As far as automotive mechanics go, wheel alignment is one of the least known areas to many average car owners. While this is understandable, it can also lead to many different problems when trying to align your wheels by yourself. If you find that you are inexperienced in this area, read on. Below, we highlight some of the most important things you need to understand about the basics of lifted truck wheel alignment.

What Is Camber?

In its simplest terms, camber is defined as the inclination of the wheel in relation to the body of the car. In most cases, this inclination is expressed as degrees in relation to the auto body. Camber is a good way to tell whether your wheels are aligned properly and whether they are straight enough to avoid causing uneven tire wear. When the camber is not where it should be, its value will be expressed as a positive degree, which means that the top of the tire is pointing away from the center of the vehicle. On the flip side, if the wheel bottom is tilting away from the middle of the suspension, the camber will be expressed as a negative value and the inside area of the tire will experience uneven wear.

What Does Caster Refer To?

It may help to think of caster measurements as the opposite of camber measurements. While camber measurements measure the wheels vertically in relation to the frame, caster measurements refer to the amount the wheels are off-center when they are in a straight position. If your caster is off by even a degree, it can lead to your vehicle wandering and pulling to one side, which may cause an accident. This is why it is so important to have your caster measurements taken during a suspension leveling kit installation.

Understanding Toe-In

Unlike camber and caster measurements, toe-in is a phrase used to describe the difference in the positioning of the front wheels in relation to the back wheels, namely how wide these wheels are placed apart. These measurements are usually taken in fractions of an inch, with lower numbers being better for your vehicle. It's worth noting that if your vehicle’s measurements are off by even a little, it will cause your suspension to experience a lot of wear in a short amount of time.

We hope our guide on understanding the basics of lifted truck wheel alignment has helped you gain a better understanding of the whole process of wheel alignment. If you are in the need of premium automotive and off-roading accessories, be sure to reach out to Supreme Suspensions today!