near & dear to my heart - I realy dont want to hijack this thread BUT !! - years ago I spent a couple of months at the BEAR school in Rock Island,( I was going to sell this product) later I owned a spring shop and we did f/e work - we used an Alemite alignment "tower". Yeah I know - really dated.
I dont think much has changed over the years regarding geometry - surely the ways of measurement though.
As I recall the only wear could come from toe & camber - NOT caster, but caster would allow better steering - IE help "pull" up the road crown.
Seems to me the best thing is to have the steering wheel straight - that is the first thing people seem to notice.
Later model vehicles seem to have more "non lubed", "non adjustable" joints, but more vehicles travel over "better roads" - so mfg's say - why put too many adjustments when they are not needed?
Now we get alignment reports that say "within specs" - that are so wide a truck could drive thru them (pun intended)
My belief is - as it was years ago - that it NOT the equipment, but the interpertation of same, by the tech.
The Alemite equipment used a "spreader bar" positioned across the front of the tires - putting pressure - to compensate for wear on the f/e components. Toe was then set to "0" - as both tires "fling out" when moving taking up all wear points.
OK - I know they can now do "4" wheel alignment - but, tire wear is STILL controlled by "TOE" and "CAMBER" - steering by "CASTER".
A good teck can compensate for worn tires - I would still think I would like to have all components ON THE VEHICLE (tires, shocks, etc) BEFORE the vehicle is aligned.
Just my 2 cents - hope to hear from some alignment guys.
Barry
I dont think much has changed over the years regarding geometry - surely the ways of measurement though.
As I recall the only wear could come from toe & camber - NOT caster, but caster would allow better steering - IE help "pull" up the road crown.
Seems to me the best thing is to have the steering wheel straight - that is the first thing people seem to notice.
Later model vehicles seem to have more "non lubed", "non adjustable" joints, but more vehicles travel over "better roads" - so mfg's say - why put too many adjustments when they are not needed?
Now we get alignment reports that say "within specs" - that are so wide a truck could drive thru them (pun intended)
My belief is - as it was years ago - that it NOT the equipment, but the interpertation of same, by the tech.
The Alemite equipment used a "spreader bar" positioned across the front of the tires - putting pressure - to compensate for wear on the f/e components. Toe was then set to "0" - as both tires "fling out" when moving taking up all wear points.
OK - I know they can now do "4" wheel alignment - but, tire wear is STILL controlled by "TOE" and "CAMBER" - steering by "CASTER".
A good teck can compensate for worn tires - I would still think I would like to have all components ON THE VEHICLE (tires, shocks, etc) BEFORE the vehicle is aligned.
Just my 2 cents - hope to hear from some alignment guys.
Barry