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Alignment & Tire Maintenance Basics - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Kevin McNulty Former Editor, Mud Life

It's an unquestionable fact that there's an intricate science behind the design and engineering of every suspension. There are hundreds of reasons why those highly engineered suspension systems could perform poorly, ride uncomfortably on- or off-highway, and have irregular tire wear. Poor maintenance and suspension modifications cause a change in the suspension geometry, which, if left uncorrected, will cause a whole slew of performance handling issues and suck the life right out of a good set of tires.

131 1101 Alignment And Tire Maintenance Basics Super Suspension Upgrades dodge Power Wagon And Alignment Equipment Photo 31036408

Proper suspension alignment is critical to how a vehicle steers, performs, and handles on and off the highway. If a vehicle is properly aligned it will also have less rolling resistance, increasing the life of components (like bushings) and improving tire longevity and fuel economy.

If a 4x4 is a purpose-built trail rig that's hammered on more than a blacksmith's anvil, then the most critical part of its suspension alignment is making sure the tire tread rests flat on the ground for traction. However, if your beloved 4x4 is a daily driver and sees its share of asphalt days, then it's imperative that proper suspension alignment be maintained.

PhotosView Slideshow There are three basic concepts of suspension alignment in the front suspension: caster, camber, and toe. Caster is the knuckle angle leaning either forward or rearward of the spindle. Leaning forward, the caster would be positive; rearward would be negative.

There are three basic concepts of suspension alignment in the front suspension: caster, camber, and toe. Caster is the knuckle angle leaning either forward or rearward of the spindle. Leaning forward, the caster would be positive; rearward would be negative.

Camber is the tilt of the tire at the top. A tire leaning into the vehicle is negative camber; outward is positive.

Toe is a measurement that tells you whether a pair of tires is pigeon-toed or duck-footed; in other words, not perfectly parallel. If any of these are out of whack, they will greatly affect steering, handling, and tire wear.

Mud tires are expensive. They can run from $150 to $800 each, a lot of money for some of us. A set of quality tires can quickly be destroyed by a misaligned suspension or poor tire maintenance. The mud tires on our Dodge were experiencing cupping, which caused the tread blocks to wear unevenly. There was 1/4 inch difference from block to block. The uneven tread wear made the truck ride at almost all speeds as if it had a death wobble. The irregular wear was caused by the passenger side toe being out of alignment.

Caster, camber, and toe should be set close to exact tolerances. There are ways to do this at home in the garage, but they aren't as accurate as computer alignment. Remember how much those tires cost. A good alignment costs $50-$80 and is well worth the investment if you paid over $1,000 for fancy mud-terrain tires.

We stopped by Orange Coast Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Costa Mesa, California, to have our Black Sheep Dodge aligned. The benefit of professional alignment is that the computer shows how close to spec the caster, camber, and toe are while the techs make adjustments. This ensures accuracy. Sure, you can make these adjustments in your garage with a couple of yardsticks and a tape measure, but nothing beats computer alignment.

Tire balancing is very important and can help make the most aggressive mud-terrain tires ride smoother on the highway. All-terrains ride like a dream. No tire and wheel combination is in perfect balance, so having them precision-balanced will greatly extend their service life. An imbalanced set of tires can cause irritating vibrations, tire and wheel hop, and irregular wear. We had America's Tire mount and balance our tires. The company's regular mounting and balancing comes with additional rotations, sweetening the deal.

The mud-terrain tires on our Dodge were so worn, we had to replace them. We chose a set of 35X12.50R/17 Mickey Thompson Baja Rad0ial ATZs, an aggressive all-terrain tire designed for long life and a quiet, comfortable ride. The ATZs provide excellent all-around traction, and the tires are constructed with a massive amount of rubber on the tread for long life. The important thing to remember is to protect an investment like this is by keeping the tires properly inflated and rotated.

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Alignment & Tire Maintenance Basics - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

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