Caster indicates a state in which the car’s steering axis, when compared (from the side) to a perpendicular line, leans forward or backward. An essential aspect of safe, straight driving, the more expensive a caster, the greater guaranteed handling stability and protection from driving instability. The disadvantage is decreased capacity for agile cornering.
The camber prevents tire abrasion and increases steering manipulation. According to the angle at which the top or bottom portion of a tire pulls inward or outward when the car is on a flat surface, there are three types of camber: positive, negative and neutral.
With the development of suspension and auto technology, most vehicles today have negative camber. In the case of negative camber, the car tilts when cornering due to centrifugal force. The outer tire’s area of contact with the road surface increases, which allows for safe cornering.
The toe refers to the directional difference between the front and back of a tire formed by the upper part of an axis on a flat plane. There are two types of toe: toe-in and toe-out. Toe-in indicates the tire’s front part pulled inward, and toe-out indicates the tire’s front part pulled outward. In the case of severe toe-out, abrasion occurs on the tire’s inner surface. In the case of severe toe-in, abrasion occurs on the tire’s outer surface. Both cases experience a high degree of resistance from the road surface, which results in decreased drivability and greater fuel cost. A controlled degree of toe-in increases safety in straight-ahead driving and offsets inner abrasion that occurs due to negative camber
The purpose of wheel alignment is to adjust front-wheel handling while driving. If wheel alignment is off, tire life is shortened while car and mileage performance also decrease.
To find out more about tire balance, click ‘Balance’
We recommend checking wheel alignment during an annual inspection or for every 20,000 km.
An inspection is required when,
