REAR SUSPENSIONS Rear suspension systems are as critical to ride control, as front-end systems. A vehicle must be in optimum pitch and balance to ride right. There are two types of conventional rear suspension systems: coil spring and leaf spring. COIL SPRING SUSPENSION On a coil spring suspension, the spring is mounted between the axle… Continue reading Rear Suspension

COIL SPRING SUSPENSIONOn a coil spring suspension, the spring is mounted between the axle housing and frame. A lower control arm connects the axle housing to the frame. Some vehicles use an upper control arm for added stability.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT What: An important part of vehicle ride control is directional control. Will the vehicle travel straight down a highway? Will it steer easily? Will the tires be subject to minimum wear? Will the steering wheel return to the straight-ahead position after turning a corner? For the answer to be YES to all these… Continue reading Wheel Alignment

LEAF SPRING SUSPENSIONControl arms are not required on leaf spring suspensions. The leaf spring is connected to the axle housing with U-bolts and to the frame by bolts in the front and by a shackle assembly in the rear. The shackle assembly allows spring movement. In both applications, shock absorbers connect between the axle housing… Continue reading Leaf Spring Suspension

CASTER What: Caster is the backward or forward tilt of the wheel spindle support. On a conventional suspension system, the upper and lower ball joints form the wheel spindle support. A line drawn through the centers of the two ball joints, as seen from the side of the vehicle, illustrates the tilt of the wheel… Continue reading Caster

CAMBER What: Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the wheels, as seen from the front. Camber is positive when the top of the wheel tilts outward and negative when the top of the wheel tilts inward. Camber is zero when the wheel is perfectly vertical. How: The camber angle is measured between the centerline of… Continue reading Camber

TOE What:  Toe is the difference in the distance between the front of the front wheels and the distance between the rear of the front wheels.  If the fronts of the wheels are closer together than the rear of the wheels, the difference in the distance is called “toe-in.”  If the fronts of the wheels… Continue reading Toe

STATIC AND DYNAMIC ANGLES What: Alignment angles are measured and adjusted under static conditions—the vehicle is not moving and there are no passengers or load in the vehicle.  When the vehicle is moving, the static angles change to dynamic angles; that is, they change as the vehicle moves.  Static angles are designed in such a way… Continue reading Static & Dynamic Angle

ACKERMAN What:  Ackerman is the measurement of the difference in turning angles made by two front wheels when a vehicle is making a turn.  The wheels have to take different angles in a turn because the outside wheel in the turn has to travel farther in the turn than the inside wheel. How: Setting the correct… Continue reading Ackerman

TIRESWhat:  Tires, are the most visible components of a vehicle’s suspension system, and their wear patterns can be valuable clues to the condition of other suspension system components.  Tire wear is a particularly good indicator of alignment problems. How: For example, tire wear can tell you when a wheel has too much toe-in or toe-out. When… Continue reading Tires