{"id":3198,"date":"2023-03-02T12:45:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T12:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suspensionsetups.com\/?p=3198"},"modified":"2023-03-03T15:19:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T15:19:37","slug":"how-to-adjust-camber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/suspensionsetups.com\/garage\/how-to-adjust-camber\/","title":{"rendered":"Camber Adjustment Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you own a commuter or a track-car, nobody likes uneven tire wear and poor handling; they’re clear signs of incorrect camber and wheel alignment in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camber refers to the off-vertical tilt of your wheels. If the top of your wheels are tilted inwards, then you have what’s called negative camber. If they’re tilted away from the car, you have positive camber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For road going cars, the camber angle is usually corrected as part of a routine realignment service which also deals with caster, toe, and thrust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it comes to race cars, the ability to alter individual suspension angles easily and frequently is quite a necessity. Even more so if the race car doubles up as a daily driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, camber is not the be all end all of wheel alignment. Other suspension angles also significantly impact the way your car drives, but more on those in another article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of camber adjustment, why you’d want to adjust it in the first place, and the tools required to get it done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Camber Does and Why to Adjust It<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Poor handling and excessive tire wear is indicative of mismatched camber angles. When your wheels go out of alignment, your car will tend to pull towards the side that has the most positive camber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excessive negative camber typically wears the inside part of the tires, while positive camber wears out the outside edges \u2014 that’s something to look out for if you’re unsure whether you need to get your camber angle corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, some cars with high negative camber and properly aligned toe angles don’t experience this issue. It’s worth noting that most sports-oriented cars typically feature a small amount of negative camber from the factory.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Camber<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

If your driving style demands better cornering performance, you want more negative camber as it will help to maximize traction by increasing the contact patch in tight corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look at any car when it’s mid-corner and you’ll notice that the cornering force causes the lead tire to lean over itself. When that happens, the outer edge of the tire ends up doing most of the work, which diminishes the contact patch and the traction as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that situation, all you need is a bit of negative camber to offset the cornering forces and flatten the contact patch as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Positive camber, on the other hand, is most suitable for SUVs and overlanding vehicles. It causes the car to pull to each side, making it easy to maneuver over uneven terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the ideal wheel camber angles for different usage scenarios:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0\u00b0 to -0.5\u00b0:<\/strong> Drag racing
-1\u00b0 to -2\u00b0:<\/strong> Spirited driving
-2\u00b0 to -3\u00b0:<\/strong> Competitive use
-3\u00b0 to -6\u00b0:<\/strong> Drifting
-7\u00b0 to -10\u00b0:<\/strong> Purely aesthetic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Adjust Camber Angle?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Camber angle is typically adjusted as part of a complete wheel alignment service which is typically performed on a leveled alignment rack.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The wheels are equipped with optical reflectors which are detected by laser sensors. A computer then interprets the information to gauge the position and deflection of all 4 wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering how expensive and impractical it is to setup something like this for personal use, it makes sense to rely on these services for routine alignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All cars have to undergo wheel alignment at regular intervals anyway. Each manufacturer specifies pre-defined suspension angles for optimal performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These specifications need to be followed unless you’ve modified your suspension by installing aftermarket parts or if you’re wanting to set it up in a very particular way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After installing aftermarket suspension components such as coilovers or adjustable control arms, the wheel alignment usually goes out of whack and needs to be re-done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend relying on wheel alignment services for routine maintenance and also familiarizing yourself with DIY adjustments for the occasional camber tweak before a canyon run or a track day.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Adjusting your own camber is the easy part. What’s difficult is setting up your garage or driveway to do it properly. There are many ways to approach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of which method you choose to align your wheels and change your camber angle, you will absolutely need the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n