What will unequal caster angles cause?

If caster is negative, or excessively unequal, the vehicle will not be stable and will tend to wander. Caster can also cause a pull toward the side with the least positive caster.

What is the effect of unequal caster?

So: Camber and caster will cause your vehicle to pull if they're uneven, but will cause little tire wear, while toe in won't cause your vehicle to pull, but can cause extremely fast tire wear. This is why your vehicle can pull and not wear out tires, or it can drive perfectly straight and destroy them in a hurry!

What does incorrect caster cause?

Caster settings are not a primary, direct factor in tire wear. However, excessive positive caster in association with other alignment maladjustments can exacerbate a tire wear issue. For example, a tire wear pattern called feathering can result from a combination of too much caster with incorrect toe settings.

How does caster angle affect handling?

Caster angle settings allow the vehicle manufacturer to balance steering effort, high speed stability and front end cornering effectiveness. Increasing the amount of positive caster will increase steering effort and straight line tracking, as well as improve high speed stability and cornering effectiveness.

What does caster angle do?

Caster angle settings allow manufacturers to balance steering effort, high speed stability, and front end cornering effectiveness. Positive Caster - If the line slopes towards the rear of the vehicle, then you have positive caster. The down side to positive caster is if the vehicle does not have power steering.

Alignment 101 - Camber, Toe, and Caster

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.

What should your caster angle be?

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.

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 happens with too much toe in?

Excess toe-in will increase wear to the outside of the tire. When the front of the tires are further apart than the rear, the wheels are toed out. Excess toe-out wears the inside of the tires. Proper toe is a static reading given by the vehicle manufacturer.

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.

Does negative caster cause a pull?

It's the forward and backward tilt of the steering axis as seen from the side of the vehicle. If the caster is not equal on both sides of the vehicle, it will pull to the side with the least amount or most negative caster.

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.

Can Castor 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.

Can Unbalanced tires cause car to pull?

An unbalanced wheel will cause the tyre to vibrate which then causes the steering wheel to shake. If there's too much weight on one side of the wheel, it can cause the car to pull to that side as well as shaking the steering wheel.

What alignment angle is least likely to cause tire wear?

If the tire appears to tilt outward at the top, the camber angle is positive. If the top of the tire tilts inward, the camber angle is negative. Zero camber-a perfectly vertical wheel and tire-causes the least tire wear.

How does camber angle affect steering?

Positive camber reduces steering effort and provides greater stability in a straight line. This makes it great for off-roading or agricultural vehicles, as turning can sometimes be more difficult in these cases.

How does toe angle affect handling?

The toe angle affects directional control, turning response and tire tread life. Toe-related tread wear will cause a "feathering" wear pattern across the tread. If too much toe-in is present, the feathering will angle toward the center of the vehicle.

What does toe angle do?

Toe angle is used to compensate for the “give” in the suspension bushings. It helps the tires run parallel to each other. A RWD car pushes the front tires. Rolling resistance causes the tires to push back against the suspension.

Does toe in cause understeer?

Toe in on the rear wheels can also give the car a tendency to understeer due to fighting the want to oversteer and increasing rear end grip which can overcome the grip of the front wheels.

What can cause incorrect toe out on turns?

Toe out on turns or TOOT is not adjustable and usually means something in the steering linkage like the steering arm is bent or damaged. Check the TOOT angle as part of a total alignment after setting the toe or if there's a problem with tire squealing around corners.

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.

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.

How does caster affect a race car?

Positive caster provides the directional stability in your racecar. Too much positive caster will make the steering effort difficult. Power steering will allow you to run more positive caster. Negative caster requires less steering effort but can cause the car to wander down the straightaway.

What camber is best for racing?

Ideally, you want a camber curve that keeps the tire straight up and down when you are driving straight, and leans the tire in slightly (1 to 2 degrees of negative camber) during cornering.