Important Alignment Questions - Please Help

[hari-bhari]

I went to get an alignment today because the insides of my front tires were worn out and needed to be replaced, but I had a few questions.

1) The guy told me that their machine did not measure caster for our cars? There was no reading on the printout. He said its because the caster is not adjustable but lowering the car could have changed it. Sounds like BS to me, because I figured all alignments should have caster, camber, and toe.

2) The printout showed my camber at -1.3 on the left, and -1.5 on the right. The printout also showed the range for our car as

Specified: -1.3, Range: 0.2

Now does this mean that the range is -1.1 to -1.5, or -1.3 to 0.2? In other words is the range the upper limit or just a +/- range around the specified. The guy told me it meant it could be -1.3 to 0.2 but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

3) If my cambers are within spec, what else could cause my tires to wear so much on the inside. My toe was at 0.24 (now at 0.03), but it didn't seem to be bad enough to cause that big of a problem. The tires were worn down to the steel belts on the inside in just 9,000 miles. The rear tires were fine.

I know its a long question, but just trying to figure out if I need to worry about my caster and what else I can do to ensure my tires don't get messed up again.

[Toy1mzfe]

Typical Alignments are usually Caster and Toe.
Not sure what they trying to say about not being able to adjust it....
CAmber is the one that sometime people dont adjust.

The tires being worn out on the inside can also be a toe problem. which is how parallel is the tires when driving.

Toe=


This makes the tire wear out on the inside as well because the tires and pointing away from each other. This makes the tires pull away from one another causing the inside to wear.


Here is my information on my alignment. For reference for other people.

These Are Specified Range in my alignment

----------------------------------
Front Left and Right

Camber: -1.3* 0.2*
CAster: 1.4* 2.9*
Toe: -.10* .10*
SAI: 12.2* 13.7*
Included Angle: 12.2* 13.7*

-----------------------------------

Front
Cross Camber: -0.8* 0.8*
Cross Caster: -0.8* 0.8*
Cross SAI: -0.8* 0.8*
Total Toe: -.20* 0.20*

------------------------------------

Rear LEft and Right

Camber: -1.4* 0.1*
Toe: 0.10* 0.30*

------------------------------------

Rear
Cross Camber: -0.8* 0.8*
Total Toe: 0.20* 0.60*
-------------------------------------

[hari-bhari]

so there ARE caster measurements for our car. i need to go and get my money back from that fool.

[TadS]

Caster is not adjustable on the Solara. Only camber and toe are factory adjustable. Other than the Ford's with the rotating strut mount, I can't think of too many FWD cars that have adjustment for caster. Maybe some of the Mercedes and such might have it, but it's not really all that common.

[redgen1]

hah, i havent had my car realigned since i dropped it or changed my struts.. just never got around to it, it tracks straight and the wear looks pretty even so *Shrug* for now

[hari-bhari]

Caster is not adjustable on the Solara. Only camber and toe are factory adjustable. Other than the Ford's with the rotating strut mount, I can't think of too many FWD cars that have adjustment for caster. Maybe some of the Mercedes and such might have it, but it's not really all that common.

should the machine still come back with a measurement for it?

also, what about the specified and range thing for camber? is it (-1.1 +/- 0.2) or is it (-1.1 to 0.2)

[Toy1mzfe]

actually.. lookin at the alignment again... they didnt adjust my caster...

but yea they did have the measurements for it

Camber range is -1.3* to 0.2*

Cause mine said range.

[hari-bhari]

took it to a second place, got slightly different readings this time. camber was 0.9 and 1.9 instead of 1.3 and 1.5. i dont know if thats standard error for these machines or what. anyways they were able to read my caster and adjust it, but im gonna get a camber kit and get the camber at -0.5 all around.