What is camber, and what effect does it have on handling?
Camber is the vertical angle of the tires when the car is viewed from the front. Camber is measured in degrees from vertical. When the tires tilt towards the center of the car, this is known as negative camber; when they tilt away from the center, this is known as positive camber. For an explanation of camber, check this link: http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm Camber is important for handling because it determines how much of the tires’ tread is in contact with the pavement (known as the “contact patch”). All modern cars with independent suspension are engineered to increase negative camber as the suspension compresses, thereby maintaining a larger contact patch as the body rolls during cornering. Consequently, negative camber will also increase when the car is lowered. The amount of additional camber when the suspension is compressed is known as the “camber curve.” Additional negative camber will increase front end cornering grip, but it will also increase tire wear at the inside
