[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference oass::racers

Title:Racers and Racing
Notice:As long as it's not NASCAR or F1 or Drags...
Moderator:RHETT::BURDEN_D
Created:Tue Aug 08 1995
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:391
Total number of notes:4486

291.0. "Suspension Tuning -- Art or Science?" by DATABS::SOO (We need the machine that goes *ping*.) Fri Apr 17 1992 20:58

    I would like start off some discussion on "suspension tuning".
    
    While I am mainly interested in road racing, I am interested in the
    science behind why things are done the way they are in the other
    disciplines of motor racing as well.  So please share with us your
    experience in anything related to suspension tuning.
    
    -=Chong-Liang=-
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
291.1Nagging questions.DATABS::SOOWe need the machine that goes *ping*.Fri Apr 17 1992 21:2137
    Question one:

    In road racing, why bother with ride-height adjustment?  Don't you
    always want to have the car as low as possible without hitting the
    ground?

    Perhaps the adjustment is indeed for getting the minimum ride-height
    without the car hitting the ground, and it varies from track to track. 
    But isn't changing the spring a better way?  I.e. a taller and softer
    spring for rough track and a shorter and stiffer spring for smooth
    track.

    I guess changing the relative height of the two ends of a car changes
    the balance of the car but how is this differ from changing the balance
    by changing the relative stiffness of the anti-roll bars.


    Question two:

    How does toe setting affects the handling of a car?  I suppose the toe
    setting in the front-end affects a car only when it is going straight
    and at initial turn-in, because in a turn, the Ackerman setting takes
    effect.  Now how does the toe setting for the rear-end affects a car at
    straight-away, initial turn-in, steady-state turning, and when powering
    out of a turn?


    Question three:

    Which way is Ackerman and which way is Reverse Ackerman?  Am I correct
    in saying that the front-end sticks better in a corner if it has a
    slight toe-out in it.  Why?


    I hope no one is losing sleep over these.  :-)

    -=Chong-Liang=-
291.2ALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProTue Apr 21 1992 02:4095
.1>    Question one:

.1>    In road racing, why bother with ride-height adjustment?  Don't you
.1>    always want to have the car as low as possible without hitting the
.1>    ground?

    Not necessarily.  There are a lot of complex interactions with the
    various parts of the geometry involved in suspending the chassis of the
    car over the track surface.  Height is but one of them.  The most
    important thing (more important then minimizing ride height, really) is
    controlling the motion of various centers, the instantaneous roll
    centers are defined by the geometrical relationship between the various
    suspension components.  It's enough to merit textbook treatment, more
    than a quick notes posting.
    
.1>    Perhaps the adjustment is indeed for getting the minimum ride-height
.1>    without the car hitting the ground, and it varies from track to track. 
.1>    But isn't changing the spring a better way?  I.e. a taller and softer
.1>    spring for rough track and a shorter and stiffer spring for smooth
.1>    track.

    No, springs are used to control motion, not static parameters like
    height.
    
    In general, stiffer springs are better in terms of performance, up to
    the point at which they are so stiff that they no longer absorb bumps
    but instead start to bounce and skitter over the rougher surfaces, but
    they are also more difficult to control and less forgiving.  Softer
    springs damp out more, bumps and transients and control inputs alike.
    
.1>    I guess changing the relative height of the two ends of a car changes
.1>    the balance of the car but how is this differ from changing the balance
.1>    by changing the relative stiffness of the anti-roll bars.
    
    It is greatly different.  For one thing, changing the relative height
    changes the relationship of the roll centers (and instantaneous
    centers), which alters the effects of suspension motion.  Changing the
    relative stiffness of the anti-roll bars changes the lateral weight
    transfer but really does not change how the suspension moves (just the
    difficulty of moving it!).
    
    For another thing, changing the rake can have significant aerodynamic
    effects, for some classes.
    
    
.1>    Question two:

.1>    How does toe setting affects the handling of a car?  I suppose the toe
.1>    setting in the front-end affects a car only when it is going straight
.1>    and at initial turn-in, because in a turn, the Ackerman setting takes
.1>    effect.  Now how does the toe setting for the rear-end affects a car at
.1>    straight-away, initial turn-in, steady-state turning, and when powering
.1>    out of a turn?

