Lotus Elise Service Notes page 82

Alignment is measured either by the angle a wheel makes with the vehicle centre line, or the difference in
dimension between the wheel rim to wheel rim measurement at the front and rear of the wheel at hub centre
height. The wheels are said to 'toe-in' when the wheel paths converge ahead of the vehicle, and 'toe-out' when
they diverge. Wheel alignment is designed to vary with both steering angle (Ackerman) and suspension travel
(bump steer) and should be measured only 'straight ahead' at the specified ride height.
Front wheel alignment is adjusted be screwing the track rods into or out of the track rod outer end ball
joints. In order to preserve the required bump steer characteristic and steering symmetry, the effective length
of each track rod must remain equal - adjust each track rod by a similar amount.
Hold the track rod end using the flats provided, and slacken the locknut. Repeat for the opposite side.
Turn each track rod a similar amount. As a guide, turning both track rods by one quarter of a turn will alter
overall toe-out by approx. 2.0 mm.
When adjustment is correct, hold each track rod end and tighten the locknuts to 80 - 82 Nm (58 - 60 Ibf.ft).
When slackening or tightening the track rod end locknuts, it is important that the torque reaction is re-
sisted using the track rod end fiats, and that the ball joint itself is not allowed to be stressed.
Camber Adjustment
Camber is the angle from vertical of the wheel when viewed from the front, and is said to be negative
when the wheel leans inwards at the top (positive when leaning outwards). The primary purpose of camber
is to achieve the maximum efficiency of the tyre under cornering loads and body roll, with the specification
closely allied to a particular wheel/tyre combination. The camber angle changes with suspension travel, be-
coming more negative on bump, and should be measured only at the specified ride height. Incorrect camber
can result in handling deficiencies and excessive tyre wear.
I c 2 8 1
Vertical
Camber angle
Wheel centreline
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