The Camber of a vehicle has to do with the wheel.
It refers to the extent of tilt of the tire and wheel, which could be negative, positive, or neutral.
Every car has a specified camber alignment given by the manufacturer, depending on the model of the vehicle and its purpose.
It is important to know the manufacturer’s camber for your vehicle.
It will help you understand if your tires are well aligned or not.
Camber is important for cornering and handling when driving.
A vehicle’s camber determines the driving experience of your vehicle.
If your vehicle has a bad camber, it can affect its stability, handling, etc.
However, the various camber can benefit your vehicle as they come with benefits.
It could be considered bad if it is in excess.
Types of Camber
03 types of cambers can be seen in Chevy Truck.
- Positive Camber
- Neutral Camber
- Negative Camber
A positive camber can be identified when the top part of your wheel is shifted outwards.
On the other hand, the negative camber is the opposite of the positive camber.
It can be seen when the upper part of your wheel is shifted inward while the lower part is tilted outwards.
With a Zero or Neutral camber, you will not notice a tilt with the tire.
The Zero camber is when the tires are perfectly aligned straight without bending or tilt.
Positive camber is good for both trucks and cars.
Positive Camber will give your truck better stability and make it easier to control the car steering.
It gives trucks a better off-road ability, which will be suitable for trucks used on farms, and so on.
A positive camber can also be bad for your truck. It is when your truck has too much positive camber.
Negative cambers are good for high-performance vehicles like race cars.
The wheel’s Camber lets the vehicle get more grip on the road, especially when speeding.
It also improves handling and decreases vibrations in the wheel.
Also, too much of this is not good and can damage the vehicle’s parts.
Zero Camber is also good and is seen as the best for vehicles.
It will allow the wheel and tires to last longer by reducing wear.
How To Adjust Camber on Chevy Truck [04 Easiest Methods]
The Camber on your wheel is very important and needs to be monitored regularly to see if it is in the required position.
As we know, the cambers of your wheels can be good as they can help with handling and cornering and give better tire grip.
When your vehicle’s Camber is much, it can affect the driving experience and fast wear and tear.
There are various ways to adjust the cambers of your Chevy Silverado.
We will show you four ways you can adjust the camber of your Chevy truck.
Below are the various methods to adjust Camber on your Silverado trucks.
01: Cam Bolts
Cam bolts are one of the most popular methods of adjustings cambers, which you can use to achieve negative, positive, or zero camber.
This method is mainly used with cars that achieve bad Camber during lifting or lowering.
People are unaware that their vehicles will have tilted wheels after lowering or lifting.
After the modification, the camber on your truck can be moderate enough for you to drive your vehicle that way.
Sometimes, the camber your vehicle will have after the lifting or lowering process can be bad and require adjustment.
The Cam bolts involve using a bolt, which is installed on the wheels.
The bolts are installed in the Clevis and can be found in the steering knuckle.
It will allow you to adjust the Camber with ease.
Below are easy steps to adjust your Camber using a Cam bolt.
i. Get the Necessary Equipment
The first step is to get the necessary tools and equipment for the adjustment process.
The important equipment that will be needed in this case includes the following:
- Cam bolt
- Camber gauge
- Jack
- Simple mechanical tools
ii. Park the vehicle safely
Make sure to park your car safely and ensure it is not on a sloped surface.
Your vehicle can easily move during repair if parked in a sloped area.
iii. Remove the Tires
iv. Set the Original Bolts to Zero
Make sure the original camber bolt is set at whatever Camber you want to achieve before removing it.
You can do this by using the camber gauge.
Mount the camber gauge on the plate.
v. Take out the Original Bolts
At this point, you can take the original bolts and adjust the wheel.
Make sure the wheel is at the desired Camber you want.
vi. After Adjusting the Wheel, Put in the Camber Bolts and Screw them in.
This video will help you to adjust the camber on a Chevy truck using Camber bolts.
02: Camber Adjustment with Camber Plates
Another way to adjust the camber level is by using a camber plate, which is popular among professionals and individuals.
It is quite popular because it is easy to do and does not require much professional skill.
The camber plates are like adjustable adapters connected to shocks.
They can be seen on the strut of the vehicle.
To adjust the camber plates, you have to loosen the camber plate screw, slide it to the desired position, and then tighten it back.
Ensure that the screw is properly tightened to avoid any form of damage.
You can watch this video to visualize Camber adjustment with a camber plate.
03: Camber Adjustment with Control Arms
One safest and most secure way to adjust a vehicle’s camber is by using control arms.
So, the control arm is an important part of the wheel.
It links the front wheel to the body of your vehicle.
Replacing the control of your truck with an aftermarket one will help correct your vehicle’s Camber.
These control arms are specifically designed to either correct negative or positive cambers.
They come in different sizes depending on the vehicle they will be used for and their camber problem.
Some auto aftermarket brands allow you to customize the control arm to your desire.
This can be done by giving them details of what exactly you need.
However, customization will require you to spend more.
04: Adjusting Camber Using Shims
Using shims is another great way to correct a bad camber.
This method is not just for cambers alone but can also be done to correct casters.
These methods include adding shims to the pivot shaft.
The pivot shaft is an essential part of the wheel found in the suspension area.
Once the shims are added, the tire will lean inwards, which will, in return, increase the negative camber.
To have a positive camber, you need to reduce the shims, and the tire will shift outward.
This process can only be done if the pivotal shaft is inboarded the vehicle’s body.
The case will be different if the pivotal shaft is not seen inboard but outboard.
Adding shims will cause a positive camber.
Reducing the shims will cause a negative camber.
What are the Best Camber Angles for a Chevy Truck?
Choosing the right camber angle for your Chevy Truck depends on what you want to achieve for your truck.
For instance, if you want your truck to have a better off-road capacity, you should consider negative Camber.
A negative camber gives your truck better traction and will increase its grip on the ground, allowing for better maneuvering when driving in off-road areas.
In contrast, if you are looking for better steering effort and stability for your truck, you can go for the positive Camber.
The positive Camber will give your vehicle great handling.
The positive Camber is also a great option for off-road use.
One bad thing about this Camber is that cornering will be more difficult.
The neutral or zero Camber is considered the best for any vehicle.
It offers great handling, cornering, and stability.
It also reduces the extent of wear of the tires and gives it a more uniform wearing process for all tires.
Why Do You Need Adjust Camber on Chevy Truck?
As mentioned previously, excessive cambers can be bad for your vehicle.
Adjusting these cambers will solve many problems that a bad camber can cause and give your truck some benefits.
Below are the benefits of camber adjustment
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Balance Tractions
A major advantage of bad Camber you will notice in your vehicle is bad traction.
If you do not know what traction is, it is a wheel feature that helps prevent the vehicle from over spinning when driving on a slippery road.
A camber adjustment will help adjust the Camber of your vehicle’s wheel by adjusting the wheels so that the vehicle’s weight is evenly distributed.
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Reduce Wear
Another common feature of a bad camber is a drastic increase in wear on the wheels.
Bad Camber likes the positive Camber when in excess, will cause your vehicle tire’s edge to wear.
You will also notice that your vehicle will pull to one side.
A good solution for this is to adjust the wheel of your vehicle to a Neutral camber.
Neutral Camber will reduce wear time and encourage uniform wear time for all tires.
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Increase Stability
Also, bad Camber can affect the stability of your vehicle.
Excessive Camber will affect the tramline, acceleration, and braking.
When driving, you will experience rocking of the vehicle, vibration in the wheels, and reduced ride quality.
FAQs
Can You adjust Stuck Camber?
Yes, the stock camber can be adjusted.
There are many ways to adjust the vehicle’s Camber with the original stuck.
Can you adjust Camber without camber kits?
Yes.
You can adjust your vehicle’s camber using other adjustment methods, such as shims and camber plates.
How much is negative camber too much?
A negative camber of about 0.5 to 1 degree should be good for a regular vehicle.
But depending on the vehicle, you can have up to 1.3 degrees.
How much does camber adjustment cost?
The price of a camber adjustment depends on your adjustment method.
Conclusion
Learning these simple Do-it-Yourself (DIY) procedures on the Camber on a Chevy Truck will help you greatly and save you cost.
As we have mentioned, cambers are not always bad and come with some benefits that could be useful for specific drives.
But this does not mean that your Chevy Truck should have too much Camber.
An excessive camber is considered a bad camber and comes with disadvantages.
Some of these disadvantages may include bad handling, cornering, and stability.
You must check the wheel of your Silverado truck regularly for bad Camber.
Once a bad camber is noticed, you can use any of the above methods to solve the problem or take your truck to a professional.