    I don't think it's really all that important, compared with other
    things, but I'll need to refresh my understanding by consulting a few
    of my texts on the subject.
    
    BTW, I also do not think that the "Ackerman setting" is as signficant
    as you suggest, I believe that "Ackerman steering" refers to the
    difference in toe between the inside and outside front wheels during
    cornering, to reflect the differing radius required for the wheels to
    scribe an arc around the same centerpoint.  In fact, considering weight
    transfer effects (thus different loadings on the inside and outside
    wheels), different speeds and radius corners, body roll, etc.  it is my
    understanding that Ackerman steering is of little concern except in
    low-speed handling.  Since most "real racecars" (tm) steer as much by
    applying power to the rears as by turning the fronts, Ackerman is even
    less important to many of us.
    
.1>    Question three:

.1>    Which way is Ackerman and which way is Reverse Ackerman?  Am I correct
.1>    in saying that the front-end sticks better in a corner if it has a
.1>    slight toe-out in it.  Why?

    Why are you correct/incorrect, or why does it behave that way?
    danged if I know, why do I care?
    
    Ackerman would be having the inside wheel turn slightly more than the
    outside wheel, so that it follows the tighter radius required to form
    an arc around the common turning center.
    
    I don't believe that the front end will stick better or worse because
    of toe-out, the grip is determined by a very complex interplay of which
    toe is a relatively minor part.

.1>    I hope no one is losing sleep over these.  :-)
    
    Actually, I'd like to be.  More precisely, I'd like to be in such a
    situation that they were of sufficient importance to me to merit lost
    sleep!

    --bruce mcculley
    
291.3good stuff from On_TrackALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProTue Apr 21 1992 02:5128
    An interesting article that contained a few tidbits about this topic
    recently appeared in On_Track (Vol 12, #6, 4/3/92, p.58).  Under the
    title "The Delicate Touch" Jeremy Shaw wrote about a test day in the
    Barber Saab cars.  Here is a taste of what he had to report...
    
    "Indeed my car had been fitted with what is referred to as 'the
    baseline setup.'  The double-adjustable Koni front shocks had been set
    at 'five' for bump and 'eight' for rebound.  ... The fact that there
    was a little bit more rebound than bump reflected the desire to
    transfer some weight to the front of the car under braking, in
    readiness for turning into the corner.  The rear dampers, meanwhile,
    were set at 'eight' for bump, and 'four' for rebound.  This time the
    theory was that the read of the car would rise under braking, again
    promoting a shift in weight balance toward the front, while then
    restricting the return movement so that the car remained balanced when
    the power was applied."
    
    Later,  "the first major change we made was to reduce the bump settings
    in the front shocks, and increase the rebound.  Effectively we were
    increasing the rate of compression and stiffening rebound.  Again, in
    theory we were attempting to reduce the push and instead induce more
    'bite' in the front tires by transferring weight more quickly to the
    front, and then by stiffening the rebound, attempting to keep that
    weight where it was needed for a fraction longer."
    
    There's more, but I'm not going to try to digest it to type it in
    because it isn't as concise as those passages.  It seemed worthwhile
    though!
291.4DATABS::SOOWe need the machine that goes *ping*.Tue Apr 21 1992 17:4536
    >The most important thing is controlling the motion of various centers
    
    Ah, yes, I had forgotten about that one.
    
    >springs are used to control motion, not static parameters like height.
    
    I know, what I am saying is you can get the height you want by using
    the right springs, thus doing away with the the height adjusting
    mechanism and save a few pounds.
    
    >I don't believe that the front end will stick better or worse because
    >of toe-out
    
    I think it does matter.  The way I understand it is that toe-out helps
    but toe-in will "loosen up" the front end because some traction is lost
    from the wheels "fighting each other", so to speak.  It is more
    important, like you implied, in places where the inside wheel still
    maintain a good amount of traction, and that include low speed corners,
    initial turn-ins, and for cars that need really stiff rear anti-roll
    bar.
    
    I have an article about an autocross team that tested their RX-7 Turbo
    on a skid-pad for a set of toe settings that generates the highest
    lateral g for that car.  I am not saying that that proves anything but
    that toe-setting may make a difference, and I am looking for a theory
    for it, that's all.
    
