Negative camber. Why do they make negative camber of the rear wheels?

general information

Before you start considering the pros and cons of negative camber, it’s worth understanding what this camber actually is and what it can be like. This small educational program will be useful for novice drivers.

There are three types of wheel camber - zero, negative and positive.

Now about each separately. When the camber is zero, the wheel alignment angles are completely perpendicular to the surface or asphalt. If the top of the car's tires faces toward the inside of the body, then it is negative camber. If the top of the wheel points outward, then the angle is set to positive.

When driving a car, the wheel alignment parameters are constantly lost. The wheels are subject to serious loads. Angles have the ability to change. Often during operation it becomes noticeable that the angles on the front axle and the rear axle do not coincide. Therefore, it is worth visiting a service station more often and adjusting the angles on the wheels of both axles. This is done on special wheel alignment stands.

If the angle settings are optimal, then the car becomes more maneuverable and stable on the road. Even if you change the camber by just two degrees, it can have a very serious impact on stability characteristics. This will also affect the service life of the rubber.

Conclusion

We looked at what negative wheel camber is, why it is needed and how to make it yourself. There is nothing complicated in the adjustment process, so you can safely proceed even if you do not have the skills of an auto mechanic.

When the upper part of the wheel is inclined towards the center of the car, the camber of the wheels is considered negative, when from the center - positive. With negative or positive camber, the contact area of ​​the tire tread with the surface is reduced, which leads to loss of stability.

Pros of negative camber:

1. More stability in corners. When cornering, the car body rolls, creating positive camber and reducing the area of ​​contact between the wheel and the road. Negative camber compensates for this.
2. The appearance of the car changes (with a large camber angle).

Why is negative camber needed?

It may seem that it is done for style. Many have seen cars prepared for drifting or simply cars with low ground clearance and cambered wheels. Let's try to figure out why they do this from a physics point of view.

This camber has a positive effect on the car's handling. This makes it possible to take turns at relatively high speeds. A negative camber prevents the rear axle from skidding.

The car has three types of steering. There is insufficient, neutral, and also excess. The last one in this case is the most important.

Solutions for different types of suspension

Of course, at professional performances no one thinks about tire wear, but for the average car enthusiast this can be a key factor. However, among our compatriots there are many who love extreme driving. For the front double-wishbone suspension, they change the camber angle, and for the rear wheels they create a negative slope by installing special spacers. As an alternative, you can use washers or plates - they are mounted on the outside of the drum.

The McFerson suspension is more prone to roll when cornering. It can be used to make an even more negative angle compared to other solutions. For example, they install upper support elements that provide the possibility of changing the angle of the rod attachment. Thus, the attachment point can be moved. Manufacturers also produce special levers with the ability to adjust the angle up to 4 degrees.

During the operation of any vehicle, the quality of its chassis gradually deteriorates. In many cases, you have to deal with incorrectly set camber and toe angles. This gradually leads to a decrease in the car's controllability on the road, more difficult cornering, etc. In such cases, a negative camber angle can help.

Today it is becoming fashionable to have tires come loose not only at sporting competitions. A whole urban culture has emerged among car enthusiasts, which is called Stance. An example would be any car with a low seating position and wide rims. Such discs may not fit in the arches, and therefore they will require minus camber. This doesn’t add much to the sporting qualities; rather, it will just be a tribute to fashion.

A little about drift

For city driving, minus camber on the rear axle may not be necessary. But if we consider a car for drifting, then this approach is very relevant. This allows the car to literally bite into the road. For drifting, minus camber values ​​can range from -0.5 to -5.5 degrees. Minus camber is also considered optimal for circuit racing. On the front axle the camber angle should be greater than on the rear axle.

When entering a turn at high speed, the car body rolls heavily. It is at this moment that a very strong impact is exerted on the wheel. It may go into positive collapse. This can trigger a skid.

If the camber angle is -2.0 or -2.5 degrees, then body roll will not affect the wheel as much, and the car will corner confidently and easily. In this case, the speed can be quite high.

