[TRobinson6]

I bought my car with 28k on it and the wheels were not bowing out at the bottom like they are now. Will this cause the tires to wear on the inside edge...and what is the reason for this?

 

[jzchen]

The 451s all do this, as far as I know. Is it possible you may have forgotten, or maybe too enamored with it to notice in the beginning?

 

[jzchen]

Oh, and the reason is to increase stability at speed.

 

[InjuredAgain]

Oh, and the reason is to increase stability at speed.

Negative camber usually doesn't increase the high speed stability, as much as it increases grip at those wheels that have the negative camber. Smart did this so that the front wheels with slide first when cornering fast, believing that severe understeer would be safest in a short wheelbase car like this. The desire to have severe understeer is also why the front track is so much narrower, and the front wheels have nearly zero camber.

Stability, defined as a car that resolutely goes straight ahead, is often achieved by using high amounts of caster, which is not adjustable in the 451 smart.

The deDion rear suspension rigidly holds the rear wheels in place, so camber adjustments will not occur unless something gets bent.