CAMBER

Understand camber in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec: how it affects tire contact and turning grip by angling wheels inward or outward.

Camber is the relation of the tire's contact patch to the road surface. When looking at a tire from the front or rear of the car, imagine it sitting perfectly flat on the ground with the wheel and tire sides vertical. Adding camber means adjusting the wheel so the outside edge of the tire is slightly off the road. This makes the top of the wheel and tire appear inset, with the bottom sticking out more.

The purpose of this adjustment is to counteract the weight transfer that occurs during cornering. As you turn, weight shifts to the outside tires. Under braking or deceleration, the most weight transfers to the outside front tire, causing its inside edge to lift and the tire to want to roll onto its sidewall. By adding camber, instead of rolling onto the sidewall and lifting the inside off the road, the added camber pushes the outside edge (which was already lifted by camber) down onto the road. This allows you to utilize the entire contact patch during a turn, when it is most needed.

Positive camber generally yields better turning characteristics but can result in a slight decrease in straight-line stability. The rear of the car works similarly, but camber should be used with more moderation there because you need the contact patch for acceleration. This explanation is primarily in reference to rear-wheel drive cars, but the principles can be adapted to other drive styles.