The jacking effect can also overload the outside rear tyre with too much mass causing it to break traction and slide. Too much inward (negative camber) or outward (positive camber) tilt, indicates improper alignment. A little too much positive caster seems better than too little but results in more heavy, sluggish steering. The best I can get is caster +3 and the camber at -0.5. That is my theory on caster angles vs. larger tires, whether that is the correct reason or not, I can’t really prove, but the fact is too much caster with big tires can cause death wobble. I have the caster at +4.8° and the Camber at -0.5° On the left adjustment is limited.
The screw can be adjusted to move the wheel forwards or backwards adjusting the caster angle. The driving effect of the positive caster can be noticed as you’re driving forward. If both sides are equal but too negative the steering will feel light, the truck will wander and be difficult to keep driving straight. Terms of Service. How were the old tires ? The best I can get is caster +3 and the camber at -0.5. How were the old tires ? Positive & Negative Camber. ... Too much extended camber can affect those hard stops that may be necessary. Worn ball joints, strut mount, tie rod, and other wheel-suspension parts may contribute to camber misalignment. I have the caster at +4.8° and the Camber at -0.5° On the left adjustment is limited. Jan 7, 2015 #5 I would not be too worried about being out of spec so little. The amount of caster directly correlates to the length of caster trail in a given suspension. Actually additional caster can help improve stability as noted above but there is a threshold where too much is too much and apparently the front wheels will start to shimmy. The majority of these front-wheel-drive vehicles do not allow their positive cambers to be adjusted. Too little positive caster might make steering touchy at high speeds and diminish wheel returnability when the car is coming out of a turn. I do not know what that threshold is and it is going to be different on every vehicle. It will want to jerk quickly as you make small inputs into the steering at higher speeds. Positive Caster. I do not know what that threshold is and it is going to be different on every vehicle. Caster is positive when the load is ahead or pulling on the spindle. When you turn a car left with positive caster the LF rises while the RF drops. There are many variables to consider when it comes to caster amount and split. Click here If your upper ball joint or strut mount is located more toward your vehicle’s rear than the lower ball joint, your vehicle has a positive caster. And did you ever hit a curb or large pothole ? Vehicles with SLA suspensions use the upper and lower ball joints to create the angle, and those with struts use the center of the upper strut mount and the lower ball joint as the angle. If you have too much positive caster, the vehicle will be harder to turn. Caster is positive when the load is ahead or pulling on the spindle. I checked every thing and put a hi end tire on the front and it would still do it. It also keeps the car more stable, and makes it feel less 'twitchy' at speed. You see caster specs of + 6-10 degrees on some high performance cars, like the Honda S2000 and the Nissan GTR. Alignment numbers have nothing to do with a driveshaft vibration. Positive caster also increases tire lean when cornering (almost like having more negative camber) as the steering angle is increased. Later, I took it to place that had old Bear alignment equipment to see if they could adjust that out. That is my theory on caster angles vs. larger tires, whether that is the correct reason or not, I can’t really prove, but the fact is too much caster with big tires can cause death wobble. Leaning toward the front bumper is negative caster while leaning back bumper is positive caster. Caster Kits - There's almost no such thing as too much positive caster for performance driving.Click here. Have you gotten the "driveline vibration" letter yet? Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Taco2525, Dec 18, 2017. do You think it’s possible a high speed drive linevibration is caused by to much positive caster? radial tires deform less at speed when compared to a bias ply tire. Privacy Policy. Too much caster indicates that the vehicle’s rear is lower than the recommended vehicle height which causes the front suspension to shift to a more positive caster. It helps the car absorb bumps, as it puts the suspension movement more in line with the bumps. Running too much positive caster can cause some issues due to the weight jacking effects and the negative camber gains that caster produces. I would add KPI/SAI and Scrub radius to that equation. Too much of a good thing leads to trouble. If you have too much positive caster, you can induce a tire shake/shimmy. Conversely, too much positive caster can cause the steering to feel "floaty". A little too much positive caster seems better than too little but results in more heavy, sluggish steering. bruceb Diamond Member. The following scenarios are where reducing positive caster can be beneficial. Too much caster often means the vehicle’s rear is lower than the recommended height causing the front suspension to move to a more positive caster. It handled very nice. And did you ever hit a curb or large pothole ? Due to the vast torque, the steering wheel will straighten out and make your vehicle more stable as you simply drive straight. Wheel Alignment: Caster Angle. How does caster effect driving on rougher roads or dips? Because too much positive caster also has it’s drawbacks. We’ve already discussed what is caster and how it becomes positive or negative. There's an extended warranty on driveline/ujoint issues so you could possibly have the dealer look at it. The threshold goes either way too much you get low speed steer in and weird handling at low speeds too little and instability at higher speed which can be misinterpreted as a shimmy when in reality it is the vehicle not handling well and unstable. A large positive camber setting (wheel facing forward of axis) is good for high speed stability but can make it … Too much negative camber will wear the inside of the tire more while too much positive will wear the outside more. When choosing to adjust your suspension, it’s worth thinking about whether to create a positive or a negative caster; this involves changing the angle created by your car’s steering pivot point, which can cause a tilt forward or backwards. About the only thing it could cause is the needle bearing vibe if anything and that would go away in 4wd. Positive Caster occurs when the load is ahead or there is pulling on the spindle. I do not know what that threshold is and it is going to be different on every vehicle. Aug 20, 2004 8,875 111 106. If both sides are equal but too positive, the steering can be heavy. Drivers complain of too much caster split as having no control with the steering wheel, and the car wants to fight itself into and out of each left-turn. ). Also as an important note here….underinflated front tires can also induce a tire shake/shimmy too. On most vehicles it's common to have slightly more negative camber (0.8 - 1.3°) in the rear to reduce the chances of … Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CTaulbert, Apr 14, 2013. Excessive positive caster increases low-speed steering effort and ride harshness or road shock. I ended up putting a steering dampner on and it solved the problem 100% I use to pass my ridding budys wih no hands doing 100mph. Only real downside, is adding caster slightly increases steering effort. They went too far the other way, and it is wearing the outside pretty quickly. Any unusual wear on them ? Also, if you’re normally driving on uneven roads or surfaces, then you will want the added stability that positive cambers provide. Too much caster (positive caster) and the front of the car will understeer more, too little (negative caster) and you will get oversteer handling characteristics. 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