    >I don't think it's really all that important
    
    Well, maybe so and therefore not many people talk about it, or maybe
    not many people understand it and thus everyone deems it unimportant.
    A good deal of suspension tuning (or engine tuning for that matter) is
    still an art, and I thought it would be interesting to find out what
    different people know, think or believe.
    
    -=Chong-Liang=-
291.5ALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProTue Apr 21 1992 21:5331
.4>    >I don't think it's really all that important
    
.4>    Well, maybe so and therefore not many people talk about it, or maybe
.4>    not many people understand it and thus everyone deems it unimportant.
    
    Thinking about it on the ride home last night I decided that maybe I'd
    understated the importance of toe in one way.  I think the questions
    were phrased in a form that made it easy to infer static settings, and
    I answered in that way.
    
    In fact I think the critical factor for all suspension tuning is that
    it is dynamic.  It doesn't seem too hard to get some setting that is
    optimal for any given situation, tire slip angles and loadings aren't
    that complicated.  What gets complicated is making the tradeoffs for
    a dynamic and ever changing set of conditions in the real world of
    drivers racing in traffic.  That's where I tend to think that all
    suspension setups are inevitably compromises, because there is no track
    in the world with every corner identical.  Thus necessarily any setup
    is suboptimal in some way, and it seems to me that the specific parts 
    are not so critical as how they all go together, and even that is much
    less important than how the driver uses the package.
    
    That to me is the most interesting part (of course, I'm a driver! :-).
    Considering things like weight transfers you can see why a setup that
    is good for one driver may not be as good for another, as their
    techniques vary slightly in how they handle the transitions of braking,
    cornering and accelerating.
    
    It all comes down to the fact that setup is not just a mechnical
    formula but truly is a matter of "tuning" requiring some intuitive
    sense of the aesthetics involved in operating machines at speed.
291.6ALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProTue Apr 21 1992 22:1878
.4>    >springs are used to control motion, not static parameters like height.
    
.4>    I know, what I am saying is you can get the height you want by using
.4>    the right springs, thus doing away with the the height adjusting
.4>    mechanism and save a few pounds.
    
    Ah, but you can't.  You can get some given height under static
    conditions, but you cannot do that and also get the desired
    characteristics for dynamic control of bump and rebound.  You also
    cannot cannot manage ride height under dynamic conditions of body roll
    and weight transfer.  You also cannot guarantee that you will have the
    same spring rates on each corner, since corner weights interact with
    ride height settings.  It is really best to decouple static ride height
    adjustment from dynamic spring rates.
    
.4>    >I don't believe that the front end will stick better or worse because
.4>    >of toe-out
    
.4>    I think it does matter.  The way I understand it is that toe-out helps
.4>    but toe-in will "loosen up" the front end because some traction is lost
.4>    from the wheels "fighting each other", so to speak.  
    
    The wheels are still fighting each other, whether they are pushing in
    opposite directions or pulling in opposite directions.  Tires are
    sensitive to the scalar magnitude of the slip angle not to the vector
    quantity (in other words, they don't care whether the tire has toe in
    or toe out, the tires just know that there is some small amount of
    scrub being induced because the plane of rotation does not coincide
    with the direction of travel).  So static toe setting alone does not
    seem to me to be particularly important or desirable.  Minimal toe
    would seem ideal, in the absence of other considerations.
    
    There is some possible compromise in that because tires require some
    amount of slip angle in order to develop their best grip, and setting
    toe might be one contribution to establishing this, although I always
    though camber was more commonly used for that purpose.  However, some
    designs do not easily accomodate camber changes, so toe might be a way
    of tweaking this area.
    
    Also, remember that there is a vast difference between static settings
    and the real world of dynamic changes.  One very very very important
    concern is something called "bump steer" which refers to the change in
    toe that may accompany vertical movement of the suspension.  Again,
    I tend to believe that the static settings are less important than the
    instantaneous situation when the suspension is doing its work.  Static
    toe (and all other static settings) define the starting points from
    which the dynamic variations derive that instantaneous configuration,
    so they may be relevent in terms of a specific design and situation. 
    But even there I believe the real important issue is the design and how
    it makes all the various factors interact.
    
.4>    I have an article about an autocross team that tested their RX-7 Turbo
.4>    on a skid-pad for a set of toe settings that generates the highest
.4>    lateral g for that car.  I am not saying that that proves anything but
.4>    that toe-setting may make a difference, and I am looking for a theory
.4>    for it, that's all.
    
