Caster, Camber and Toe Alignments

Understanding Caster, Camber, and Toe

While you might not be a car mechanic, knowing a bit about caster, camber, and toe can help you understand wheel alignment. These three angles are crucial for your vehicle's handling, tire wear, and overall performance.

What is Camber?

Camber is the angle of your wheels relative to the vertical. It can be positive (tilted outward) or negative (tilted inward).

• Positive camber: Improves stability.
• Negative camber: Used in performance vehicles for better cornering.

What is Caster?

Caster is the angle of the steering axis. It affects steering effort and high-speed stability.

• Positive caster: Increases steering effort but improves stability.
• Negative caster: Reduces steering effort but can affect straight-line stability.

What is Toe?

Toe is the angle of your wheels pointing inward or outward. It affects tire wear and steering stability.

• Toe-in: Improves straight-line stability but can increase tire wear.
• Toe-out: Can improve cornering but may affect straight-line stability.

Why is wheel alignment important?

Proper wheel alignment ensures your tires wear evenly, improves handling, and can even save you money on fuel. If you notice any of the issues mentioned earlier, it's time to schedule an alignment.