It's Time to Pay Attention to Your Automobile

If you own a lorry, it's important to understand the importance of camber and caster angles. These angles determine how your lorry handles, which in turn affects the safety of both you and other drivers. Understanding camber and caster angles can help you make sure that your lorry is running as safely as possible. So it pays to know why they're important, and how to adjust them.

What Are Camber & Caster Angles?

Camber and caster angles are two measurements taken from the wheels of your lorry. Camber relates to the inward or outward tilt of the wheel, measured in degrees relative to vertical. When viewed from the front or back of your lorry, positive camber means that the top of the wheel tilts outward. Negative camber is the opposite and indicates that the top of the wheel tilts inward.

Caster is measured in degrees relative to a line drawn through your vehicle's centre of gravity. Positive caster means that when viewed from behind, the steering axis is tilted towards the rear of your vehicle; negative caster means that everything is tilted towards the front.

Why Are They Important?

The angle of your wheels affects how your lorry handles when turning corners or driving over uneven surfaces. Incorrectly adjusted camber or caster can cause excessive wear on tyres, reduce traction control while cornering, cause steering instability or even lead to dangerous accidents if left unchecked for too long. Adjusting these angles correctly can help ensure that you have a safe ride every time you get behind the wheel.

How Do You Adjust Them?

You can adjust camber and caster angles yourself with an angle finder tool like an inclinometer if you have basic mechanical knowledge and know how to use tools like these. Otherwise, it's best to leave it up to a professional mechanic who has experience adjusting heavy trucks like yours. They'll be used to making adjustments to help optimise handling, stability and tyre wear performance. They can often adjust camber and caster accurately within minutes if necessary.

What to Bear in Mind

Camber and caster angles are two key measurements for any heavy-duty truck driver who wants their vehicle to handle properly under any conditions on the road. Ensuring these angles are set correctly can greatly reduce tyre wear and increase traction control while cornering. These are both critical measures for maintaining safe driving conditions at all times. So, unless you have experience and the correct tools, it's best to outsource this work to a skilled technician. Remember, incorrect angles can lead to poor performance and will inevitably cost you money in the long run. 

For more info about truck wheel alignment, contact a local company.