Wheel camber, what it is and how it affects the dynamics of the car

There wheel cambermore commonly camberis a design parameter that influences the dynamic behavior of cars. It is a topic of little importance in conversations between enthusiasts while it takes on importance in the sporting field, where the dynamic qualities of the cars are everything or almost everything and the choice of the most suitable camber influences performance. On everyday cars, however, camber is no less important as it affects both stability and driving safety and tire wear. Here’s what it is, what it is for and when you can adjust the camber or camber angle of the wheels.

WHAT it is

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Wheel camber, commonly called camber, is the angle of inclination of the wheels with respect to the vertical. We talk about negative camber when the upper part of the wheel is inclined inwards, towards the bonnet; on the contrary, we talk about positive camber when the top of the wheel “points” towards the outside of the car.

WHAT IT IS FOR

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The choice of the camber angle of the wheels is one of the steps faced by designers when characterizing the dynamic behavior of a car. As the camber angle variesIn fact, the shape of the contact surface between the tire and the asphalt varies depending on other factors, mainly the load (how many passengers and/or luggage) and the stresses when cornering. In short: these last two factors, which naturally vary continuously in the different scenarios of use of a car, are “intertwined” with the characteristic camber parameter, determining at any time the shape of the contact surface between the tire and the surface on which it rolls, which influences the behavior on the road (grip, stability, reactivity, etc.) and the wear of the tires themselves.

CAN IT BE ADJUSTED?

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If you limit the question to common road cars, then the answer is no: generally the camber is not a parameter on which the owner of the vehicle can intervene. It is a characteristic parameter that is set by engineers during the design phase and that remains. On racing cars and some sports cars with refined suspension geometry, however, the camber can be adjusted via an adjustment system. Intervening on the camber angle, as mentioned, changes the dynamic behavior of the car. A negative camber (wheel tilted inward) helps the outside wheel in high-speed cornering: the inevitable load transfer (roll) determines a better contact with the ground of the tire which eliminates understeer (the phenomenon whereby the car widens the trajectory, tending towards the outside of the curve) improving road holding.