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Alignment refers to the angle of
your wheels relative to the main driving path of your vehicle. Wheel
alignments take many factors into consideration. For most vehicles, the three
primary elements are:
If even one of these elements is
out of line, your tires will drag instead of rolling freely. This causes
uneven tire wear and increases fuel consumption because your vehicle has to
work harder to overcome the drag from your tires.
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Camber
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 This
is the measurement of the angle formed by the vertical centerline of your
tire and a true horizontal plane. Camber affects tire wear and your forward
maneuverability.
Camber is described in terms
of positive and negative. When the top of the tire tilts
outward from the vehicle body, as in the illustration, that is positive
camber. When the top of the tire tilts inward, toward the body, that is
negative camber.
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Toe
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 This is the primary adjustment made on
all makes of vehicles, and is the one which, when out of line, has the most
detrimental effect on tire wear and steering.
"Toe" measures the
distance between the front edges and between the back edges of tires on the
same axle. It is described as inner or outer. When the
distance between the front edges of the wheels is smaller, (as shown in the
illustration), it is referred to as inner toe. When the distance
between the rear edges is smaller, it is outer toe.
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Castor
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 Castor
measures the angle formed by a vertical line drawn through the center of
your tire (when viewed from the side) and the steering axis. Castor affects
your ability to recover from turns. If your castor is out of alignment, it
will have a detrimental effect on your directional control, especially at
high speeds.
Castor is described as positive
or negative. When the steering axis angles toward the front of your
vehicle, it is negative castor. When it angles toward the rear of your
vehicle, as in the illustration, it is positive castor.
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