A well-aligned car has better handling and no unnecessary tire wear. After all the work on the steering and front suspension, a car would have to be realigned. In any case, after replacing track rod balls or parts of the front train, but actually also after replacing suspension rubbers of the wishbones.
Prepare
You can already prepare a lot yourself. Make sure that the relevant bolts are properly usable. This prevents a mechanic from finding it too much work if a bolt is too stuck and therefore only leaves it that way. So make the following bolts usable:
- Track rod balls left and right
- Bolts upper wishbones (with which the crossbar is attached to the front crossmember)
- Bolts with which the front axle is attached to the chassis
These bolts are secured with locking plates. It is advisable to install new ones, especially if they are a bit older. This prevents the tabs from breaking off when you lock them again.
Alignment data
Source: Ben Flierman (Tinustuning)
Volvo assumed settings where you had a car with understeer (car breaks out earlier at the front wheels). With Ben’s settings you get a car with oversteer (car breaks out earlier at the rear wheels).
Decimal degrees versus degrees minutes
On his website , Ben gives the values in decimal degrees and then the target values are as follows:
Camber / wheel flight = – 0.5°
Caster / shaft tilt = + 0.5°
Track = 0.0 to + 0.25°
However, many alignment stations work with degrees of minutes. They then convert the above values (a minute is 60 degrees), so you won’t immediately recover those on the alignment report. Converted to degrees of minutes, the target values are as follows:
Camber / wheel flight = – 0°30?
Caster / shaft tilt = + 0°30?
Track = 0°0? up to + 0°15?
Interpreting results
Then you give those values to the alignment company and after paying usually something like 60 euros you get a printout back. But then again, how do you interpret it? Especially because of the difference in decimal degrees or degrees minutes, this is sometimes difficult.
An example from my car:
It turned out that for alignment, the wheel flight was positive on one side (wheel is top out) while on the other side it was negative. Furthermore, the values were very reasonable (so I had used the new track rod balls pretty well).
Wheel flight = perfect
The adjustment of the wheel flight is therefore perfect! Current value -0°36? while the target -0°30? was exactly the same on both sides.
Axle tilt = on the high side, but well equal
The axis tilt is 2°20? / 2°15? instead of 0°30? So that’s quite a bit higher. In order to assess what the influence is, I emailed Ben and asked him what he thought. Ben replied:
An axle tilt/caster of 2°22? / 2°15? is a lot, although not exorbitant. The greater that value, the better the straight-line stability. The disadvantage is that the steering (especially when not rolling) is heavy.
You have to adjust the axle tilt by adjusting the position of the forearm in relation to the two longitudinal beams of the chassis with more/less filler plates.
Anyway, that axis tilt of more than 2° is not right or wrong, but more a choice you make (straight stable versus light steering). On the other hand: Put higher rear springs underneath, or drive your petrol + gas tank empty, then the car is already 2 degrees forward and the axle tilt is already to your liking.
