Toyota introduced the MR2 in 1985, intending to offer the look and feel of an exotic sports car for the fraction of the price. The first generation of the vehicle ran from 1985 to 1989; the second generation ran from 1991 to 1995, when Toyota discontinued it. Toyota offered the convertible MR2 Spyder from 2000 to 2005, but it was technically a different vehicle and should not be confused with the original MR2.
Caster
The ideal setting for the caster angle on the front end of the 1995 Toyota MR2 was +3.25 degrees but it could range by 0.75 degrees in either direction, with a cross tolerance of 0.5 degrees. The caster angle was not adjustable on the rear wheels of the vehicle because it came with a fixed rear axle.
Camber
The ideal setting for the camber angle on the front wheels of the 1995 Toyota MR2 was -1.0 degree but it could range by 0.75 degrees in either direction, with a cross tolerance of 0.5 degrees. The ideal setting for the camber angle on the rear wheels was -1.58 degrees but it could range by 0.75 degrees in either direction.
Toe-in
The ideal setting for the toe-in on the front end of the 1995 Toyota MR2 was +0.1 degree but it could range by 0.2 degrees in either direction. The ideal setting for the toe-in on the rear end was +0.4 degrees but it could range by 0.2 degrees in either direction.
Steering Axis Inclination (SAI) and Turning Angle
The ideal SAI for the 1995 Toyota MR2 was +13.8 degrees but it could range by 0.8 degrees in either direction. The ideal turning angle was 37/32 degrees but it could range by 1.5 degrees in either direction.
Wheel alignment affects the steering pattern of your vehicle and is a major contributor to tire wear. Improperly aligned tires may pull to the left or right when driving, which is a dangerous safety hazard. The three elements of alignment to consider are caster, camber and toe. These terms er to the placement of the wheels, whether they be set forward or backward, tilted in or out or pointed to the inside or outside.
Laser Wheel Alignment Tool
Laser wheel alignment tools make taking toe measurements quick and easy. Wheels with a toe-in setting face inside, while toe-out wheels point to the outside when the tires are viewed head on. Laser tools replace the old method of measuring, which usually involved painting a line around the tire and measuring by hand. With a wheel alignment tool, youll only need a steel bar and bungee cord to set the toe on a vehicle with an "in" or "out" toe setting. While these tools make setting the toe easy, the can be expensive and may not be practical for home workshops.
Caster/Camber Gauges
Caster and camber are wheel alignment elements that can be measured with caster/camber gauges. Caster ers to the position of the wheels top and bottom ball joints in relation to the spinning axis, the cars axle. When viewed from the side, the ball joints may be positioned either in front of or behind the axle, rather than sharing an equal distribution for proper alignment. Camber can be viewed by looking at the tires head on; the top of the tire may be tilted in or out, which can cause uneven wear on your tires. Caster/camber gauges are attached to wheel hubs and use a level to determine the amount of positive or negative caster or camber associated with each wheel. You turn the wheel to one direction, take a reading, then turn in the other direction, take another reading and calculate the difference. Manual gauges are one option, but digital gauges take the guesswork out of caster and camber measurements.
Camber Kits
Most vehicles are built with the ability to adjust toe and caster in the suspension set-ups, but, according to Sport Compact Only, "less than half of vehicles manufactured have camber adjustability." Those vehicles that do have this ability, usually only allow for a small range of correction. Camber kits widen the range of camber adjustability so you can correct excessive camber problems beyond factory specifications. They are almost always necessary if you lower your vehicle, which can produce excess negative camber. The shim and washer camber kit design is fairly easy to install; it fits snugly against the hub and acts like a shim to hold the tire out. Some camber kits are more difficult to install, however, and may require the complete removal or replacement of your vehicles ball joints.
Nissan introduced the first-ever compact pickup truck to the U.S. market in 1958, back when Nissans were still known as Datsuns. Nissan redesigned its pickup truck several times, giving it a complete makeover in 1986. While several trims of the vehicle were available, Nissan generally erred to its compact pickup simply as the Nissan Pickup until they discontinued production of it in 1997. The mid-sized Frontier replaced the Pickup in 1998, and Nissan introduced the full-size Titan pickup truck in 2004.
