Measuring and adjusting Front Toe and Camber

Team Nick

• September 18 2009
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• 3 comments

Story and photos by Nick Nelson

Proper front-end alignment can really make the difference between a great handling machine and a horrible one. Virtually every ATV has adjustable toe, and nearly every dual A-arm ATV will also have adjustable camber. Some aftermarket front ends even have adjustable caster settings as well.

Your toe or (toe-in adjustment) is the amount that your tires point toward each other (on an ATV this really helps the handlebars to naturally return to straight when exiting a turn). Your camber setting is the amount, if any, that the tire leans in on the top. Positive camber would be with the very top of the tire leaning out (away from the quad) and negative camber would be the top of the tire leaning in (towards the quad). Current popular camber adjustments range from 0- to roughly 3-degrees of negative camber.

Caster is another setting that can be adjusted, but it is usually only adjustable on aftermarket A-arms. It’s also a setting that you have to adjust in very small increments-radically changing the caster in your front end can result in very erratic handling. Caster is the angle of the top ball joint compared to the bottom ball joint. When looking straight down on it from the top, the top ball joint should always be slightly behind the bottom one (or slightly angled to the rear if you are looking directly from the side). The farther back the top ball joint is from the bottom, the slower and more stable your steering will be. The farther forward you position the ball joint, the quicker your quad will steer. And remember, we’re talking “slight” adjustments here-just a degree or two in either direction will radically affect overall handling, so only make very small adjustments!

For a simple explanation, think of a wheel barrow, the lower you hold the handles the wider the turns must be but if you hold the handles up high it turns quicker and in less space, but is less controllable.

As mentioned, caster adjustment is only available on a select number of front ends-and setting it up correctly requires a few specialty tools that most people don’t have. So for now we will concentrate on the basics of camber and toe adjustment. But be sure to check back for a follow up article on caster adjustment in the near future, because the more you know about setting up your front-end for different track conditions, the better your machine will handle!

STEP 1: GET LEVEL

To get precise measurements, you need to start with a level and smooth work surface, such as your garage floor. An uneven surface could throw off your measurements.

STEP 2: SET YOUR TIRE PRESSURE

Set all four tire pressures evenly. Again, consistency is key here when you are looking for precise measurements.

STEP 3: SET HANDLEBARS STRAIGHT

While sitting on the bike, insure that your handlebars are perfectly straight, then secure them with tie downs from each side of handlebars to the rear grab bar (so they stay straight). We prefer to use lightweight ratcheting straps, lightly cranking one side or the other to get it perfectly straight. Only ratchet them so they are snug-do not over tighten them!

STEP 4: CYCLE THE SUSPENSION

Pushing down on the front bumper, cycle the suspension through a couple of times letting it return up on it’s own the last time. This leaves the suspension in a neutral state, ready for you to measure and adjust.