Misalignment of tires can be dangerous while driving. Let’s find out why is my front tire leaning in on this write-up.
I know tires play an essential role while driving my car. But one day, I noticed that my front tires were leaning inward. I looked thoroughly but could not find anything bent or broken in my car. I asked some friends: Why is my front tire leaning in? Well, I came to know this is a frequent issue that a lot of people face.
Let me tell you that you don’t need to panic. Luckily you are not alone to face such a problem. It happens with most people when they hit a crack on the road, drive over a pothole, or have minor accidents.
Whenever your car leans inward, it becomes difficult for you to drive in a straight line. Your steering wheel will not remain steady, and your arms will hurt after driving for short distances. The tires will wear out quickly, and you may hear some noises while driving. So, in short, your car wheel leaning inward affects the efficiency of your car.
So, this article will discuss the reasons for your tire to lean inward, which will help you in preventing your expensive tires from worn out.
Reasons for Front Tire Leaning Inward
#1. Camber Angle
If you notice your vehicle’s front wheels are leaning inward, that may be because of a negative camber angle.
The camber angle is the angle between the vehicle’s vertical axis and the tire’s vertical axis. This angle can be positive or negative depending on the suspension system and chassis of your vehicle.
The camber angle is positive when the top portion of your vehicle’s tires is leaning outward, and it is negative when the top portion of the tire is facing inward.
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It’s normal to have negative camber between 0.5 -1 degrees to have a good grip while cornering. The tires of your car will have a good contact surface with the road while turning.
But if the negative camber angle exceeds the desired range, then the outer surface of the tire will have more contact surface with the road, which results in premature wear and tear of the tire.
It will be difficult for you to drive a car in a straight line. Excessive negative camber angle can also lock your steering wheel, which is extremely dangerous while driving.
#2. Incorrect Toe Angle
Incorrect toe angle, i.e., excessive toe-in angle, can also be the possible reason for leaning your vehicle’s front wheels in an inward direction.
Toe-in is the angle by which the top portion of the vehicle’s front wheels are closer to each other than the rear when the vehicle is stationary.
The manufacturers provide toe-in angles in cars to provide straight-line stability. But when this angle becomes more than the desired range, then the outer surface of the tire will have premature wear and tear.
#3. Worn Ball Joint
The ball joint is an essential component of the front suspension of your car. It consists of a ball and socket, which is similar to the hip joint of a human body.
The ball joint becomes loose and dry after a few years and moves at an angle which causes the movement of the steering knuckle and disturbs the camber angle. As a result, the wheels of your vehicle lean in an inward direction.
#4. Damaged Control Arm Bushings
The control arms are the connecting link between the chassis and steering knuckle. The upper and lower control arms have rubber bushings to prevent badly affecting the camber angle.
But when the rubber bushings or control arms age, they will deteriorate, which finally disturbs the camber angle.
So the damaged control arm or its bushings can be a reason for leaning the front wheels of your vehicle to lean inward.
#5. Damaged Suspension Components
Every vehicle has some mechanism to absorb shocks while hitting a bump on the road, including a spring that may break while hitting a crack on-road or may sag with time.
The damaged spring results in misalignment of tires, and finally, you may notice the front tires of your car will lean inward.
Frequently Answered Questions
#1. Why is the top of my tire tilted inward?
The top of the tire tilts inward because of the following reasons
- Damaged ball joints
- Worn out suspension system
- Excess negative camber angle
#2. What causes the front wheel camber?
All the following reasons cause the front-wheel camber.
- When the suspension system is damaged or bent
- Loose ball joints
- Misadjustment of ride height
- Uneven spring compression
- Tires are not inflated properly
- Conditions of the road
- Bad wheel bearing
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#3. Why are my front tires bowed out?
The front tires bowed out, maybe because of aging coil springs. When the springs lose height, there is a misalignment of your vehicle’s suspension system, which mainly affects the camber angle.
The other possible reasons can be worn-out ball joints or control arm bushings.
#4. Why is my tire not straight?
When you hit a bump or crack on the road, it disturbs the alignment of tires, which finally disturbs the camber angle, toe angle, or caster angle of the suspension system. So, the tires of your vehicle will not move in a straight line.
Wrap Up
Your vehicle should always drive straight on the road. But when it starts pulling in the left or right direction, that indicates a misalignment in the wheels and needs to be adjusted soon.
If you find your car’s front wheels leaning inward, try to inspect various components of the suspension system or check the camber angle and toe-in angle.
If you find all this a bit complex, then take your vehicle to the nearby garage as soon as possible. Worn-out tires can severely affect your driving, and sometimes it can be dangerous.
I hope this article is informative and please don’t forget to share your suggestions for this article.
Happy Driving!
