Front wheel alignment angles (Audi A6 C5)

Wheel alignment angles are an important parameter when operating a car and significantly affect the stability of the car, tire wear and fuel consumption. The following wheel alignment angles are distinguished:

Camber is the angle of the wheel in relation to the road surface in a vertical plane. It can be positive if the wheels are tilted outward or negative if the wheels are tilted inward. The camber angle mainly affects lateral forces.

Toe-in is defined as half the difference in distance between the front and rear wheel flanges. Positive toe-in means that the front wheels are closer together than the rear wheels when measured at the wheel's midpoint height. Negative toe-in means that the front wheels are further apart than the rear wheels. Toe-in affects the vehicle's straight-line performance and handling, and compensates for the resulting kinematic changes in suspension geometry under traction.

The stabilization arm is the distance between the contact point of the wheel and the intersection point of the wheel's pivot axis with the road when viewed from the side. It determines the magnitude of the stabilizing moment and affects directional stability and steering forces when cornering.

The lateral tilt of the steering axis is the angle between the tilt axis of the steering knuckle and the vertical drawn through the wheel mounting point, looking in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Affects steering force (steering sensitivity) along with other angles.

Angle of longitudinal tilt of the turning axis. The axis relative to which the wheel turns is placed in space so that its lower part is inclined forward. With a positive value of the angle, the self-return of the wheel to the middle position after turning is improved.

Checking and adjusting wheel alignment angles must be done at a service station due to the complexity of the equipment used.

(The original article is located on the online resource: AUDIMANUAL)