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Geometry & alignment: camber, toe and weights
Where many gains are hidden — and where you spend almost nothing, only knowledge. The wheel angles change everything.
Geometry is where many of the gains are hidden — and where you spend almost nothing, only knowledge. The wheel angles and the weight balance completely change how the car turns in, grips and comes out of corners. This guide explains camber, toe, caster, ride height and corner weights, and where to start.
What geometry is
These are the angles at which the wheels sit on the ground — camber, toe and caster — plus ride height and the distribution of weight per wheel. After sorting the tyres, it's the step with the best gain-to-cost ratio, long before thinking about power.
Camber
It's the tilt of the wheel seen from the front. Negative camber (top tilted in) puts more rubber on the ground as the car leans in a corner, increasing lateral grip — but too much wears the inner edge of the tyre and costs braking and traction in a straight line. Track and hillclimb want more negative camber; road, much less.
A classic track base: with a few degrees of negative camber at the front and the right pressure, the E36 gains a huge amount in corners without touching the engine.
Toe
It's the direction of the wheels seen from above. Toe-in (leading edges closer) gives stability in a straight line and under braking; toe-out sharpens turn-in but feels more nervous. Rule of thumb: a little toe-out at the front sharpens the turn, and toe-in at the rear gives traction and a stable rear.
On front-drive cars, a touch of front toe-out helps to 'point' at the apex; at the rear, a little toe-in calms the tail under braking.
Caster
It's the tilt of the steering axis seen from the side. More caster gives high-speed stability and makes the wheel 'return' by itself, also gaining camber as you steer — which helps in corners. The price is heavier steering. For track, more caster usually pays off.
Ride height
Lowering the car drops the centre of gravity and reduces weight transfer — but there's a limit: too low removes suspension travel, changes the behaviour and can make everything worse. Lower to a sensible point and tune the rest with springs and dampers. This is where good adjustable coilovers earn the investment.
Corner weights
Even with everything equal on both sides, a car can sit 'crooked' in its weight distribution. Measuring and setting the weight per wheel — in particular the cross-weight near 50% — makes the car behave the same turning both ways. It's done with corner-weight scales and by adjusting spring preload, with the driver on board.
Where to start: ask for conservative starting values for your discipline, read the tyre temperatures, and adjust one parameter at a time. Geometry is set by testing, not by guessing.
Adjustable KW · ST coilovers, camber plates, bushings and corner-weight scales — plus the advice to reach the right values per discipline.
See suspension and setupFrequently asked questions
How much negative camber should I use?
It depends on the use: track and hillclimb want more negative camber for lateral grip, road wants little. Reading the tyre temperatures (inner vs outer) tells you if you have too much or too little. Start with conservative values and adjust by testing.
Toe-in or toe-out at the front?
A little front toe-out sharpens turn-in, useful especially on front-wheel drive; toe-in gives more straight-line stability. At the rear, toe-in gives traction and safety. The right balance depends on the car and driving taste.
What are corner weights and do I really need them?
They're the weights carried by each wheel; setting them (with cross-weight near 50%) makes the car behave the same turning both ways. For track and hillclimb it's well worth it; it's done with scales and spring-preload adjustment, driver on board.