https://www.comeanddriveit.com/suspension/camber-caster-toe Worn ball joints, strut mount, tie rod, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment. Positive caster also increases tire lean when cornering (almost like having more negative camber) as the steering angle is increased. I do not know what that threshold is and it is going to be different on every vehicle. Camber. 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. When choosing to adjust your suspension, it’s worth thinking about whether to create a positive or a negative caster; this involves changing the angle created by your car’s steering pivot point, which can cause a tilt forward or backwards. Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the front tyres as viewed from the front of the vehicle. Too much of a good thing leads to trouble. Caster. Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the front tyres as viewed from the front of the vehicle. And did you ever hit a curb or large pothole ? Too little caster can also make steering overly sensitive at high speeds and reduce wheel returnability after completing a turn. Vehicles with SLA suspensions use the upper and lower ball joints to create the angle, and those with struts use the center of the upper strut mount and the lower ball joint as the angle. Click here Straight ahead tracking is better with pos. Point the wheels straight ahead. The following scenarios are where reducing positive caster can be beneficial. What is camber, caster, and toe? caster. Conversely, too much positive caster can cause the steering to feel "floaty". Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Taco2525, Dec 18, 2017. do You think it’s possible a high speed drive linevibration is caused by to much positive caster? Even if it isnt the best way to fix it, The steering dampner is a really good way to cover up the problem. Ugh I highly doubt moving the wheel up in the wheel well would cause that. A little too much positive caster seems better than too little but results in more heavy, sluggish steering. Positive caster split (LF more + than RF) will make the car turn-in easily, and turn-out easily. Quick fact: While some positive or negative camber is good, too much … Later, I took it to place that had old Bear alignment equipment to see if they could adjust that out. There's an extended warranty on driveline/ujoint issues so you could possibly have the dealer look at it. Too much negative camber will wear the inside of the tire more while too much positive will wear the outside more. Caster is positive when the load is ahead or pulling on the spindle. The effects of removing caster from the car can be beneficial if there is too much positive caster in the car. Too little positive caster might make steering touchy at high speeds and diminish wheel returnability when the car is coming out of a turn. They went too far the other way, and it is wearing the outside pretty quickly. As for too negative of an angle, you've seen those results, again, scary. However, excessive positive caster in association with other alignment maladjustments can exacerbate a tire wear issue. It will want to jerk quickly as you make small inputs into the steering at higher speeds. This is good for cornering as it maximizes the area of tire that is in contact with the ground on the outside front wheel, which is under the most load during the turn. Only real downside, is adding caster slightly increases steering effort. The threshold goes either way too much you get low speed steer in and weird handling at low speeds too little and instability at higher speed which can be misinterpreted as a shimmy when in reality it is the vehicle not handling well and unstable. Worn ball joints, strut mount, tie rod, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment. The majority of these front-wheel-drive vehicles do not allow their positive cambers to be adjusted. As far as we know, all four wheel vehicles are designed with positive caster (forks out towards the front at … If both sides are equal but too negative the steering will feel light, the truck will wander and be difficult to keep driving straight. ). Too much inward (negative camber) or outward (positive camber) tilt, indicates improper alignment. The driving effect of the positive caster can be noticed as you’re driving forward. Leaning toward the front bumper is negative caster while leaning back bumper is positive caster. radial tires deform less at speed when compared to a bias ply tire. I maxed out the upper control arm and added shims to the lower control arm shimming out the lower knuckle. It also keeps the car more stable, and makes it feel less 'twitchy' at speed. Wheel Alignment: Caster Angle. You must consider other geometry choices such as A-Arm length to avoid ending up with too much camber gain. Op, how much caster are you taking about? Too much positive camber in 68 RR. Too much caster (positive caster) and the front of the car will understeer more, too little (negative caster) and you will get oversteer handling characteristics. The best I can get is caster +3 and the camber at -0.5. Caster is positive when the load is ahead or pulling on the spindle. Positive camber is for stability, while negative camber is common in high performance vehicles that require better cornering. Positive Caster. https://www.sunautoservice.com/how-to-read-a-wheel-alignment-report You see caster specs of + 6-10 degrees on some high performance cars, like the Honda S2000 and the Nissan GTR. How were the old tires ? The caster angle or castor angle is the angular displacement of the steering axis from the vertical axis of a steered wheel in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, other vehicle or a vessel, as seen from the side of the vehicle. This changes the weight on all 4 corners of the car. Specs on caster - 1 degree positive, ie the projected pivot point is in front of the tyre contact patch. Excessive positive caster increases low-speed steering effort and ride harshness or road shock. For example, a tire wear pattern called feathering can result from a combination of too much caster with incorrect toe settings. Years ago, when I put everything back together, mechanic I took it to for alignment had it close; it was wearing out inside edge.