General Alignment Information
The Nissan offered its 1995 Pickup in a variety of two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trims, but all two-wheel-drive trims had the same alignment specs, as did all four-wheel-drive trims. The caster, camber, toe and steering axis inclination (SAI) are all adjustable on the front end of all trims of the 1995 Nissan pickup. The caster is the angle of a vehicles steering pivot, as it is viewed from the side of the vehicle. The camber is the angle that the wheel tilts when viewed from the front of the vehicle. If it tilts out at the top, the camber is positive. If it tilts in at the top, it is negative. The toe is the measurement of a wheels angle in relation to the center line of the vehicle. On most vehicles, the front wheels are intended to point slightly toward each other. The SAI is the measurement of the angle of the steering pivot when viewed from the front of the vehicle. All measurements are given in degrees.
Alignment Specs for the 1995 2WD Pickup
The caster angle on the front end of the 1995 two-wheel-drive Nissan Pickup should fall between +0.37 degree and +0.5 degree, with a cross tolerance of +0.75 degree. The camber angle should fall between +0.42 degree and +0.50 degree, with a cross tolerance of +0.75 degree. The toe-in should be between +0.8 degree and +0.25 degree. The SAI can range from +0.5 degree to +9.1 degrees. The alignment was not adjustable on the rear end of two-wheel-drive trims of the 1995 Nissan Pickup because it came with a fixed rear axle.
Alignment Specs for the 1995 4WD Nissan Pickup
The caster angle on the front end of the 1995 four-wheel-drive Nissan Pickup should fall between +0.50 degree and +1.3 degrees, with a cross tolerance of +0.75 degree. The camber angle should fall between +0.50 degree and +0.67 degree, with a cross tolerance of +0.75 degree. The toe-in should be between +0.8 degree and +0.32 degree. The SAI can range from +0.5 degree to +8.1 degrees. As with the two-wheel-drive trims, the four-wheel-drive trims of the 1995 Nissan Pickup truck came with a fixed rear axle and the alignment was not adjustable on the rear end.
Wheel alignment adjusts the wheel angles so that they are parallel to one another and to the ground. Proper wheel alignment and related maintenance is critical to keeping a vehicle in top condition. Wheel alignment is also important for safety reasons--poor alignment can result in issues regarding uneven tire wear and tracking, as well as create steering problems.
How Wheel Alignments Are Performed
Wheel technicians will test drive your car prior to performing service on it.
Wheel alignment technicians check an automobiles alignment by test driving it prior to servicing it. Test drives provide the technician firsthand knowledge of steering and tire performance, giving him important information that will allow him to effectively diagnose any issues.
Front-Wheel Alignment
A car that pulls to one side while driving may require a front-end alignment.
Front wheel alignment service inspects and adjusts the alignment of the vehicles front tires and axles. A car that regularly pulls to one side or has uneven tire wear indicates the need of a front-wheel alignment, especially when confirmed by a technician. As of 2010, front-end alignment can run approximately $30 to $70, depending on the company and location.
Four-Wheel Alignment
Four-wheel alignment inspects all tires, but technicians may perform it in two different ways. A wheel technician can inspect all four wheels but only service the two front wheels, or he can inspect and service all four wheels, which is known as a full four-wheel alignment. Full alignment services are more expensive than other types of alignment services because of the extensive work. As of 2010, this service can cost between $50 to $100 depending on the company and its location.
First introduced in 1961 as a 1962 model, the Chevrolet Nova is best remembered as one of the more dominant and beloved vehicles of the muscle-car era that stretched from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s. However, its performance ratings began to fade after the gas crisis of the early 1970s, as was the case with most sports cars of the time. Chevy phased out the Nova after 1979, but briefly resurrected it from 1985 to 1988 as a front-wheel-drive subcompact that could hardly be recognized as having any relation to its predecessor. The specs provided below apply to all trims of the 1988 Chevy Nova but should not be applied to Novas from other model years, as alignment specs tend to change from year to year.
Caster
Caster is the angle that the steering axis of a wheel is tilted when viewed from the side of a vehicle, with zero being a vertical line from the ground through the center of the wheel. The ideal caster angle for the front end of the 1988 Chevy Nova is +0.88 degrees, but it can range by 0.75 degrees in either direction, with a cross tolerance of 0.5 degrees. The caster is not adjustable on the rear end of the 1988 Nova.
