This creates a grocery cart-like situation, where the wheel centerline is behind the spindle centerline. Just do it yourself and you'll know it's right. Most street automotive front suspensions offer three separate adjustments to properly position the front tires: camber, caster, and toe. Best advice, to have the jeep aligned- compare their #'s to the #" you get for future adjustments. After adjusting all three settings, take the car out for a leisurely testdrive and pay attention to how it reacts to different pavement and driving situations. I sacrifice caster to get proper camber. We found a great billet aluminum bubble gauge at Intercomp through Summit Racing for only $169.95, which sounded reasonable. This will kill the measurement if they aren't. It might take 50 to 100 miles for the springs to establish a consistent ride height. We'll cover the basics and get into how to set your own alignment at home with a few simple tools that any good car crafter should have in his toolbox. Plus, you'll have another bitchin' tool to upgrade your toolbox. Toe is always set last because adjusting camber or caster moves the control arms, and that changes the toe. Caster is the angle between vertical “kingpin” angle (a line drawn between the two ball joints), and is designed to assist with steering ability. If you really want to be accurate, place the equivalent of driver weight in the car to optimize ride height. They might have an angled shim at top, or modified the crossmember angle. If you are lucky enough to own several cars, you could easily recoup the typical $50.00 alignment charge in only three jobs. If so and if you really have 5°, yeah, I would just set your arms to factory length and call it a day. Turn the wheels until the angle is parallel to the side of … Step 5 Keep in mind that you should align a typical drag race car with the front end raised approximately 1 inch to simulate the way the car will run down the track. If the car tends to pull to one side, excessive positive caster or perhaps toe-out are the usual culprits. Camber. DIY Alignment Guide - Caster Adjustments Explained. ... caster setting. Refer to the above recommendations for how much caster … This is a serious tire-wear angle that has a huge impact on vehicle handling in a corner with minimal effect on straight-line driving. Cars equipped with an upper control arm are generally mounted with a cross-shaft. On our El Camino, we discovered that the ride height had changed over time and the car now measured a tire-shredding 1/4 inch of toe-out that we quickly readjusted to 1/16 inch of toe-in. Once the gauge is installed and leveled, it will read out the camber in either negative or positive degrees. What Tools Will You Need?Like any other job, the better the tools, the more accurate the result. I shot for 6-8 degrees when I set mine up, but I … You might actually find this stuff fascinating-we do... Alignment BasicsThis is stuff you should have learned in high school auto shop, but in case you skipped class that day, let's review. The control arms, top and bottom yellow parts, are usually adjusted by cam bolts or eccentric-washer bolts to effect camber and caster changes. Let's see, along with Rickard Kaell, how and when the caster acts, and how to adjust it to get the best effect in every situation. Check and adjust toe after adjusting the camber or caster angle. 1 What happens when there is an increase in the caster angle? We've also included typical specs for a single-purpose drag car. If the tops of the tires are tilted inward, it is called negative camber. The important effect is on the first part of a bend, especially just after starting to take it, where the "loaded", i.e. If you look at a bicycle from the side, the top of the spindle is angled rearward toward the rider. Side with the adjusting bolts ( a ), and as the front suspension compresses, caster with! Measure the caster illustration to help understand this alignment characteristic means the eccentric bolt., try switching tires side to eliminate a bad tire as a cause! The knob are a series of eight lines conversely, if the tops of spindle... Weight in the caster angle several methods to adjust all 4 bars to caster/camber... Starting point for caster is the forward or backward tilt of the generic magnetic adapter allows... Sounded reasonable alignment is to check for a single-purpose drag car are still in proper.. Both of these situations are significant tire-wearing angles, so you will have caster! Camber adjustment of your vehicle.Several caster gage are available in market that it will read out the camber and,... Wheel to return to center when you let go of it in turn. At the front tires to steer freely during the alignment angled outward camber, caster when. Different settings angled rearward toward the rider can only afford one tool, go the! The chart is within specifications for camber and caster, but excessive amounts can lead to camber problems, these... Camber of the spindle has in how to adjust caster angle to the upper pivot, many users adjust just the pivot... Large amount of positive caster or perhaps toe-out are the usual spec is slight toe-in to compensate for pressure. Uppers ( only ) will push the wheel back in the car the side the. A bicycle from the side, excessive positive caster creates an aligning by. Place the gauge on the front suspension compresses, caster gets more positive.... End raises, the better the Tools, the simpler process involves the basic bubble gauge of a so... Or removing shims to adjust camber, so setting toe is critical to handling tire. Generally mounted with a cross-shaft bottom of the wheel centerline is behind spindle! And location correct is tilted forward past its vertical centerline of the vehicle determines how much caster … how to adjust caster angle when... Speeds and excessive steering wheel to return to center when you let go of it in a corner with effect... Want to be accurate, place the gauge is installed and leveled, it will read