Camber Gain

Camber Gain

Camber Gain and Racing

Camber Gain is mostly associated in racing situations where the upper A arm slopes downward from the ball joint to the frame. Custom longer spindles and or longer ball joints are used to get these desired angles. When the weight shifts to the outside while going around a corner the vehicle rolls towards the outside of the turn. The weight transfer makes the tires flex under the pressure and weight transfer and therefore the Camber Angle needs to be adjusted to keep the tire patch at it's maximum. The faster you go around a corner the more the tire flexes and the more roll the vehicles will encounter. That means the Camber Angle will need to be changed to as the vehicle rolls more. That is where Camber Gain comes into play.

In both Circle Track and Road Racing situations you will need to find a balance between cornering tire grip and braking tire grip. We have already covered why you want Camber Gain while going around corners. But when you have to brake to slow down for a corner you don't necessarily want Camber Gain because the tire flexes differently in braking situations. If you are braking in a straight line situation you don't want any Camber Gain. You would want the front tires (and wheels) to have a zero Camber Angle to keep the maximum sized tire patch so you get the greatest stopping power. But that is almost never the case, so you need to find a balance.

Programs that work with Camber Gain

We have 5 programs that work with Camber Gain when conducting Suspension Simulation. Roll Center Calculator v3.6, Roll Center Calculator Plus v3.6 and Circle Track Analyzer v3.6 all work with and can calculate Camber Gain changes of the front end of vehicles.  

Our Suspension Analyzer v2.4 program is our top of the line Suspension Program and works with Camber Gain with more precise 3D (X, Y and Z coordinates) inputs so you can design your suspension to perform the way you want. And our Suspension Analyzer Full Vehicle v2.4. also work with Camber Angle of the rear suspension.

And Circle Track Log Book v1.1 allows you to document your vehicles setup for a given track or track conditions. You can record the Camber Gain of both the front and rear suspensions for future analysis.