Front wheel alignment angles (Audi A8 D2)

Wheel alignment angles have a significant impact on vehicle stability, tire wear, and fuel consumption. The following wheel alignment angles are distinguished. Camber is the angle between the plane of rotation and the vertical of the wheel. It can be positive if the wheels are tilted outward, or negative if the wheels are tilted inward. Camber angle mainly affects the uniformity of wear on the front tires. If the camber angle of one wheel is positive and the other is negative, the car will pull to the side when driving straight;

Toe-in is the difference in distance between the rim flanges measured at the rear and front of the wheels at their center level. Positive toe-in means that the front wheels are closer together than the rear wheels at their center level. Negative toe-in means that the front wheels are further apart than the rear wheels.

The transverse inclination of the wheel steering axis is the angle between the steering knuckle inclination axis and the vertical drawn through the wheel attachment point in the longitudinal plane of the vehicle.

Due to the camber angles and the transverse tilt of the steering axis, the points of contact of the wheels with the road are located closer to the axis of the steering knuckle. This maintains the so-called "rolling shoulder". The smaller the "rolling shoulder", the easier it is to control the car. In addition, impacts from uneven surfaces are less transmitted to the steering.

The longitudinal tilt angle of the steering axis is the angle between the tilt axis of the steering knuckle and the vertical drawn through the wheel attachment point in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The axis around which the wheel turns is positioned in space so that its lower part is tilted forward. This longitudinal tilt angle is called positive. A positive angle ensures better stability and stabilization of the steered wheels during straight-line movement.

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