    Yes, it makes a difference *for a specific design and situation*.
    
    (And I'm not sure that the RX-7 is a particularly good one, does it
    have IRS yet?)
    
    BTW, please understand that my context is that of a formula car racer. 
    I assume that there is essentially little or no constraint on suspension 
    design.  My race car has multiple pickup points to show that in the
    past someone has reworked portions of the suspension design, and I view
    this as SOP.  From that perspective almost any production design (short
    of an F40, perhaps) will look crude and unsophisticated.
    
    If you are talking about a model of suspension theory, I believe a
    purebred "real racecar" (tm, slogan="real racecars don't have fenders")
    is the closest realization in practice.  If you are trying to apply
    that theory to production street cars, please recognize that any
    experimental deviations from theory are much more likely to represent
    compromises in the design of those specific examples, not shortcomings
    in the theoretical model.
    
    --bruce
291.7DATABS::SOOWe need the machine that goes *ping*.Wed Apr 22 1992 22:0280
    Re. Spring height and spring rate

    >It is really best to decouple static ride height adjustment from
    >dynamic spring rates.

    Ah, but spring height has nothing to do with spring rate, in the sense
    that you can have springs of any height with any rate.  I understand
    that it may be much more practical to have just a couple of springs with
    different rate and adjust the ride height with some other means.  I am
    just saying that it is possible to combine the two and perhaps save a
    couple of pounds.  I suspect that the answer is yes, but no one (with
    the possible exception of F1) does it that way.  Or is it that no one
    has looked into doing it that way.

    Re. Toe settings and Ackerman steering

    >The wheels are still fighting each other, whether they are pushing in
    >opposite directions or pulling in opposite directions.

    Correct.  However, in a corner where the outside wheel is doing most of
    the work, the inside wheel will still contribute to the cornering
    ability or "feel" of the car.  With toe-in, the inside tire is in
    effect pushing the car towards the outside of the corner, whereas with
    toe-out, the inside wheel is pulling the car towards the inside of the
    corner.  Moreover, toe-out is the setting which the front wheels don't
    fight each other as much.

    >there is a vast difference between static settings and the real world
    >of dynamic changes.

    My question was on how the "toe" of a car affect the traction or
    handling of a car in a turn.  The reason I used Ackerman steering and
    not static toe setting is because the Ackerman steering is what the toe
    is in a turn, so let's forget about static setting.

    >Yes, it makes a difference *for a specific design and situation*.

    Yes, you are right.  I was just trying to say that, everything else
    being equal, the "toe" (in a turn, which is affected by the static
    setting) does affect the handling of a car (may be just this car, but
    I doubt it).

    >(And I'm not sure that the RX-7 is a particularly good one, does it
    >have IRS yet?)

    Yes, since '86.  It is of a multi-link design with floating hubs that
    introduce toe-in in high-g turns (some racers disable this bit).  I do
    Solo I type time trials with mine and may go IT next year.  Trying to
    tune the suspension of a street car is most frastrating, but the
    discussiong here is not specific to this or any car.

    >I assume that there is essentially little or no constraint on suspension 
    >design.

    Same here, and I am ignoring the effect of bump steer, camber and such
    by assuming that they can be (almost) optimally set.

    >If you are talking about a model of suspension theory

    Yes, and I am trying to concentrate on a couple of things that I do not
    have good understanding of.  I know how camber, caster, bump steer, roll
    center, roll stiffness, weight transfer, polar moment, etc. affect the
    handling of a car (I think), but I am not sure about toe, Ackerman,
    spring rate and shock rate.  So I am here trying to find the theory
    behind these by isolating the effect these have.

    In view of that, let me rephrase my question:  If everything else has
    been optimally set, and you are left with only the toe settings for the
    front and rear axles, and you can set them differently for the straight,
    initial turn in, constant state mid-turn, and exit of a turn, how would
    you set them?  Why?  (Make any other assumption as necessary).

    People say things like "the stiffer the springs and shocks are, the
    better", but I am not convinced.  I tend to find answers that can be
    explained in pure physics.  I am perfectly happy if I can be proved
    wrong, but I need to be convinced.  Discussions like these also allow
    me to look at things in other ways, which may lead me down other paths
    in my understanding of the science (or art).

