit it to a computer, which provides recommendations for correct wheel alignment adjustment.

The advantages of this technology are:

• Automation – operator participation is reduced to a minimum, all calculations are done by the technician;
• Quickness of the procedure, allowing us to service more cars;
• No need for calibration;
• High adjustment accuracy;
• Detection of other violations in the suspension.
• Thanks to the 3D stand, not only the angular values ​​of the wheels are adjusted, but also the diagnosis of the chassis, which could be damaged as a result of an accident or collisions, is performed.

Our advantages

Our workshop owns the most advanced equipment for wheel alignment adjustment - a 3D computer stand. Modern technologies and the highest qualifications of our specialists allow us to quickly and accurately adjust the angular parameters of both the front and rear wheels of your electric vehicle, regardless of the level and nature of the defects. At the same time, as part of the same procedure, you can check the entire chassis, which will not take much time.