How to Fix Negative Camber in 10 Steps!
When your car or truck’s camber is negative, the tops of the tires are angled inward instead of being flat on the ground.
This can have a big impact on the handling of your vehicle and how well it performs, but it doesn’t always mean you need to replace parts right away if you don’t want to do that.
The following guide will show you how to fix negative camber as quickly and cheaply as possible.
You might get surprised at how easy it can be!
How to Fix Negative Camber
Properly fixing negative camber means addressing what caused it in the first place.
In some cases, your tire will simply have lost air pressure. This can be fixed by removing and re-inflating all of your tires. If you notice that they’re losing air quickly.
Another cause of negative camber is out-of-alignment wheels. If your wheels are loose or damaged, they may affect how your car corners and handle daily.
It’s best to have them checked out by a qualified mechanic, especially if you notice any shaking or wobbling when driving at high speeds.
And remember: If there’s more than just a little bit of negative camber, it’s possible that your tires are in bad shape and will need replacement soon.
Last but not least, keep in mind that sometimes your car will just have negative camber by design.
This is sometimes done on purpose by pro-tuners who want their cars to handle at their absolute best, especially on race tracks.
In these cases, you should consider getting a professional alignment done by a mechanic rather than trying to fix it yourself.
Getting rid of negative camber is not always a simple task. It can be quite complex.
For those interested in knowing how to fix negative camber many different options can be taken into consideration when trying to fix it.
With a few simple tools and some free time you can have your car back on track in no time, so follow these three steps below and enjoy straight driving again!
Here are some things you will need before beginning:
- Jack and jack stands (If your car is too low to drive onto a ramp, make sure you use jack stands instead of just jacking it up)
- Pliers and Screwdriver
- Rust remover spray
- Paintbrush or another type of paint application tool
- Car wax (optional)
take the following steps to fix the negative camber on your vehicle.
Step 1. Disconnect your battery.
Step 2. Jack up your car and put it on jack stands.
Step 3. Using your pliers and screwdriver, remove your wheel.
Step 4. Using your paintbrush or wax application tool, spread rust remover spray on all rusty parts of your car’s suspension.
Step 5. Once you have applied rust remover spray, use your pliers and screwdriver to remove all of your suspension’s components. Your tie rods and upper strut mount should be removed without much effort.
Step 6. Now that you have removed all of your suspension components, put your wheel back on and align it with your car by manually turning your steering wheel. You want to get it as straight as possible.
Step 7. Now that you have your wheel aligned, put all of your suspension components back in their places (tie rods and upper strut mount) and tighten them with pliers and a screwdriver. How tight you make these don’t matter as long as they are secure.
Step 8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for all four wheels.
Step 9. Now that you have all four wheels back on, reconnect your battery and start your car up. Turn on your lights (low beams) and align them with a wall or any straight object in front of you. You will want to make sure they are exactly level. If they are not aligned properly, you may need to go back and repeat some steps as not doing so could result in more negative camber forming over time!
Step 10. Now that you have your headlights aligned, repeat steps 5 through 9 for both of your fog lights. You want them aligned with each other, but not necessarily straight with your headlights. To check if they are aligned properly, drive around at night and see if they cast light equally in front of you on both sides of your car or if one side is stronger than another.
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What Happens If You Have Too Much Negative Camber?
If your car has negative camber, then it means that your tires are leaning inward when they’re on the ground.
There’s a good chance that your wheels have also been moved outwards and/or that you have too much static negative camber.
What do these things mean? In general, if you have too much of either of these things, then you will find it difficult to drive in any kind of dry condition.
The biggest problem is that you won’t be able to control how your vehicle handles during turns because you won’t be able to steer properly.
This can lead to dangerous situations for both yourself and other drivers on the road.
Will An Alignment Fix Negative Camber?
The answer is no. While an alignment will improve negative camber, it won’t fix it completely.
If you have a lot of negative camber, you’ll have to look into getting an alignment and a better suspension system if you want to get rid of all that negative camber.
There are certain types of cars that are more prone to developing negative camber in their wheels.
Why Does My Car Have Negative Camber?
The front wheels of a car naturally have camber when they’re on.
Ideally, both of your tires should be level with each other. Having negative camber, however, will make it so that one tire is lower than the other.
This happens when you take a corner too fast and turn one of your wheels against the direction of travel.
When cornering, you must remember that turning your wheels isn’t enough you need to turn them correctly as well.
What Causes Camber Misalignment?
Camber misalignment, or camber-caster alignment, is a car condition that occurs when one wheel is cambered too far inward and one wheel is cambered too far outward.
If left unchecked, it can lead to poor tire wear and an unstable driving experience which with time may pose danger to your safety.
How do you align camber?
To align the camber, you must first make sure your vehicle has adjustable alignment components.
Adjustable alignment components are available in aftermarket parts for older vehicles or standard factory-issue equipment on many new vehicles.
Once you’ve established that your vehicle is equipped with adjustable alignment components, use them to adjust the negative camber by making a slight adjustment in one direction.
For Instance, if your vehicle has positive camber in both front wheels, and you want to reduce it slightly, turn each wheel 1/4 turn counterclockwise.
