Camber Caster and Toe Alignment Angles

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Today I have a customer with a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix complaining about advanced tire wear. I’m going to explain to him the three major alignment angles; camber, caster, and toe. I will also explain which ones cause tire wear and how they look like. Explaining proper tire inflation to him will also help him out in the future with tire wear so I’ll explain that as well. Camber is the angle of the wheel, measured in degrees. If the top of the wheel is tilted out then the camber is positive, if it's tilted in, then the camber is negative. Caster is the angle of the steering pivot, measured in degrees. Viewed from the side, the caster is the tilt of the steering axis. Toe is the direction of the wheel. If the front of the front wheels are pointing inwards then its toe in, if they’re pointing outwards, then its toe out. If the camber is out of adjustment, it will cause premature tire wear on one side of the tire's tread. It will look obvious because one side will look absolutely fine and brand new, while the other side’s tread is wearing away. On the other hand, caster has little to no effect on tire wear. When it comes to toe though, it’s the vehicle’s most critical alignment settings relative to tire wear. If the toe setting is just 1/32-inch off of its appropriate setting, it will cause noticeable tire wear, which will look similar to camber tire wear. When it comes to tire inflation and tire wear, it’s pretty simple; tire inflation pressure should always be checked with a reliable tire gauge. By not using it, this leads to over inflation or under inflation. When a tire is over inflated, it is riding on the center of the tread and wearing it prematurely. When a tire is under inflated, there is too much contact with the road by the outer treads, which wear prematurely. These will look obvious as the tread down the middle or the outer treads will be worn away. By

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