Camber
Camber is the angle a wheel tilts when viewed from the front of the vehicle. If the top of the wheel tilts in, the wheel has a negative camber. If the top of the wheel tilts out, the wheel has a positive camber. The ideal setting for the camber angle on the front end of the 1988 Nova is -0.25 degrees, but it can range by 0.5 degrees in either direction, with a cross tolerance of 0.5 degrees. The ideal setting for the camber on the rear end is -0.52 degrees, but it can range by 0.5 degrees in either direction.
Toe-in
Toe is the measurement of the angle of the wheels in relation to the centerline of the vehicle. If the front of a wheel is angled slightly inward toward the vehicles centerline, then it has toe-in. Most vehicles are designed to have slight toe-in, and the measurements for it are given in positive degrees or inches. Negative toe settings suggest toe-out, in which the front of the wheel points slightly outward, away from the vehicles centerline. The ideal setting for the toe-in on the front end of the 1988 Chevy Nova is +0.08 degrees, but it can range by 0.08 degrees in either direction. The ideal setting for the toe-in on the rear end is +0.31 degrees, but it can range by 0.16 degrees in either direction.
Being the last Pontiac production car, Vibe offers a sporty design and the car is functional, spacious and efficient. If you are lucky enough to get one, it may have needed an alignment. The following specs are cited by the manufacturer for alignment.
Camber
Camber is the measurement in degrees from the true vertical. The Vibe camber angle should be the same on both left and right sides. The angle must be -0.57 with the measuring accuracy of 0.75 degrees on the front wheels and -1.45 with the measuring accuracy of 0.50 on the rear wheels.
Caster
Caster measurement is essentially the reading of camber while turning. Caster angles must be 2.78 degrees with the measuring accuracy of 0.75 degrees.
Total Toe
Total toe angles on the front wheels must be zero degrees with measuring range of 0.20 degrees and 0.26 degrees with the measuring range of 0.26 degrees on the rear wheels.
Chevrolet applied the S-10 prefix to two different vehicles starting in the 1980s: the Chevy S-10 Blazer SUV and the Chevy S-10 pickup truck. The S-10 prefix is most synonymous with the pickup truck, which sported the S-10 brand from 1982 until it was discontinued in 2004 and was often referred to simply as the S-10.
General Alignment Information of the Chevy S-10
The 2004 model year is the last year for which S-10 alignment specs are available, and the 2004 specs only apply to S-10s produced that year. When adjusting the alignment of a vehicle, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that the proper alignment specs are used not just for a particular model but also for the appropriate year. For instance, the alignment specs for a 1987 S-10 differ substantially from those for a 2004 S-10. In some instances, alignment specs vary from trim to trim of a particular vehicle in a given model year, and they can even vary based on optional suspension packages. The rear alignment is not adjustable on any trim of the 2004 S-10. All two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trims of the 2004 Chevrolet S-10 shared the same alignment specs for the front end, but it is imperative to consult an owners manual, repair manual or certified mechanic to make certain the correct specs are used.
Caster
The caster angle on the front left wheel of the 2004 S-10 can range from +1.8 degrees to +3.8 degrees, with the ideal setting being +2.8 degrees, with a cross tolerance of +0.5 degrees. The caster angle on the right front wheel can range from +2.3 degrees to +4.3 degrees, with the ideal setting being +3.3 degrees, with a cross tolerance of +0.5 degrees. The difference in the two settings is intended to compensate for public roads being crowned at a slight downward slope toward the outside of the lane to facilitate drainage.
Camber
The camber angle on the front end of the 2004 S-10 can range from -1.0 degrees to +1.0 degrees, with zero being the ideal setting, with a cross tolerance of +0.5 degrees.
Toe-in
The toe-in on the front end of the 2004 S-10 can range from -0.1 degrees to +0.3 degrees. The ideal setting is +0.1 degrees.
Produced by General Motors in USA, the Chevy Blazer is a mid-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV). It could be equipped with several different types of engines. All Blazer SUVs require periodic adjustment, often referred to as "alignment." The factory specifications for the alignment are the same for all 1991 Blazer models. These specifications are given for a vehicle at curb height with one-half tank of fuel.
Camber
Measured in degrees, camber is the outward or inward tilt of the wheel in relation to the center of the vehicle. The Blazer camber angle should be the same on both left and right wheels. Camber angles must be +0.8 degrees with the measuring accuracy of 0.80 degrees.
