Setting camber on your RC car is a fundamental adjustment that significantly impacts handling, grip, and tire wear by changing the vertical angle of your wheels relative to the ground.
What is Camber?
Camber refers to the angle of your RC car's wheels when viewed from the front or rear. It's an essential tuning parameter that affects how much of your tire tread makes contact with the track surface during cornering and straight-line driving. Proper camber settings are crucial for optimizing performance and extending tire life.
Types of Camber Angles
There are three main types of camber:
- Negative Camber: The top of the wheel tilts inward towards the car's body.
- Positive Camber: The top of the wheel tilts outward away from the car's body.
- Zero Camber: The wheel is perfectly vertical, perpendicular to the ground.
Tools You'll Need
Before you start, gather these essential tools:
- Camber Gauge: This is a specialized tool used to measure the exact angle of your wheels. They come in various forms, including digital and analog.
- Turnbuckle Wrench (or Hex Wrench): Used to adjust the camber links (turnbuckles) on your car.
- Flat, Level Surface: Crucial for accurate measurements. A setup board is ideal.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Camber
Adjusting camber is a straightforward process, but it requires precision and consistent measurement.
1. Prepare Your RC Car
- Place on a Level Surface: Ensure your car is on a completely flat and level setup board or surface.
- Set Ride Height: Make sure your car's ride height is already set to your desired specifications. Camber can change slightly with ride height adjustments.
- Tires: Use the tires you intend to race or drive with, and ensure they are properly inflated (if applicable).
- Warm-up (Optional): If your car has oil-filled shocks, cycle the suspension a few times to get the oil flowing and the suspension settled.
2. Measure Current Camber
- Position the Car: Gently place your RC car on your level surface.
- Settle the Suspension: To get an accurate reading, it's good practice to lift the car up, then gently drop it back down a few times to settle the suspension and ensure it's sitting naturally.
- Use the Camber Gauge:
- Place the camber gauge against the outer face of one of your car's wheels.
- Ensure the gauge is flush against the wheel.
- Read the current camber angle. Note this measurement for each wheel (front left, front right, rear left, rear right).
3. Adjust Camber Links
Most RC cars use adjustable camber links (often turnbuckles) to change the camber angle.
- Identify Adjustment Points: Locate the turnbuckles that connect your car's suspension arms to the wheel hubs. These are typically threaded rods with ball ends.
- Adjusting Negative Camber: To increase negative camber (top of the wheel tilts inward), shorten the camber link by turning the turnbuckle.
- Adjusting Positive Camber: To increase positive camber (top of the wheel tilts outward), lengthen the camber link by turning the turnbuckle.
- Making Adjustments: Use your turnbuckle wrench. Make small, incremental adjustments (e.g., half-turns or quarter-turns) and re-measure after each adjustment.
4. Re-measure and Fine-Tune
After each adjustment:
- Settle the Suspension: Again, lift the car and drop it to settle the suspension before taking a new reading.
- Measure: Use your camber gauge to check the new angle.
- Repeat: Continue adjusting and re-measuring until you achieve your desired camber setting for all four wheels.
- Consistency: Aim for consistent settings side-to-side (e.g., both front wheels should have the same camber, and both rear wheels should have the same camber).
Camber Effects on Handling
Understanding how different camber settings affect your car's performance is key to dialing in your setup.
| Camber Type | Description | Effect on Handling |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | Top of wheel tilts inward | Increased Cornering Grip: As the car leans in a turn, the wheel flattens out, maximizing tire contact patch. Too much can reduce straight-line stability and inner tire wear. |
| Positive | Top of wheel tilts outward | Reduced Cornering Grip: Can make the car feel "skitterish" in corners. Rarely used in RC racing, might be seen in specific off-road crawling for clearance. Leads to outer tire wear. |
| Zero | Wheel is perfectly vertical | Good Straight-Line Stability & Braking: Maximizes tire contact patch on flat ground. Can lead to less effective cornering grip as the car rolls, lifting the inner edge of the tire. Good starting point for general bashing or low-grip conditions. |
For most racing and performance driving, a small amount of negative camber (typically between -1 to -3 degrees) is preferred on both the front and rear axles.
Tips for Optimal Camber Settings
- Start with Manufacturer Recommendations: Your car's manual or online resources often provide recommended baseline settings.
- Test and Observe: The best way to find optimal camber is through trial and error. Make small adjustments, then drive your car and observe its behavior and tire wear.
- Consider Track Conditions:
- High-Grip Tracks: May benefit from slightly more negative camber to handle the cornering forces.
- Low-Grip Tracks: Less negative camber (closer to zero) might be better to maintain a larger contact patch at all times.
- Front vs. Rear: Front wheels often benefit from slightly more negative camber than the rear, especially on cars that need more steering.
- Symmetry: Always aim for symmetrical camber settings on each axle (e.g., left front and right front should match). Asymmetrical settings can cause the car to pull to one side.
- Monitor Tire Wear: Uneven tire wear (e.g., only the inner or outer edge wearing down) is a clear indicator that your camber needs adjustment.
For further insights into RC car tuning, explore general guides like Redcat Racing's RC Car Setup Guide.