Preparatory work

Do-it-yourself wheel alignment on the VAZ-2107 is not carried out on the rear wheels, since the hubs are installed in one position and cannot be shifted to the side. The procedure is done only on the front axle of the car. Moreover, this does not depend on whether the car has rear or front wheel drive. Before starting work, do the following:

1. To make the adjustment as accurate as possible, you need to load the machine. The load must weigh 320 kg and be distributed evenly across all four wheels. You can seat four people with approximately the same body weight in a car and throw a bag of cement into the trunk.
2. A prerequisite is a full tank of gasoline. The capacity of the fuel tank in the VAZ-2107 is 39 liters. Make sure the gasoline level is close to the maximum mark.
3. Tire pressure must be kept at a normal level - equalize it if necessary. Depending on the type of rubber, the pressure can fluctuate in the range of 1.8-2.5 Atm.

Stance culture

Speaking about negative wheel camber, it is necessary to talk about this current. This is the fashion for cars with low suspension and very heavily loaded wheels.

As a tribute to style, these cars are equipped with huge wide wheels. At the same time, the vehicle's seating position is very low. The rims must be so large that they may not even fit into the wheel arch. This is why they do negative camber. From the outside it looks impressive, but driving comfort is reduced.

Plate design

Spacers for VAZ 2114 wheels Spacers for negative camber of the rear wheels are so-called plates with holes for fastening with wedge-shaped bolts. It is installed between the beam and the rear wheel hub. Washers were previously used as an alternative to these plates. But their use was often impractical, because the stiffness of the suspension as a whole changed for the worse. And this in turn can lead to undesirable consequences.

Flaws

Above we looked at the advantages of negative wheel camber. Now let's look at the disadvantages. The inner part of the tire will be subject to increased wear with this setting. Sharp acceleration and braking will not be very effective, since the contact area of ​​the car wheel with the asphalt is reduced. If a car is moving on a bad road, it may drift to the side.

The most unpleasant thing is the rapid rate of tire wear. Intensive wear will occur even when the tire is installed even at a negative angle of -1 degree. The larger this angle, the faster the tire wear. Racers can afford to change tires after each race. For the average car owner, such installation of angles can be unprofitable. The driver of a civilian car will not receive any special advantages in the city.

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Disadvantages of negative camber:

1. The reduced contact area of ​​the wheel leads to deterioration of traction properties on a flat road.
2. Rapid wear of tires, especially with camber of -2 degrees or more.
3. The car becomes more sensitive to the ruts on the road, the car begins to drive to the sides.
4. Directional stability decreases, especially noticeable at speeds above 80 km/h.

The greater the camber angle, the more pronounced the imperfections are. Average camber angle values ​​for sports cars are -0.5. - 5.5 degrees. For fans of tuning civilian cars, these values ​​are narrowed to -1..-2.5 degrees. According to the manufacturers, modifying the VAZ by installing camber plates for negative camber of -1 degree will give a good effect and will not affect tire wear in any way. Let us remind you that Lada Granta and Kalina 2 have minus camber of the rear wheels from the factory (-1 degree). What do you think, is it necessary to have negative camber for everyday driving?

By the way, do you know the pros and cons of low-profile tires?

What is the best negative camber for everyday driving?

How do you change the camber?

Before you start changing the angles on a car, you need to find out whether such camber is suitable for a particular model and brand and whether the parameters of the vertical and lateral stability of the car will be normal.

Now it’s worth moving on to how to make negative camber. To do this, you need to pick up plates for setting wheel angles in stores. Today they are sold for any car. When choosing plates, you need to take into account the desired angle. The choice is very large, and all the details are different. The installation algorithm is almost the same for most cars.

The car must be raised using a jack or lift. Then remove the wheel, then the drum or disc brake mechanism along with the pads. After this, remove the hub. Then all that remains is to install the plate according to the instructions and all the previously dismantled parts. The same manipulations are done with the reverse wheel.

The procedure is not difficult, but if you don’t have the skills, you can go to a wheel alignment stand, check the set angle, and then ask specialists to install the plate on the car.

Numbers you need to know

To set the wheels at the correct angles, you need to know these angles, everything is logical.

Definitions for front wheels

What is CASTER.

The standard value is 6 degrees.

Thanks to this angle, wheel alignment is ensured due to speed.

The CAMBER angle (aka CAMBER) determines the correct lateral inclination of the wheel.

Thanks to the correctly set CAMBER angle, the wheels are aligned due to the weight of the vehicle.

Types of basic car wheel alignment angles