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Wheel Alignment Terms |
Wheel alignment refers to how flat your tires sit on the ground, and how straight they are pointed down the road. In technical terms, your vehicle’s wheel alignment can be measured in terms of (1) camber, (2) toe, and (3) caster. |
Camber refers to how flat your tires sit on the ground. Over time your vehicle’s suspension gets weaker and your vehicle actually begins to slowly sag. As this happens your tires can start to ride on the inside or outside edge. This is referred to as positive and negative camber. The result of positive and negative camber is usually very fast tire wear on the edge of the tire. It can also result in poor steering and handling. |
 
Toe refers to how straight your wheels are pointed down the road. Wheels that point slightly in towards each other have "toe in." Wheels that point slightly out away from each other have "toe out." When your wheels have significant positive or negative toe, your tires are literally dragged down the road. The result is often fast tire wear, or uneven tire wear which results in tire noise. |
Caster is the orientation of the wheel on the axle. Imagine standing to the side of your vehicle and looking at the wheel and its position within the fender or wheel-well. If your wheel was pushed towards the front of the wheel-well it would have negative caster. If your wheel was pushed towards the back of the wheel-well it would have positive caster. Your vehicle was designed with a specific caster. As the caster changes your vehicle’s steering and handling can be effected. |
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