Tips To Align Trailer Axle

One item that is frequently overlooked – and one that can harm the tracking and cornering, as well as the life of the tires – is the alignment of the axle (s).

It is critical to have accurate wheel alignment or proper suspension geometry in your tow vehicle because it impacts the vehicle’s stability and handling. Especially how long its tires will last.

For the suspension layout to work properly, the castor, camber (whether favorable or unfavorable), and toe-in/tow-out must all be set up as designed for the specific suspension layout. It would help if you considered the roll-axes and instant centers as the wheels/tires move up and down.

Controlling the essential handling qualities of the tow vehicle – oversteer/understeer vs. cornering force – is accomplished by adjusting the front and rear axle weights, spring rates, anti-roll-bar rates, and the bump/rebound settings of the suspension.

When a vehicle’s maximum maneuvering ability is exceeded, the vehicle is inherently designed to ‘plow’ off the road rather than spin off the road.

Changing one of these components, such as stiffening the rear springs, can result in dangerous and unexpected changes in the large tow truck’s handling. It is possible that towing a heavy, high-inertia oscillatory trailer or caravan will exacerbate this situation seriously and unpredictably.

It is also critical for caravans and camper-trailers to be properly aligned, regardless of whether they are equipped with independent suspension or a non-independent (solid-axle) suspension system.