If you want to increase it slightly, turn each wheel 1/4 turn clockwise.
You must adjust the camber in very small increments.
Minor adjustments will give you much more control over your vehicle’s handling characteristics and make it much easier for you to maintain a proper alignment over time.
Continue adjusting the camber until you’ve achieved an acceptable result, then repeat steps one through three to check again.
What Controls Front Camber?
The main factor that controls how much front camber your vehicle has is its springs.
If you have softer springs (stiffer springs will have less camber), you’ll have more front camber.
Conversely, if you have stiffer springs, your car will ride lower and thus exhibit less front camber.
Air suspension may also affect your levels of front camber, but not in a uniform way.
There are also a few other ways that the front camber is determined.
Ride height itself can affect your levels of front camber because lowering your car lowers its center of gravity and thus increases the camber.
Does Negative Camber Improve Handling?
Yes, negative camber improves handling by enabling drivers to achieve a better grip when driving on the road, reducing wheel vibrations, etc.
Another common misconception about camber is that it’s a negative thing for your tires and handling.
Let’s be clear here if you have excessive camber (5 degrees or more), then yes, you can hurt your tires. However, if you only have 2-3 degrees of negative camber on your car then it shouldn’t negatively affect your tires in any way. Your alignment should still be fine.
Can You Adjust Camber Without Camber Kit?
Yes, you can easily and quickly adjust the camber on your car without using a camber kit.
The key is understanding how negative camber works to identify what kind of problem you have and, therefore, how best to correct it.
In addition, knowing how negative camber affects your vehicle’s performance will help you decide whether you need a correction at all.
How Much Camber is OK?
No. Too much negative camber (the kind where tires are leaning in towards each other) can result in poor handling, and it usually means that your alignment isn’t set up properly. In some cases, negative camber can cause tire wear problems, but unless you drive like a bat out of hell you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
What Causes A Wheel To Lean Inward?
Unbalanced wheels or wheels out of alignment can cause a wheel to lean in toward your car’s center.
The first step is to double-check that all your wheel lug nuts are properly torqued down. This will require you to use a torque wrench, which allows you to put exact amounts of pressure on each wheel lug nut.
Can a Bent Strut Cause Negative Camber?
A bent strut can cause negative camber and make your vehicle handle sluggishly. You may notice uneven tire wear, a bouncy feel, or understeer when turning a corner.
The reason for these issues is that negative camber alters your alignment and places undue stress on tires.
While it’s possible to drive around with bent struts, correcting it is preferable to improve handling and prolong tire life.
What Affects Camber Alignment?
When it comes to your car’s alignment, a lot of things can affect your camber and tire wear. From road conditions like bumps and potholes that can loosen up components, including ball joints and control arms, to heatwaves that make tires more pliable and bendable. And you may not even notice some of these changes until it’s too late.
How Do You Adjust Camber And Caster?
The answer depends on whether you’re working with a front-wheel or a rear wheel. For front wheels, it’s easy all you need is a camber gauge.
If you’re working with a rear wheel, things get more complicated.
Rear wheels use an offset center hub, which places your wheel bearing inside of your dropout rather than directly on it.
This means that if you try to change camber by moving your bearings in or out of their dropouts, you can end up ruining them and having to replace them entirely. Instead, you’ll need a camber kit for the rear wheels.
A camber kit for rear wheels consists of a thicker offset hub and some spacers, which allow you to adjust your camber without sacrificing your bearings.
The exact way that they work varies by manufacturer, but they’re generally installed by removing your wheel bearing cup and adding spacers between it and your dropout.
What Suspension Parts Affect Camber?
Front and rear suspension components, such as lower control arms, strut mounts, upper control arms, ball joints, and bushings all affect the camber.
Changes in height can also affect your car’s stance. If you add a body kit with larger wheels, for example, it will raise your car’s center of gravity which will affect the camber. It’s also possible to have too much negative camber
Are Camber Kits Necessary?
In most cases, camber kits are not necessary for reality, however, what kills tires faster is Toe angle.
For performance cars, a camber kit is an aftermarket part that allows drivers to change and fine-tune their vehicles’ tire alignment.
While most drivers don’t need camber kits, they can be beneficial for people who drive on rugged terrain or who use their vehicle for racing. With lower mileage vehicles, it may not be necessary to invest in a camber kit the tires will wear themselves out before any significant damage is done.
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Can You Camber With Coilovers?
No. Coilovers are designed to work with zero camber on your vehicle.
If you have negative camber, adding coilovers won’t fix it because they rely on camber bolts to provide front-end alignment settings.
Is Camber Good For Drifting?
No, camber is not good for drifting. Unlike positive camber, which has a higher center of gravity than its tire on either side and helps with high-speed cornering, negative camber has a much lower center of gravity than its tires on either side.
This allows for more maneuverability but greatly reduces high-speed handling.
What Toe Is Best For Drifting?
The front toe is best for drifting as it helps your car turn better by turning in sharper.
It is however down to driver feel mostly, some drivers prefer neutral with 0 toes.
The best toe position for drifting depends on how heavy you are, what setup you’re using, and how aggressive you want to be with your driving.
If you’re trying to master drift techniques, then it’s best if you just go out there and experiment with different toe positions.