How do you determine caster angle?

Caster is the measure of how far forward or behind the steering axis is to the vertical axis, viewed from the side. This is measured by drawing a line between the top and bottom pivot points of the front upright. The angle between the drawn line and vertical is the caster angle.

What should my camber angle be?

For normal, modern cars typically feature a slightly negative camber angle is desired (0.5–1° to ensure a good balance and cornering grip, braking grip and tire wear.

What camber is best for cornering?

For a normal car you typically want to maintain a slight amount of negative camber (0.5 – 1°) to have a good balance of cornering grip, braking grip, and tire wear. On most vehicles it’s common to have slightly more negative camber (0.8 – 1.3°) in the rear to reduce the chances of oversteer (loss of grip in rear).

What is positive toe angle?

In automotive engineering, toe, also known as tracking, is the symmetric angle that each wheel makes with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as a function of static geometry, and kinematic and compliant effects. Positive toe, or toe in, is the front of the wheel pointing towards the centreline of the vehicle.

What is camber angle and caster angle?

Caster angle will compensate this to a degree, as the top of the outside tire will tilt slightly inward and the inner tire will respectively tilt outward. On the other hand, for maximum straight-line acceleration, the greatest traction will be attained when the camber angle is zero and the tread is flat on the road.

What is negative caster angle?

Negative caster positions the lower ball joint behind (rearward of) the upper ball joint or strut mount. Unlike in a positive caster arrangement, the wheel and tire contact patch hit the ground behind the steering system and suspension components. Negative caster angle isn’t a setting used by modern road cars.

What is better toe in or toe-out?

Generally the rule of thumb is that more toe-in increases understeer and more toe-out increases oversteer. However, with modern cars, especially race cars with independent front and rear suspensions, there is another effect on handling.

Is toe the same as camber?

With positive camber, the top of the tires points outwards of the car. With negative camber, the top of the tires points inwards. Toe is the angle the tires are rotated around their vertical axis, looking at them from above the car.

What is camber caster and toe?

What is camber, caster, and toe? Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the front tyres as viewed from the front of the vehicle. Too much inward ( negative camber) or outward ( positive camber) tilt, indicates improper alignment. Worn ball joints, strut mount, tie rod, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment.

What is the correct camber angle for the rear of vehicle?

Caster is a stability angle, measured in degrees. There is no caster setting for the rear of a vehicle. The caster in this vehicle is read four degrees plus or minus one half degrees (.5°). The vehicles actual caster angles are within specifications. The camber angle is read one degree plus or minus 30 minutes.

What are Cross-camber and cross-caster alignments?

Most street car alignments call for the front camber and caster settings to be adjusted to slightly different specifications on the right side of the vehicle compared to the left side. These slight side-to-side differences are called cross-camber and cross-caster.

What is the caster angle for the rear of the vehicle?

There is no caster setting for the rear of a vehicle. The caster in this vehicle is read four degrees plus or minus one half degrees (.5°). The vehicles actual caster angles are within specifications.