Thrust Angles Description
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2007 Pontiac Montana SV6, 2007 Chevrolet Uplander, and 2007 Buick Terraza. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The front wheels aim or steer the vehicle. The rear wheels control tracking. This tracking action relates to the thrust angle (3). The thrust angle is the path that the rear wheels take. Ideally, the thrust angle is geometrically aligned with the body centerline (2).
In the illustration, toe-in is shown on the left rear wheel, moving the thrust line (1) off center. The resulting deviation from the centerline is the thrust angle.