On Thu, 16 Jul 1998, Peter Samaroo wrote:
> >From: "Larry and Sandi Miller" <millerls@email.msn.com>
> >What is a "Thrust" alignment?
[...]
> Instead of just setting the toe-in on the front wheels. Optical devices
> are clamped to the front and rear wheels these send information to a
> computer that tells it when each front wheel is parrallel to the rear
> wheel behind it. Then from this the same amount of toe in is calculated
> for each front wheel. This ensures that the car is not crabbing
> (travelling slightly sideways) as it goes down the street. In other
> words it will be set up so that when the front wheels are pointed
> straight ahead the rear wheels are also pointed straight ahead and are
> directly behind the front wheels. This is a lot easier to explain in
> person with diagrams but I hope I have explained it properly. I always
> have thrust alignments done on my cars. Most good alignment shops only
> do either thrust or 4 wheel alignment, very few just set the toe-in
> which used to be called a two wheel alignment.
>
> Thrust Crabbing
> aligned
> front | | | |
>
> rear | | | |
> Both these cars are travelling in a straight line but the right one is
> doing it sideways. If the crabbing cannot be corrected your frame is
> probably bent.
As I understand it, the only way that crabbing is going to be corrected is
if you can change the rear suspension toe (to get the rear wheels parallel
to the front wheels). Which you cannot easily do on a spridget, right? :-)
-Andy
72 Pantera - Rocky 91 Miata - Steve 96 A4Q - Rudolf
80 928 - Phantom 97 Miata - Nadia 84 RZ350 - Sting
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