Rover 214 & 414 Service and Repair Manual - Rover club

29.1 Wheel alignment and steering angles
29 Wheel alignment and
steering angles 5
1 A vehicle’s steering and suspension
geometry is defined in five basic settings. All
angles are expressed in degrees and the
steering axis is defined as an imaginary line
drawn through the centres of the front
suspension upper and lower balljoints,
extended where necessary to contact the
ground (see illustration).
Camber
2 Camber is the angle between each
roadwheel and a vertical line drawn through
its centre and tyre contact patch when viewed
from the front or rear of the vehicle.
Positive camber is when the roadwheels are
tilted outwards from the vertical at the top.
Negative camber is when they are tilted
inwards.
3 Camber is not adjustable and given for
reference only. While it can be checked using
a camber checking gauge, if the figure
obtained is significantly different from that
specified, then the vehicle must be taken for
careful checking by a professional, as the fault
can only be caused by wear or damage to the
body or suspension components.
Castor
4 Castor is the angle between the steering
axis and a vertical line drawn through each
roadwheel’s centre and tyre contact patch
when viewed from the side of the vehicle.
Positive castor is when the steering axis is
tilted so that it contacts the ground ahead of
the vertical. Negative castor is when it
contacts the ground behind the vertical.
5 Castor is not adjustable and is given for
reference only. While it can be checked using
a castor checking gauge, if the figure obtained
is significantly different from that specified,
then the vehicle must be taken for careful
checking by a professional, as the fault can
only be caused by wear or damage to the
body or suspension components.
1689 Rover 214 & 414 Updated Version 09/97
Suspension and steering 10•21
Steering axis inclination/SAI
6 Also known as kingpin inclination/KPI, this
is the angle between the steering axis and a
vertical line drawn through each roadwheel’s
centre and tyre contact patch when viewed
from the front or rear of the vehicle.
7 SAI/KPI is not adjustable and is given for
reference only.
Toe
8 Toe is the difference, viewed from above,
between lines drawn through the roadwheel
centres and the vehicle’s centre-line. Toe-in is
when the roadwheels point inwards, towards
each other at the front. Toe-out is when they
splay outwards from each other at the front.
9 At the front, toe setting is adjusted by
screwing the track rods in or out of their
balljoints to alter the effective length of the
track rod assemblies.
10 At the rear, toe setting is adjusted by
slackening the front lateral link-to-body pivot
bolt and repositioning the bolt in its mounting
slot, thereby altering the position of the trailing
arm assembly.
Toe-out on turns
11 Also known as turning angles or
Ackermann angles, this is the difference,
viewed from above, between the angles of
rotation of the inside and outside front
roadwheels when they have been turned
through a given angle.
12 Toe-out on turns is set in production and
is not adjustable as such, but can be upset by
altering the length of the track rods unequally.
It is essential, therefore, to ensure that the
track rod lengths are exactly the same and
that they are turned by the same amount
whenever the toe setting is altered.
Checking and adjustment
13 Due to the special measuring equipment
necessary to check wheel alignment and the
skill required to use it properly, checking and
adjustment of the aformentioned settings is
best left to a Rover dealer or similar expert.
Note that most tyre-fitting shops now possess
sophisticated checking equipment.
10