This occurs when negative camber wheels naturally propel the vehicle towards its midline. Negative camber can cause decreased stability when driving in a straight line due to camber thrust. Not all effects of negative camber are good though some, like excessive outer tire wear, are undesirable for street cars. Performance drivers prefer negative camber on their cars for a variety of reasons outlined below. Most street cars have slight negative camber on all wheels, with even more in the rear wheels to help reduce oversteer. Related: Common Bad Wheel Alignment Symptoms Negative Camber Effects Credit: Trenten Kelley Uneven ground can normally make vehicles stray to either side (due to camber thrust) but positive camber is able to help with this issue. This makes it great for off-roading or agricultural vehicles, as turning can sometimes be more difficult in these cases. Positive camber reduces steering effort and provides greater stability in a straight line. Positive Camber Effects Credit: Club Lexus Most vehicles have slight negative camber, but some cases call for positive camber instead. “Toe out” refers to tires that are pointed outward away from the center of the car and improves response of turning.Ĭamber, of course, also affects the tire wear and handling of the car. This improves stability in a straight line when at speed. “Toe in” means that the leading edge of the tires are turned in towards the center of the car as if the car were “pigeon toed”. Toe refers to the point of the front tires when the car is viewed from above. Positive caster has the wheel of the vehicle in front of the upper pivot point, and the wheel is behind the upper pivot point with negative caster. This angle affects the steering ease and stability when traveling in a straight line. Each of these affects the others, so changing one of the angles should be followed by re-measuring the others and checking the suspension components.Ĭaster measures the angle of the steering axis, or the position of the lower pivot point relative to the upper pivot point. Ride height measurement is another angle that can help you spot not only worn springs, but bent components.The suspension of a vehicle is measured in three different ways, on different axes. This mesurement will let you see how square the wheels are front to rear. Some alignment systems will allow you to perform more diagnostic measurements. But bending a perfectly good strut to compensate for misalignment elsewhere is going to create unequal camber changes side-to-side during jounce and rebound, which may create a bump-steer condition. Bending a strut may bring camber back into range – assuming the wheel isn’t off more than one-and-a-half degrees (which is the maximum limit for bending any strut). The same also applies to bent strut rods and camber.īending a strut to “realign” the front end is not an answer because you shouldn’t fix one problem by creating another. If they’re different, one of the struts is bent.Įven with the toe adjusted and the steering wheel straight, a bent steering arm can cause the SIA to be out of specification. If both distances are the same, you can rule out misalignment at the bottom end of the strut or a bent spindle. Loosen the two camber adjustment cam bolts on the strut (if provided), push the steering knuckles in as far as they’ll go towards negative camber and measure the distance between the strut and brake rotor on both sides. Here’s another way to check for strut problems. You can zero in on the hidden damage (a bent or mislocated strut, bent control arm and/or bent spindle) by comparing the SAI angle, camber reading and “included angle” (the angle between camber and SAI). Setting the camber to zero might allow the tires to last a long time, but the stability and steering feel will be compromised. If the readings are the same, a check of the steering axis inclination (SAI) angle side-to-side should also be made.Īlways use the manufacturer’s camber specification for adjustments. Then compress the suspension four inches and read the camber angles for both wheels again.ĭifferent camber readings side-to-side with a jounce/rebound camber check usually indicate a bent strut that needs to be replaced or straightened. One way to identify hidden damage that may be affecting camber is to do a “jounce/rebound camber check.” Raise the suspension four inches and read camber on both sides. A shift in the position of a crossmember, on the other hand, will usually change camber on both sides. A shift in the position of a strut tower can cause the same thing. If camber is off on one side only, a close encounter with a pothole or curb may have bent a spindle, control arm or strut.
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