    -=Chong-Liang=-
291.8Toe-in for me please...NWTIMA::BERRYDOShiny side UPWed Apr 22 1992 23:4916
    
    Toe adjustments have a grear impact on straight line stability. Toe-out
    will cause the car to be *very* unstable. The more toe-in the more
    stability. As more toe-in is dialed in, more drag is produced. Bump
    steer or pitch change during acceleration or braking can have an effect
    on stability. 
    
    When I first ran my Camaro on the drag strip, I had set the toe-in at
    the factory recomended settings. Because I was accelerating for the
    entire 1/4 mile the front end was pitched up, causing a toe-out
    condition. My crew said that they could read the writing on the doors
    from their spot on the starting line. My spots were a little closer to
    home :)
    
    Don
    
291.9ALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProThu Apr 23 1992 16:5111
.8>    My crew said that they could read the writing on the doors
.8>    from their spot on the starting line. My spots were a little closer to
.8>    home :)
    
    from your description, it wouldn't surprise me if some of those spots
    were close to the spot where the sun don't shine?	
    
    sounds like you were saying that toe-in reduces loading on the pucker
    factor!
    
    :-)
291.10Am I missing the obvious???JUNO::JUPPThu Apr 23 1992 23:0322
    Maybe I've been missing something all these years, But I always thought
    that the Toe-in or out was to stop the front wheels from wobbleing. 
    This is to say that if the wheels are given a bias then they won't
    wobble.
    
    I also thought that whether it was designated toe-in or toe-out was
    related as to whether the steering arms connected to the wheels in
    front of, or behind the axle.
    
    As far as ackermann goes, a friend of mine who does stress analysis on
    many makes of cars (including Ferrari) said that ackermann as such died
    in the late sixties, It is now considered much better to have the tyres
    "scrubbing" through bends, as this improves traction/handling.
    
    Concerning the Camaro lifting and altering the steering geometry by
    such an amount as to change thing from toe-in to toe-out, why not limit
    the travel by either adjusting the shocks or by simply putting a stop
    in.
    
    These words are from a complete amateur, before you tell me so....
    
    Cheers Ian...
291.11ALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProThu Apr 23 1992 23:0748
.7>    Ah, but spring height has nothing to do with spring rate, in the sense
.7>    that you can have springs of any height with any rate.  I understand
.7>    that it may be much more practical to have just a couple of springs with
.7>    different rate and adjust the ride height with some other means.  I am
.7>    just saying that it is possible to combine the two and perhaps save a
.7>    couple of pounds.  I suspect that the answer is yes, but no one (with
.7>    the possible exception of F1) does it that way.  Or is it that no one
.7>    has looked into doing it that way.
    
    Maybe I'm confused.  I thought you were suggesting using different
    spring rates to adjust the ride height based on the amount the chassis
    weight compressed each rate.  That's really nfg, because it screws
    up the dynamics.  If you were suggesting using springs of different
    physical dimensions, so that the spring rates are unaffected, that
    gives you no win, because you need the ability to adjust the mounting
    points to suit - and that's exactly the mechanism used to set ride
    height independently of springs!  BTW, I'm not sure just what the
    problem is that you're trying to solve, there is no complicated
    mechanism involved here and at least on my car there appears to be
    absolutely no weight penalty at all.  There is a threaded spring perch
    that can be run slightly up or down the threaded portion of the shock
    to set the height at which the springs perch.  No complexity, no
    weight, what's the problem?
    
.7>    My question was on how the "toe" of a car affect the traction or
.7>    handling of a car in a turn.  The reason I used Ackerman steering and
.7>    not static toe setting is because the Ackerman steering is what the toe
.7>    is in a turn, so let's forget about static setting.
    
    I still think you're confused on this one.  For one thing, considering
    Ackerman should tell you that (unless you are considering static
    settings) there is no "toe of a car" there is only toe of each wheel. 
    Granted, it *should* be symmetric, but I don't know that it can be
    guaranteed.  Ditto for linear, and possibly for variations with speed.
    
.7>    Same here, and I am ignoring the effect of bump steer, camber and such
.7>    by assuming that they can be (almost) optimally set.
    
    I don't think they can be ignored, I think they are (necessarily)
    interrelated so that they cannot be entirely decoupled.  That's why
    suspension tuning is a non-trivial exercise!
    
