Wheel Alignment System - Tribute Except Hybrid: Other Mazda Tribute II

Caster

Caster is the deviation from vertical of an imaginary line drawn through the pivot points (top of strut and lower ball joint), when viewed from the side. The caster specifications in this service information will give the vehicle the best directional stability characteristics when loaded and driven. The caster setting is not related to tire wear. The caster setting is not adjustable.

A backward tilt is positive (+) and a forward tilt is negative (-). Front caster adjustment is not a separate procedure on this vehicle. The vehicle will tend to drift/pull toward the side with the lowest caster.

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Toe

vehicle toe setting affects tire wear and directional stability.

Positive Toe (Toe In)

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Incorrect thrust angle (also known as dogtracking) is the condition in which the rear axle is not square to the chassis. Heavily crowned roads can give the illusion of dogtracking.

Negative Toe (Toe Out)

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Wander

Wander is the tendency of the vehicle to require frequent, random left and right steering wheel corrections to maintain a straight path down a level road.

Shimmy

Shimmy, as experienced by the driver, is large, consistent, rotational oscillations of the steering wheel resulting from large, side-to-side (lateral) tire/wheel movements.

Shimmy is usually experienced near 64 km/h (40 mph), and can begin or be amplified when the tire contacts pot holes or irregularities in the road surface.

Nibble

Sometimes confused with shimmy, nibble is a condition resulting from tire interaction with various road surfaces and experienced by the driver as small rotational oscillations of the steering wheel.

Incorrect Thrust Angle (Dog Tracking)

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Poor Returnability/Sticky Steering

Poor returnability and sticky steering are used to describe the poor return of the steering wheel to center after a turn or steering correction.

Drift/Pull

Pull is a tugging sensation felt by the hands on the steering wheel that must be overcome to keep the vehicle going straight.

Drift describes what a vehicle with this condition does with the hands off the steering wheel.

1. A vehicle-related drift/pull on a flat road causes a consistent deviation from the straight-ahead path and requires constant steering input in the opposite direction to counteract the effect.
2. Drift/pull may be induced by conditions external to the vehicle (for example, wind or road crown).

Poor Groove Feel

Poor groove feel is characterized by little or no buildup of turning effort felt in the steering wheel as the wheel is rocked slowly left and right within very small turns around center or straight-ahead (under 20 degrees of steering wheel turn). Effort may be said to be "flat on-center."

1. Under 20 degrees of turn, most of the turning effort that builds up comes from the mesh of the gear teeth in the steering gear. In this range, the steering wheel is not yet turned enough to feel the effort from the self-aligning forces at the road wheel or tire patch.
2. In the diagnosis of a driveability concern, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel.

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1. Check the toe setting using suitable wheel alignment equipment. CAUTION: The cam nut and cam bolt area must be free of foreign material to make sure of correct clamping. NOTE: Clean the general area of the joint to prevent foreign material from entering the joint. Clean the area using only mild liquids. NOTE: Jounce the vehicle to make sure that the suspension is in its normal, at-rest position.
2. Loosen the LH and RH rear wheel knuckle bolts. NOTE: Do not remove the rear knuckle cam nut and wheel knuckle bolts. If removed, clean the serrations in the bushing sleeve with a wire brush and install a new wheel knuckle bolt and cam nut.
3. Turn the LH and RH adjusting cams simultaneously until the toe is within specification.
4. Tighten the LH and RH rear wheel knuckle bolts. Using a suitable tool, hold the adjustment cam nut stationary while tightening the rear wheel knuckle bolt. Tighten to 150 N.m {15.3 kgf.m, 111 ft.lbf}.
5. Re-calibrate the steering wheel position sensor. See «STEERING SYSTEM»(ref-348642-S08390648872009112700000) .

RIDE HEIGHT MEASUREMENT

Note. Make sure that the vehicle is positioned on a flat, level surface and the tires are inflated to the correct pressure. Vehicle should have a full tank of fuel.

Front

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1. Position a suitable surface gauge (such as Starrett 57D Surface Gauge), on a flat, level surface and adjust the gauge's arm until the scriber point is located in the center of the lower ball joint. Lock the surface gauge in this position.
2. With the surface gauge positioned on a flat, level surface, record the measurement of the surface gauge position (measurement 2).
3. Position the surface gauge on the same flat, level surface as used in Step 1 , adjust the gauge's arm until the scriber point is located in the center of the forward lower arm bolt. Lock the surface gauge in this position.
4. With the surface gauge positioned on a flat, level surface, record the measurement of the surface gauge position (measurement 3).
5. Subtract measurement 3 from measurement 2 to obtain the front ride height.