What is castor adjustment?
Caster, which is also referred to as caster angle, is the top to bottom angle of the steering axis and suspension components as they meet the wheel. Caster is an alignment adjustment that occurs on the turning wheels only, i.e., the front wheels of a vehicle.
How do I check my caster alignment?
With the bubble gauge installed on the hub, turn the tire inboard 20 degrees and level the gauge. Using the center caster adjustment knob underneath the gauge, zero the caster reading. Now turn the tire 20 degrees out and the gauge will read the amount of positive or negative caster.
What happens if caster is off?
If you don’t have enough positive caster (forks too little angle toward the front) the car will wander and feel unstable. If you have too much positive caster, the vehicle will be harder to turn. However, just like with camber, vehicle pull is not caused by too much or too little caster, but by side to side imbalance.
How much caster is too much?
Vehicles with too much positive caster can be prone to understeer, so most modern vehicles don’t have a caster greater than 3 to 5 degrees. This is the ideal range to maximize straight line stability and still allow for comfortable turning.
Can you adjust camber yourself?
Small metal shims are needed to do any camber adjustment. Loosen the upper control arm where it meets the shock tower. Place a 1/32 inch shim for every 1/2 degree of camber that is needed. Tighten the upper control arm and replace the tire.
Can caster be adjusted?
The screw can be adjusted to move the wheel forwards or backwards adjusting the caster angle. One common way to adjust caster is to install an offset caster bush. This bush mounts the back or front of the lower wishbone to the car and has the centre bolt hole offset in a forward direction.
How does the alignment Tech adjust the caster?
If these are just regular bolts, then how does the alignment tech adjust the caster or camber? It seems that the hole in the control arm mount is larger than the bolt, so loosening the nut causes the arm to move in, out, up or down until the nut is tightened up.
What does caster setting on front wheels mean?
A zero/neutral caster setting would result in a perfectly vertical spring/shock with the center of the wheel positioned directly “south” of the strut mount or upper ball joint (depending upon the vehicle suspension type). Caster is an alignment adjustment that occurs on the turning wheels only, i.e., the front wheels of a vehicle.
Why do you need a positive caster on a tire?
Positive caster positions the lower ball joint in front of the upper ball joint or strut mount. This results in the tire contact patch hitting ground in front of the steering system and suspension components. Why is positive caster desirable?
What are the different types of adjustment bolts?
There are two bolts available, standard regular old bolt, and the “repair” bolts. The “repair” bolts are grooved along their length. There are three possible positions for each control arm bushing, not a continuous range of adjustment. The standard bolt puts it in the center, and the repair bolts allow you to put it to either side of center.