Caster
Caster is both the rearward and the forward tilt of the steering knuckle from the true vertical. Caster is the measurement in angles that is responsible for directional stability. The Blazer caster angle should be the same on both left and right wheels. The angle must be +2.0 degrees with the maximum allowable difference of 1.00 degree.
Toe
Toe is the difference between the leading and trailing inside edges of the front wheels. Total angles on all 1991 Blazer models must be +0.15 degrees with measuring range of 0.10 degrees. Toe-in-left and right side should be set separately per wheel and steering wheel must be held in straight ahead position within 5.0 degrees.
Introduced in 1935, the Chevrolet Suburban is one of the longest-running vehicle models in history. While it has gone through numerous redesigns and adopted countless innovations since its early years, the Suburban remains a popular full-size SUV. The 2003 Chevrolet Suburban came in Suburban 1500 and Suburban 2500 trims. The two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trims of the Suburban 1500 had different alignment specs, while all trims of the Suburban 2500 shared the same alignment specs for 2003.
The 2003 2WD Suburban 1500
The caster angle on the front left wheel should be set at +3.9 degrees, but the caster angle on the front right wheel can range from +1.0 degrees to +4.7 degrees, with a cross tolerance of -0.8 degrees for the left wheel and +0.75 degrees for the right wheel. The camber angle can range from +0.25 degrees to +0.50 degrees on each of the front wheels, with a cross tolerance of zero to +0.5 degrees. The front toe-in can range from +0.1 degrees to +0.2 degrees. The rear end alignment is not adjustable.
The 2003 4WD Suburban 1500
The caster angle on the front left wheel should be set at +3.5 degrees, but the caster angle on the front right wheel can range from +1.0 degrees to +4.5 degrees, with a cross tolerance of -1.0 degrees for the left wheel and +0.50 degrees for the right wheel. The camber angle can range from +0.25 degrees to +0.50 degrees on each of the front wheels, with a cross tolerance of zero to +0.5 degrees. The front toe-in can range from +0.1 degrees to +0.2 degrees. The rear end alignment is not adjustable.
The 2003 2WD and 4WD Suburban 2500s
The caster angle on the front left wheel should be set at +4.5 degrees, but the caster angle on the front right wheel can range from +1.0 degrees to +4.75 degrees, with a cross tolerance of -0.25 degrees for the left wheel and +0.75 degrees for the right wheel. The camber angle can range from +0.25 degrees to +0.50 degrees on each of the front wheels, with a cross tolerance of zero to +0.5 degrees. The front toe-in can range from +0.1 degrees to +0.2 degrees.
Unlike the alignment on all of the 2003 Suburban 1500 trims and most of the 2003 Suburban 2500 trims, the rear end alignment is adjustable on the 2003 Suburban 2500 trims that came with Quadrasteer. On Suburbans with Quadrasteer, the camber angle on the rear end can range from -0.5 degrees to +0.5 degrees and the toe in can range from zero to +0.2 degrees. The caster is not adjustable.
The 2010 Corvette came with five different suspension types in several coupe and convertible trims. The suspension types were Sport, Soft Ride, Ride and Handling, Special Ride and Handling, and Ride, Handling and Performance.
Front-End Alignment Specs for the Sport, Soft Ride, and Ride and Handling Suspensions
The limits for the caster angle are +6.9 to +8.1 degrees, the ideal being +7.5 degrees. The limits for camber angle are -1.05 to +.15, the ideal being -.45. The toe can range from -.1 to +.3 degrees per wheel, with the ideal being +.1.0.
Front-End Alignment Specs for the Special Ride and Handling Type Suspension
The limits for the caster angle are +7.0 to +8.2 degrees, the ideal being 7.6 degrees. The limits for the camber angle are -1.5 degrees to +1.5 degrees, the ideal being -1 degree. The toe can range from -.1 to +.3 degrees per wheel, the ideal being +.1 degree.
Front-End Alignment Specs for the Ride, Handling and Performance Type of Suspension
The limits for the caster angle are +7.1 to +8.3 degrees, the ideal being +7.7 degrees. The limits for the camber angle are -1.5 to +1.50, the ideal being -1.0 degree. The toe can range from -.1 to +.3 degrees per wheel, the ideal being +.1 degree.
