Camber on a car is the angle of the tire and wheel assembly when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Positive, negative, and neutral camber offer different benefits, although most street cars have a slightly negative camber.

A properly balanced suspension system ensures safe and easy handling. While every car has a specific camber as indicated by the manufacturer, camber is adjustable. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of different types of camber? What’s right for your car?

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What is camber?

Camber is the inward or outward angle of the tire and wheel assembly when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

Front tires and rear wheels may have a positive camber, a negative camber, or zero camber aka neutral camber. Camber changes the amount of contact that tires have with the road surface. For a common passenger vehicle, a slight negative camber (less than 1°) is preferable.

Every camber has its advantages and disadvantages for vehicle handling. Some camber settings are better for cornering or stability, for example.

The ideal camber for a vehicle depends on the suspension design, road conditions, driver habits, tire grip, and what type of vehicle it is. If the camber is incorrect, there may be performance issues and excessive wear and tear.

There is also something called the toe, which describes the position of a tire on its vertical axis. Toe is the difference in distance between the front and back of a tire. Looking down on a car from above, toe-in is when the front of the tire is angled into the center of the car. Toe-out is when the front of the tire is angled out away from the vehicle.

Positive camber and negative camber

Positive camber is when the top of the wheel tilts outward. Here are some of the key benefits of a positive camber angle:

Greater stability while moving in a straight line

Reduced steering effort

Easier to navigate uneven ground

Off-road vehicles and agricultural machines like tractors typically have positive camber to benefit from the straight-line stability.

Negative camber is when the top of the tire tilts inward.

Most street cars have a slight negative camber on all four wheels. Here are some benefits of negative camber:

Prolonged tire life due to reduced pressure

Reduced wheel vibration for smooth handling

Faster speed while cornering due to increased grip

Negative camber is common in motorsports and performance cars that move in circuits. For instance, NASCAR drivers are always turning left in a loop. So, these race cars have negative camber on the right wheels and positive camber on the left wheels.

While negative camber can help a drift car speed around corners, there are some drawbacks. Your straight-line acceleration and braking will suffer, and you will notice less stability on straight roads.

Camber angle

Camber angle can be determined with an alignment rack or a bubble level and camber gauge.

A tool called a pyrometer (or non-contact infrared thermometer) can measure how the contact patch changes when adjusting camber. This is often used by performance drivers.

Before measuring the camber angle, it is important to confirm that your automotive suspension joints are within spec. Otherwise, the measurement could be inaccurate.

Camber vs. caster

You can measure the suspension of a vehicle along different axes.

Whereas camber measures the tilt of the wheel assembly along a horizontal axis, caster measures the positive or negative angle of the steering axis as it attaches to the tire assembly via lower and upper pivot points.

Positive caster means that the wheel is forward of the upper pivot point, with the steering axis tilted back toward the driver. A negative caster means that the wheel is behind the upper pivot point.

Like camber, caster angle can affect stability and steering. A more positive caster means more stability at high speeds, and a lower caster translates to more responsive handling.

Most vehicles have a slight positive caster.

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How camber affects your handling

Camber, caster, and toe must have a proper alignment for your vehicle to perform well.

If your camber is out of whack, you may observe problems with handling. Difficulty steering, excessive tire wear, and poor fuel economy are key signifiers that your camber angle is incorrect.

The good news is that camber settings can be adjusted for improved handling by a skilled technician.

When to get a camber adjustment

There are two scenarios that usually trigger the need to get a camber adjustment.

If your vehicle was involved in an accident, you should get a

brake, steering, and suspension inspection

. Damage to any component of the steering system could result in incorrect camber. In this situation, camber bolts can be used to help restore the proper camber or the control arms can be adjusted.

If you need better cornering performance, you can get a negative camber adjustment.

Of course, there are also smaller symptoms of camber angle problems such as pulling, uneven tire wear, and uneven directional stability. A full inspection of your steering and suspension system will reveal whether old springs or worn-out ball joints are to blame.

The actual camber adjustment process depends on your suspension system. In a vehicle with camber plates, camber can be adjusted to achieve a different static camber and autocross camber, for example.

Remember that suspension occurs across three axes. Anytime the camber is adjusted, the toe and caster should be checked as well.

MORE: Why does my steering wheel shake and how do I fix it?

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What causes a camber problem?

Camber problems can be caused by accidents, poor alignment, or worn-out parts in your suspension system.

How are camber problems fixed?

Camber problems can be fixed with a typical wheel alignment, which will reset the camber on all four wheels to factory settings. If an alignment doesn’t fix the problem, then you should ask a mechanic for a detailed suspension inspection.

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