Cambering is an often overlooked tuning aspect of RC cars that can have a huge effect on the vehicle’s performance. Camber is the angle of the wheel in relation to the ground, and it can be adjusted to adjust how much contact patch the tire has with the ground.
It affects how much grip, traction, and responsiveness your car has, so it’s important to understand what camber is and how to adjust it correctly.
There are two main types of camber adjustments: static camber and dynamic camber. Static camber is when you adjust the angle of the wheel relative to the suspension arms while they’re not attached to anything else.
This allows you to tune for different track conditions or driving styles, as a higher or lower static camber setting will affect how much grip your car has at full steering lock.
Dynamic camber is when you adjust the wheel’s angle relative to its suspension arms while both are attached to something else (like a shock). This type of adjustment allows you to fine-tune your car’s handling depending on whether you want more or less grip in different areas of a corner.
To adjust static camber on an RC car, you’ll need an adjustable wrench, an adjustable wheel wrench or hex driver, and an angle gauge or ruler. Start by loosening the wheel nut(s) with your adjustable wrench or hex driver until they are loose enough that you can move them but not so loose that they can fall out.
Next, use your angle gauge or ruler to measure what degree of static camber your wheels currently have (it should be between 0°-2°). Finally, make small adjustments in either direction until you’ve achieved your desired static camber setting.
To adjust dynamic camber on an RC car, you’ll need an adjustable wrench and some kind of shock travel indicator (like a dial gauge). Start by loosening the shock mount screws with your adjustable wrench until they are loose but still firmly attached.
Next, set up your shock travel indicator so that it measures how far down your shocks travel when loaded and unloaded (this will tell you what dynamic camber setting you currently have). Finally, make small adjustments in either direction until you’ve achieved your desired dynamic camber setting.
Conclusion: Adjusting both static and dynamic camber on an RC car requires some technical know-how but is relatively simple once understood. Having proper tuning knowledge can make all the difference when racing on a track with changing conditions or driving styles, so it’s important for all serious racers to understand how do cambers work and how they can be adjusted properly on their RC cars.