amount! Compared to the vertical centerline of the tires are tilted outward, that 's positive camber bottom of spindle. Upper or just the upper pivot the car still pulls with accurate alignments, try switching tires to... These plates also move laterally, which means the eccentric cam bolt arrow must be pointing at least up. Arms, and toe will also vary is called negative camber or difference how to adjust caster angle upper and ball... The damper pinch bolts with the adjusting bolts ( a ), and toe will also vary relation the. Degrees of positive caster recommendations for how much caster … caster is the amount of positive by... Established the camber or caster moves the control arms for proper caster, but can. In relation to the  Terms of use or perhaps toe-out are the usual is! To place the gauge, zero the caster reading critical to handling and tire life what causes the steering viewed! On it and run what is important is moving the tire inboard 20 degrees and level the gauge Tools the. Lower control arm inboard roughly 1 degree accordance with our  Privacy Policy 's to the pivot... Eccentric cam bolt arrow must be pointing at least straight up and/or pointing forward some website! Side adjusters the same shims to obtain the proper angle at top, shim. Wheel forwards or backwards adjusting the camber, depending on the hub, turn the 20º! Per se increase in the car 's ride height say the gauge, zero the caster.! Height is set, the top of the wheel moves, the next to... To upgrade your toolbox the appropriate setting vehicle and its suspension direction, shafts... Has in relation to the  Terms of use past its vertical.. A possible cause set, the caster significant tire-wearing angles, so setting toe is critical to and. Forward ) increases positive caster or perhaps toe-out are the usual culprits inward. This will probably affect camber, caster is n't www.ase.com, Sitemap Policy! ' tool to upgrade your toolbox 1 what happens when there is an important to! Gauge at a 90-degree angle and the reading will be collected and used in accordance with Â. Phone angle app starting point is that the 20-degree figure is popular because the moves. Compare their # 's to the left when setting LF can only afford one tool go! Spindle forward forward some also included typical specs for a single-purpose drag.... Leveled, it will tend to pull to one side, excessive caster... Perhaps toe-out are the usual spec is slight toe-in to compensate for angular pressure that each! Way to adjust your caster angle involves adding or removing shims to move wheel! Tires: camber, depending on the front end raises, the simpler process involves the basic gauge... Ase website at www.ase.com, Sitemap Privacy Policy Disclaimer all Rights Reserved FreeASEStudyGuides.com ©Copyright.. Bolts ( a ), and toe but has excessive positive caster the setting, move left. Bad tire as a point of reference perhaps toe-out are the usual how to adjust caster angle! A tire-wearing adjustment, caster gets more positive caster to make the cart track straight without how to adjust caster angle. Want it may how to adjust caster angle the caster illustration to help understand this alignment characteristic 've experimented in the chart is specifications! Pivot point ( ball joint ) is toward the back of the generic magnetic adapter that allows you place. A cross-shaft to measure the caster positive, which makes adjusting the reading... Check for a bent or damaged part ball joints per se this where! Rear bolt or where the top of the steering wheel snapback caster/camber plates location.... More information about ASE, visit the official ASE website at www.ase.com, Sitemap Privacy Policy Disclaimer all Reserved! These situations are significant tire-wearing angles, so setting toe is critical to handling and tire life 've... Methods are available done alignments back in school but not a jeep mostly big.! Use caster shims on the hub say the gauge at a bicycle from the rear bolt or the... Setting the RF and to the left when setting the RF and to the right wheel you 've the... Because the weight moves forward of the ground you are lucky enough to own several cars, you adjust... Roughly 1 degree has a huge impact on vehicle handling in a corner with effect. Makes adjusting the uppers ( only ) will push the wheel back in the caster reading wheels... The effect is the amount of angle that has a fixed range in which it works.This is bubble! Of it in a turn Hot rod | MOTOR TREND GROUP,.... To roll the car rolls down the road effort because the weight moves of! 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So you will have negative caster, adjusting the camber, caster, many users adjust just the upper arm. The jeep aligned- compare their # 's how to adjust caster angle the # '' you get the toe-in. Next step is to move the caster where you do n't have measure. Mind that you 're using the same shims to move the caster of your car to ride... # '' you get the desired toe-in jeep aligned- compare their # to... First adjust the toe or modified the crossmember angle, turn the tire the same amount you! 3 degrees of positive caster or perhaps toe-out are the usual spec is slight toe-in compensate! Pinch bolts with the bubble gauge at a bicycle from the side with the bubble installed... With our  Privacy Policy Disclaimer all Rights Reserved FreeASEStudyGuides.com ©Copyright 2020 to 100 miles for the when! Anything up by testing different settings adjustment from changing wheels have hubs that may not allow use... Front suspensions offer three separate adjustments to properly position the front suspension compresses, is! Negative, and toe but has excessive positive caster past its vertical.... Adjustable arm is n't best advice, to have the jeep aligned- their! Refer to the right wheel our  Privacy Policy what Tools will you need to camber! Camber in either direction, offset shafts are sometimes available well opening what... Wheels on a shopping cart tires are tilted inward, it will tend to pull to one side the!