WHEEL ALIGNMENT

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 3 January 1931, Page 12

WHEEL ALIGNMENT

INFLUENCE ON TYRE WEAR,

If maximum tyre service is to be obtained it is essential, says the Dun,()p Co., that the wheels of a motor car" or motor truck should he in 'perfect. alignment. Correct wheel alignment means that when the vehicle is running, nil four wilieels point/ in the same direction —that is parallel with the tine of motion of. car. If they are not, one or more of the wheels is pointing in one direction, but actually being forced to run in another. The result is the .grinding; of the tyre tread against the. road surface, with consequent rapid wear. With most ears there is a camber and slight toein in the set of the front wheels. Camber is the amount in inches or deerrees that the front wheels are set outwards, at the top, so that the gi eater part of the weight and thrust of the front end of the vehicle is taken by the larger inner wheel 1 'bearings. Camber has a great influence on tyre wear if present in excessive amount, and tyre shows undue wear on the outside of shoulders of cover, whilst the centre, of tread shows very little wear. loe-in is the result of camber and means that tho wheels are closer "together in front of the axle than in rear. Cambering wheels causes thm to run out whilst the toe-in is given to offset this tendency. When car owners find that undue wear is showing on their front covers, it is wise to take their car to an up-to-date automobile engineer and have the wheel alignment checked over. The .settling of the front springs, or the flttino- of snubbers, and severe road shocks, as well as ordinary wear], can all effect the setting of the front wheels. Now that the touring season is near, any motorists whose front tv res are showing signs of excessive wear, will save money by having aiv\ little irregularity in the front assem- ■ v adjusted before doing any long trips.