초록 ▼

A wheel alignment process using manually operable alignment apparatus wherein all four wheels of a vehicle having a front steerable wheel pair and a rear nonsteerable wheel pair may be set in toe without turning the vehicle around part way through the process. The process provides for setting both f

A wheel alignment process using manually operable alignment apparatus wherein all four wheels of a vehicle having a front steerable wheel pair and a rear nonsteerable wheel pair may be set in toe without turning the vehicle around part way through the process. The process provides for setting both front and rear toe relative to the chassis centerline in one aspect of the disclosure and for setting rear toe as close as practical to the chassis centerline and the front toe relative to the rear wheel rolling direction in another aspect of the disclosure. A lock is also disclosed which assures stability of the reference for the front and rear toe settings during the practice of the toe setting process.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of setting toe for wheels supporting the chassis of a vehicle having pairs of steerable front and nonsteerable rear wheels, and a steering wheel for controlling the steerable wheels, utilizing apparatus including a pair of reversible alignment projector heads having projecting screens there

A method of setting toe for wheels supporting the chassis of a vehicle having pairs of steerable front and nonsteerable rear wheels, and a steering wheel for controlling the steerable wheels, utilizing apparatus including a pair of reversible alignment projector heads having projecting screens thereon and operating to project a light array in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of a wheel on which mounted, the array including a scale reference mark, a support structure adapted to be situated at one end of a position for receiving the vehicle, wherein the support structure has a mirror bar supported therein which is adjustable in orientation and which has reflecting surfaces mounted thereon, a pair of positionable targets, and wheel clamps adapted to be mounted on the wheels and to receive the projector heads, comprising the steps of mounting the pair of alignment heads one on each of the steerable front wheels, placing one of the positionable targets on each side of and at the rear of the chassis substantially equidistant from a point midway between the rear wheel pair, projecting the light arrays rearwardly to strike the positionable targets, steering the front wheel pair until the scale reference marks strike similar points on the positionable targets, projecting the light arrays forwardly to strike the reflecting surfaces attached to the mirror bar, adjusting the orientation of the mirror bar until the reflected scale reference marks strike the alignment head projection screens at similar points thereon, rotating the steering wheel to a centered steering position, setting the toe of each front wheel to desired toe position using the projected light arrays as toe position indicators, mounting the pair of alignment heads one on each of the rear wheels, projecting the light arrays forwardly, and setting the toe of each rear wheel to desired toe position using the projected light arrays as toe position indicators.