Cambered Tires Can Improve Fuel Economy

thecarchik writes with an excerpt from Green Car Reports: "We already know that it's possible to curb your fuel consumption just by having your tires properly inflated, or better yet, installing a set of low rolling-resistance tires, however, soon there may be an additional avenue to look at when picking the most fuel efficient rubber for your ride. The answer is the camber of your tires, more specifically, the negative camber. This is when the tops of your car's tires are angled inwards towards the chassis. Of course, there are negative effects too — namely increased tire wear and impaired ride quality — which is why production cars almost always have zero camber." The linked article, as well as the New York Times article from which it draws, describe a new tire which is designed to minimize those negative effects.

Comments

BMWs, Minis

[Raleel]

Apparently, BMWs and Minis (and probably other sport-ish cars) are negative cambered because it helps with handling. I found this out replacing the tires on my mini... the ones that I burned through in 1.5 years because I drive it like a sport-ish car ;)

Re:"Negative Effects"

[Gordonjcp]

That's exactly what it is - the outer edge of the tyre has a lot less loading than the inner edge. Not only does this make the ride unpleasant but it drastically reduces grip and makes the car handle like a greasy weasel. If you want to know how to get the best out of your suspension, look at how tarmac rally cars are set up. That's going to be about the closest in "performance" suspension to what will be suitable for a daily driver. You'll find it has little camber, very soft springs with a lot of travel, and very stiff damping. On the road, this would give you a soft, comfortable ride with excellent grip on uneven road surfaces. Having really hard suspension means you have no grip at all, on anything but a perfectly glass-smooth racing track.