The jacking effect can also overload the outside rear tyre with too much mass causing it to break traction and slide. Privacy Policy. If one wheel has more positive caster than the other, that wheel will pull toward the center of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to pull or lead to the side with the least positive caster. There are several advantages to a vehicle with a positive caster — these include increased steering angles and better straight-line tracking. With caster maxed out now I get closer to the other side, +5.0 caster, with -1.95 camber. bruceb Diamond Member. I have the caster at +4.8° and the Camber at -0.5° On the left adjustment is limited. Wheel Alignment: Caster Angle. Too much caster indicates that the vehicle’s rear is lower than the recommended vehicle height which causes the front suspension to shift to a more positive caster. approximately 2-4* is the sweet spot for a daily driven commuter car. caster. Caster is the lean of the knuckle at the ball joints as you look at the side of the Jeep. Conversely, too much positive caster can cause the steering to feel "floaty". Camber . When you say drive line vibration I assume your talking about the driveshaft. Actually additional caster can help improve stability as noted above but there is a threshold where too much is too much and apparently the front wheels will start to shimmy. It handled very nice. There are factory vehicles with over 10* of caster. Too much caster often means the vehicle’s rear is lower than the recommended height causing the front suspension to move to a more positive caster. Aug 20, 2004 8,875 111 106. I would add KPI/SAI and Scrub radius to that equation. Aug 20, 2004 8,875 111 106. If your upper ball joint or strut mount is located more toward your vehicle’s rear than the lower ball joint, your vehicle has a positive caster. As for too negative of an angle, you've seen those results, again, scary. I have the caster at +4.8° and the Camber at -0.5° On the left adjustment is limited. Have you gotten the "driveline vibration" letter yet? Actually additional caster can help improve stability as noted above but there is a threshold where too much is too much and apparently the front wheels will start to shimmy. If you increase the degree of the positive caster angle too much, it … The more positive the caster, the more cross weight there is being removed. Caster is the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis viewed from the side of the vehicle. I checked every thing and put a hi end tire on the front and it would still do it. Positive caster is a GOOD thing! agreed. Positive & Negative Camber. We’ve already discussed what is caster and how it becomes positive or negative. Caster is the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis viewed from the side of the vehicle. Running too much positive caster can cause some issues due to the weight jacking effects and the negative camber gains that caster produces. Yes an no to that threshold. And did you ever hit a curb or large pothole ? Also, if you’re normally driving on uneven roads or surfaces, then you will want the added stability that positive cambers provide. Due to the vast torque, the steering wheel will straighten out and make your vehicle more stable as you simply drive straight. Positive caster increases negative camber when the wheels are turned due to the geometry of the suspension components. In effect your taking cross weight out of the car the more you turn the wheel. Any unusual wear on them ? If you have too much positive caster, you can induce a tire shake/shimmy. With caster maxed out now I get closer to the other side, +5.0 caster, with -1.95 camber. Copyright © 1995-2020 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. A large positive camber setting (wheel facing forward of axis) is good for high speed stability but can make it … The amount of caster directly correlates to the length of caster trail in a given suspension. Because too much positive caster also has it’s drawbacks. That is my theory on caster angles vs. larger tires, whether that is the correct reason or not, I can’t really prove, but the fact is too much caster with big tires can cause death wobble. It helps the car absorb bumps, as it puts the suspension movement more in line with the bumps. The benefit of positive camber on these vehicles is that you don’t need to use much effort when steering them. If both sides are equal but too positive, the steering can be heavy. The best I can get is caster +3 and the camber at -0.5. I do not know what that threshold is and it is going to be different on every vehicle. Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CTaulbert, Apr 14, 2013. Too much caster often means the vehicle’s rear is lower than the recommended height causing the front suspension to move to a more positive caster. Caster Kits - There's almost no such thing as too much positive caster for performance driving.Click here. Positive Caster occurs when the load is ahead or there is pulling on the spindle. Alignment numbers have nothing to do with a driveshaft vibration. If you have too much positive caster, you can induce a tire shake/shimmy. Drivers complain of too much caster split as having no control with the steering wheel, and the car wants to fight itself into and out of each left-turn. Jan 7, 2015 #5 I would not be too worried about being out of spec so little. Off topic but is that dove springs in your avatar? How were the old tires ? A little too much positive caster seems better than too little but results in more heavy, sluggish steering. (You must log in or sign up to reply here. Any unusual wear on them ? I had a 05 harley sportster and at speeds over 75-80 it would get a little wooble or shake in the front end. There is more to doing it because the caster and the total also need to be considered. bruceb Diamond Member. Vehicles with SLA suspensions use the upper and lower ball joints to create the angle, and those with struts use the center of the upper strut mount and the lower ball joint as the angle. I ended up putting a steering dampner on and it solved the problem 100% I use to pass my ridding budys wih no hands doing 100mph. What is camber, caster, and toe? On the other hand, excessive negative caster reduces … About the only thing it could cause is the needle bearing vibe if anything and that would go away in 4wd. Mechanical Trail is defined as the distance between the intersection of the steering access and the ground measured to the center of the contact patch, viewed perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal plane. It also helps center the steering wheel when it's let go. There are many variables to consider when it comes to caster amount and split. Terms of Service. Positive caster is when the steering axis is in front of the verticle. Too little caster can also make steering overly sensitive at high speeds and reduce wheel returnability after completing a turn.

The screw can be adjusted to move the wheel forwards or backwards adjusting the caster angle. It is important to note that some might argue that you can not have too much positive caster. Also as an important note here….underinflated front tires can also induce a tire shake/shimmy too. However, just like with camber, vehicle pull is not caused by too much or too little caster, but by side to side imbalance. Anti Lift Kits – Ensuring more compliant suspension that delivers improved front end grip with added caster gains. If you have too much positive caster, the vehicle will be harder to turn. On most vehicles it's common to have slightly more negative camber (0.8 - 1.3°) in the rear to reduce the chances of … Increasing the amount of positive caster will increase steering effort and straight line tracking, as well as improve high speed stability and cornering effectiveness. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-recall-drive-shaft-replacement.523004/, Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics, Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world, Post your own photos in our Members Gallery. I do not know what that threshold is and it is going to be different on every vehicle. Straight ahead tracking is better with pos. Actually additional caster can help improve stability as noted above but there is a threshold where too much is too much and apparently the front wheels will start to shimmy. ... Too much extended camber can affect those hard stops that may be necessary. When you turn a car left with positive caster the LF rises while the RF drops. Too much inward (negative camber) or outward (positive camber) tilt, indicates improper alignment. Caster angle can have a positive effect on the contract patch in turns, but it depends on the tires and weight and you can over do it and decrease high speed turn stability too. How does caster effect driving on rougher roads or dips? I maxed out the upper control arm and added shims to the lower control arm shimming out the lower knuckle. That is my theory on caster angles vs. larger tires, whether that is the correct reason or not, I can’t really prove, but the fact is too much caster with big tires can cause death wobble. If those are not properly set, the misalignment will … Jan 7, 2015 #5 I would not be too worried about being out of spec so little.

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