Is positive or negative caster better?

Performance Benefits of Positive Caster

You get better handling when cornering, better stability at high speeds, and better straight-line tracking. The better traction while cornering is similar to a vehicle with negative camber, as it keeps more tread on the ground despite the sharp angles.

Do you want positive or negative caster?

Increasing the amount of positive caster will increase steering effort and straight line tracking, as well as improve high speed stability and cornering effectiveness. Positive caster also increases tire lean when cornering (almost like having more negative camber) as the steering angle is increased.

Is positive caster better than negative caster?

Positive caster is primarily beneficial to the vehicle as it increases the lean of the tire when the vehicle is cornering, while returning it to an upright position when driving straight ahead. Negative Caster - If the line slopes towards the front of the vehicle then the caster is negative.

What is the advantage of positive caster?

Positive caster creates two primary benefits: Improved straight-line stability at speed. The front wheels positioned forward of the upper ball joint/strut mount produces a self-aligning torque on the front wheels and tires.

Which caster angle is best?

Generally you want as much positive caster as you can reasonably get so long as the car is equipped with power steering. Positive caster angles run between 3 - 5° on modern vehicles. This gives a good mix of highway stability and steering feel.

How Caster Works

What happens with too much positive caster?

Positive caster is what allows you to ride your bike with no hands. It is no different on four wheel vehicles. If you don't have enough positive caster (forks too little angle toward the front) the car will wander and feel unstable. If you have too much positive caster, the vehicle will be harder to turn.

How does negative caster affect handling?

Negative caster results in lighter and easier steering but reduced stability when driving in a straight line. Vehicles with negative caster do not handle as well. What is this? A symptom of negative caster is a sloppy or loose-feeling steering wheel (which is lot less common than a hard to turn wheel).

Can too much caster cause death wobble?

If your Jeep has too little caster angle, it can be a candidate for developing death wobble. As always, too much of a good thing ain't bad. Add too much caster angle and your Jeep will wonder down the road like it's lost as the two tires fight to follow their own independent path.

Does caster affect ride height?

Ride height can also affect caster. Spring sag or overloading a vehicle can alter ride height up to several inches, which can increase caster readings by up to a degree or more.

Should caster be the same on both sides?

Caster is the angle of your vehicle's steering pivot when looked at from the side. ... Your tire's caster should be the same on both sides of the vehicle; if it's not the same, then the vehicle will tend to pull to the side that is less positive. Toe is a measurement of how parallel your tires are to each other.

Is it better to have 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.

How does rear toe affect handling?

Toe adjustments on the rear tires also have an effect on car handling. Toe-in on the rear creates understeer, which can help with cars that are oversteery on exit. The tradeoff is wear and heat in the rear tires. Toe-out on the rear is generally wrong, as you're likely to get more oversteer on exit.

What is the disadvantage of excessive positive camber in the wheel alignment?

Adjusting Camber

Inappropriate camber for the vehicle and its use can result in excessive tire wear, poor stability, or other handling issues.

What causes caster wobble?

There are three common causes of caster shimmy — high speeds, loose swivels, and misalignment. High speeds: In most cases, rapidly moving casters can cause casters to flutter. At low speeds, a caster wheel rotates around its principle axis, causing it to move smoothly.

What causes bad caster?

It was common in older vehicles that don't have power steering to help lessen the steering effort. Negative caster improves steering but diminishes handling and stability when driving in a straight line. A vehicle that pulls to one side when moving in a straight line may have a negative caster.

How does toe affect handling?

The dynamic effect of toe in is that the car feels more stable at high speeds and during high speed cornering. This is due to the car requiring larger steering inputs from the driver to turn, giving the car a more planted feel.

Can caster cause a pull?

Poor camber and caster alignment can cause your vehicle to "pull", and can cause tire tread to wear unevenly. Toe in won't cause your vehicle to pull, but it can cause extremely fast tire tread wear.

Does caster affect camber?

Caster angle affects the camber of the wheel during steering. However, unlike KPI, the effects are beneficial. If a car is set up with positive caster, the outside wheel will gain negative camber during cornering.

Do struts affect caster?

The caster angle is affected by the position of the lower ball joint and the upper ball joint or strut depending on the type of suspension. Consequently, anything that moves the relative position of these parts will affect caster.

What speed does death wobble happen?

In most cases, the death wobble will occur when driving at speeds of at least 45 miles per hour and can be triggered by hitting a bump or pothole. Some of the most common causes of the death wobble include poorly installed suspension parts or loose or damaged steering components.

Can you have too much Castor?

You can never have too much caster!!

Increase directional stability. Maximize tire contact patch during braking and acceleration. Improved steering feel and self center. Increased dynamic negative camber (on turn).

What is Castor shimmy?

The rapid side-to-side swiveling motion of a caster wheel shown in Figure 1 is called shimmy. This vibration is not a resonance phenomenon but is a self-excited motion which occurs above a characteristic critical speed of the caster wheel system, depending on the dynamics of the situation.

Does changing caster effect toe?

If they are toed out too much, the wear will start from the inside of the tire. This type of wear is called feathering. Caster, on the other hand, has no effect on how a tire wears, but it does play a role in handling and on center feel.

Does caster affect turning radius?

Excessive caster can also limit the amount of turning radius you car has, because instead of turning the tire perpindicular to the road surface, you are rotating that axis more towards being parallel to the ground. A good example of this is a twin I-beam suspension.

What causes bump steer?

Bump steer is when you wheels steer themselves without input from the steering wheel. The undesirable steering is caused by bumps in the track interacting with improper length or angle of your suspension and steering linkages. Most car builders design their cars so that the effects of bump steer are minimal.