Camber Alert: The Demon Tire Alignment Craze That's Not Just For Drifters Anymore

Demon camber, also known as oni-camber, or onikyan in Japanese, is an extreme auto wheel look that turns many heads and leaves others shaking in disbelief and worry. Cars with onikyan appear to have been dropped from a great height, because the bottoms of the tires are splayed out in an exaggerated manner that makes the modified cars look as if they will collapse at any moment.

If you're curious about this strange wheel alignment phenomenon, here's what you should know:

Demon camber is about looks more than performance

You may wonder what possible performance advantages there are in tires that make both of your axles look seriously broken. The truth is that demon camber alignment was once a custom wheel angle adjustment that thrill-seeking drifters tried in order to increase their cars' performance when sliding around twisting curves.

Drifters know they'll shred tires; it's a sacrifice they're willing to make to get the most fun out of their vehicles. Any negative camber settings that make your wheels lean in toward the car body will cause excess wear on the tires, but the wacky alignment has nevertheless been picked up merely for the shocking look now. Onikyan does exactly what all cray-cray car modifications are intended to do: attract attention.

It's all in the tayazuri and that sunken image

One of the most important and cherished aspects of the demon camber look is the tayazuri, or sculpted wheel well look. The area where the tire meets the car body must be in alignment too, so the car's body appears to be almost flush with the tires.

Onikyan enthusiasts go to extraordinary measures to achieve tayazuri, and don't mind putting up with sidewalls that rub when the cars go around corners. They want the angle of their tires and the lip of the wheel wells to be in sync with as little clearance as they can get.

It's also common to see these cars lowered even further to the ground when they're parked. This sinking, surreal look is managed with custom air suspensions. Combined with adjustable cambers on front or back wheels, you can take your vehicle to new lows for car shows or simply showing off your style when out and about.

You may wonder where a muffler possibly fits on the squatting car. The fact is it won't fit, so raw onikyan cars are often louder than city ordinances will allow. Some enthusiasts run pipes along the car bodies. Removing the rear spoiler on your car and using it--upside down--as a pseudo muffler under the rear bumper is also an important part of the look of demon stance cars, but the spoilers don't really do much to tame roaring engine sounds.

Your vehicle alignment specialist, like Spring Suspension & Alignment Services, is the auto professional to seek out if you wish to learn more about demon stance alignment. They can best explain to you how to get the onikyan look for your particular make and model of car. Do be sure to start a hefty tire fund if you decide to go for it.

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