Taurus X AWD V6-3.5L (2009)
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.
Drift/Pull
Wheel Alignment Angles
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.
-
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.
-
Drift/pull may be induced by conditions external to the vehicle (for example, wind or road crown).
Nibble
Wheel Alignment Angles
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.
Poor Groove Feel
Wheel Alignment Angles
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."
-
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.
-
In the diagnosis of a driveability problem, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel.
Poor Returnability/Sticky Steering
Wheel Alignment Angles
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.
Shimmy
Wheel Alignment Angles
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.
Toe
Wheel Alignment Angles
