Alignment: Description and Operation

Wheel Alignment Angles
Econoline caster and camber correction requirements are factory-determined. Adjusters are available to correct a caster/camber measurement that does not meet specification.

Before changing the production caster/camber adjuster, thoroughly inspect the suspension system to locate worn or damaged components that may have caused the setting to change.

Camber

Negative and Positive Camber:

Camber is the vertical tilt of the wheel when viewed from the front. Camber can be positive or negative and has a direct effect on tire wear.

Caster

Caster and Frame Angle (Positive Caster Shown):

Caster is the deviation from vertical of an imaginary line drawn through the ball joints when viewed from the side. The caster specifications will give the vehicle the best directional stability characteristics when loaded and driven.

The caster setting is not related to tire wear.

Toe

Positive Toe (Toe In):

Negative Toe (Toe Out):

The vehicle toe setting:
^ affects tire wear and directional stability.
^ must be checked after adding aftermarket equipment, such as a snowplow or body.

Wheel Track

Wheel Track:

Wander
Wander is the tendency of the vehicle to require frequent, random left and right steering wheel corrections to maintain a straight path down a level road.

Shimmy
Shimmy, as observed by the driver, is large, consistent, rotational oscillations of the steering wheel resulting from large, side-to-side (lateral) tire/wheel movements.

Shimmy is usually experienced near 64 km/h (40 mph), and can begin or be amplified when the tire contacts pot holes or irregularities in the road surface.

Nibble
Sometimes confused with shimmy, nibble is a condition resulting from tire and wheel imbalance. It is observed by the driver as small rotational oscillations of the steering wheel.

Poor Returnability/Sticky Steering
Poor returnability and sticky steering is used to described the poor return of the steering wheel to center after a turn or the steering correction is completed.

Drift/Pull
Pull is a tugging sensation, felt by the hands on the steering wheel, that must be overcome to keep the vehicle going straight.

Drift describes what a vehicle with this condition does with hands off the steering wheel.
^ A vehicle-related drift/pull, on a flat road, will cause a consistent deviation from the straight-ahead path and require constant steering input in the opposite direction to counteract the effect.
^ Drift/pull may be induced by conditions external to the vehicle such as wind or road camber.

Poor Groove Feel
Poor groove feel is characterized by little or no buildup of turning effort felt in the steering wheel as the wheel is rocked slowly left and right within very small turns around center or straight-ahead (under 20 degrees of steering wheel turn). Efforts may be said to be "light or low on center."
^ In the diagnosis of a steering problem, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel.