Feel Confident Behind the Wheel: Maintain Your Own Car

Why You Need to Get Your Camber Angles Right on Your Heavy Truck

5 June 2023

Craig Hicks

Safety and efficiency on the road should be your top priority when driving a heavy truck. One of the most crucial factors to ensure this is getting the camber angles right on the vehicle. But why is it so important to get this right, and what should you do to make sure?

Maintaining Proper Tyre Wear

Camber angles play a major role in ensuring even tire wear. Angles that aren't adjusted correctly can result in uneven wear that will eventually affect your truck's handling, performance and overall safety. Most heavy trucks have a stock setting for the camber angles, but deviations may occur due to many factors like regular usage, wear and tear and accidents.

Improving Vehicle Handling and Fuel Efficiency

Correct camber angles can also significantly enhance the handling performance of your truck by improving the wheel's grip on the road. This translates to improved braking, acceleration and cornering ability. Proper camber angles also help to reduce fuel consumption by offering the least amount of resistance and tyre drag.

Reducing Maintenance Costs

Getting the camber angles correct on your heavy truck can also reduce maintenance costs in the long run. Poor camber angles can lead to worn-out tyres, steering and suspension problems, and an overall decrease in handling efficiency. These issues will cost you more money to repair, and they will also affect the lifespan of your tyres, decreasing the time between replacements.

Ensuring Safety On The Road

Proper camber angles are critical to your safety and the safety of others on the road. Improper angles can cause a heavy truck to handle poorly, result in skidding on wet or icy road surfaces, and cause accidents. These issues can be avoided by setting the camber angles to the manufacturer's specifications.

Meeting Industry Standards

Heavy trucks must comply with various regulatory standards and requirements. One of these requirements is to ensure that the camber angles fall within a specific range, depending on its application. If the camber angles are not within this range, your heavy truck may not pass regulatory inspections, causing compliance issues and possible fines.

What You Should Always Remember

In conclusion, the importance of getting the camber angles right on your heavy truck cannot be overstated. Proper camber angles will not only keep you and others safe on the road but also reduce maintenance costs and increase the performance and efficiency of your truck. Regularly checking and adjusting camber angles according to the manufacturer's specifications is essential to preserving the tyres and ensuring the vehicle's longevity. Be sure to take your heavy vehicle to a certified mechanic to ensure that your camber angles are set correctly.

For more information about truck wheel alignment, contact a local auto shop.

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About Me

If, like me, you like to drive and are something of a petrol-head, then feeling confident is part of what it is all about when motoring. Knowing what to do if you face a hazard on the road or how to deal with a blowout is all part of the driving experience, to me. Having said that, few motorists really know what checks they should be making to ensure their car is properly roadworthy. I've spent the last few years upgrading my car maintenance skills and - although I'm no qualified mechanic - I now undertake all sorts of jobs needed to keep my car running properly and safely. Read my blog and pick up some car maintenance tips that anyone can do.