Wheel Alignment

There are three main issues that can lead to problems with wheel alignment: camber, caster, and toe.

Camber

Look at your vehicle from the front. The wheels should appear perfectly vertical — this is zero camber. If they tilt outward at the top, you have positive camber, which can cause tires to wear down on the outside. If they tilt inward at the top, you have negative camber, which can cause wear on the inside of the tire. Both types of camber can also cause wear on the suspension parts. Furthermore, if camber is unequal on either side by more than 1 degree, your vehicle will pull to one side.

Caster

Caster is a wheel alignment issue that causes the top point of your steering axis to tilt. You may notice a forward (negative) or backward (positive) tilt when you examine the side of your car. Sherwood Park and Edmonton area drivers sometimes fail to notice caster, as it causes no wear on the tires. This problem, however, does impact directional control.

If your vehicle lacks positive caster, you will struggle to steer at high speeds and it will be more difficult to return the wheel to a central position after a corner. In the case that wheels have different amounts of positive caster, your car will pull to one side.

Toe

Finally, we look for toe when we examining your wheel alignment. Edmonton area drivers can notice toe in their cars by examining if the front and rear wheels sit straight. If they turn in, you have positive toe. If they turn out, you have negative toe. As toe tends to be a fraction of a degree, you should also check for worn tires and instability in steering.

Our technicians at Bruce Stewart Auto Repair can correct wheel alignment issues on all makes and models of vehicles. If you live in Sherwood Park or the surrounding Edmonton area and believe you may have a problem with alignment, call us today and book an appointment.