.7>    Discussions like these also allow
.7>    me to look at things in other ways, which may lead me down other paths
.7>    in my understanding of the science (or art).
    
    Strong agreement on that from me - that's why we're here, right?
    
291.12More ups and downs of suspension designNYTP05::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeMon Apr 27 1992 12:30105
291.13DATABS::SOOWe need the machine that goes *ping*.Mon Apr 27 1992 20:3132
    Your explanation is perfectly clear, Glenn.

    >Bruce mentioned that there is no weight penalty.

    Actually, when I asked this question, I was thinking of a production
    car, where adding the height adjustment mechanism can add a couple of
    pounds of unsprung weight per wheel.  If the ride height is rarely
    adjusted, or if it is only adjusted to one of the three settings, then
    having a non-adjustable setup and, say, three sets of springs for the
    three tracks you drive at, may be feasible.  There may be some other
    factors that I do not know, like do you need to change the ride height
    for different track conditions?

    >I would assume that the intent of bump steer was to increase toe-in
    >under braking.

    I always thought that bump steer is a problem and not an intention.
    The knuckle end of the steering tie-rod follows a complex curve when
    the wheel moves vertically, but the tie-rod, being a simple rod, forces
    the knuckle end to move in a perfect circle, and ends up steering the
    wheel.

    >the only job of a race cars' suspension is to keep the tire contact
    >patch in contact with the road while providing optimal grip!

    I think you meant "to allow the largest possible contact patch under
    most, if not all, condition".  I have one question regarding this: how
    do you determine that you do get all the contact patch you want,
    especially during cornering when the tire distorts?  Is pyrometer the
    only gauge of how close you are?

    -=Chong=-
291.14more sticky stuffNYTP05::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeTue Apr 28 1992 16:1462
>>    Actually, when I asked this question, I was thinking of a production
>>    car

Which car? Bilstein has shocks with grooves and a circlip. The spring 
perch sits on the circlip which you can put in any of the grooves.

The ride height is often adjusted for each track to control the 
amount of bottoming. Usually, this is from 1/4 inch to 1 inch. If the
car isn't bottoming at a track, it's probably too high. You don't want
the car to smash into the ground either as this can upset the car in a
turn.

>>    There may be some other
>>    factors that I do not know, like do you need to change the ride height
>>    for different track conditions?

Usually, you want to soften the car in wet conditions. This causes the 
weight transfer to occur more gradually which can make the car easier to 
drive. If you go to softer springs for a wet track, you would also 
want to raise the car.

>    I always thought that bump steer is a problem and not an intention.

I don't think it's too difficult to design a suspension without bump 
steer. A simple method is to put the steering rack at the same height 
as the control arm (upper or lower) with the tie rods being the same
width as the conrtol arm.
 
                    steering-arm  
                tie-rod  |     rack
                   |     |      |
                   v     v      v
           ----                                  ----
          |    |======o-----o[[[]]]o-----o======|    |
          |    |                                |    |
          |    |   /--o                  o--\   |    |
          |    |/                              \|    |
          |    |\                              /|    |
          |    |   \--o                  o--/   |    |
          |    |                                |    |
           ----                                  ----
                  ^^^^ 
                  a-arm

>    I think you meant "to allow the largest possible contact patch under
>    most, if not all, condition". I have one question regarding this: how
>    do you determine that you do get all the contact patch you want,
>    especially during cornering when the tire distorts?  Is pyrometer the
>    only gauge of how close you are?

I was also trying to allow room for weight transfer. Just having the 
maximum contact patch on the ground isn't enough if the weight isn't 
distributed well. A tire produces more grip with increased weight. So, 
transferring weight to one tire increases its' grip, however the one(s) 
that give up weight lose grip. These amounts aren't the same!

The tire companies have information about how much each tire distorts 
and how good the adhesion is under varying loads. I'm not sure how to
get this or if they would even give it out. Without having that, the
pyrometer and a g-analyst are the only methods. 

Glenn
291.15This AWD car has no steering!DATABS::SOOWe need the machine that goes *ping*.Tue Apr 28 1992 20:3065
    >Which car?

    Cars with struct type suspensions generally have to weld or glue on a
    section of cylinder with thread on the outside, and a large nut/spinner
    which the spring sits on.

    >A simple method is to put the steering rack at the same height as the
    >control arm (upper or lower) with the tie rods being the same width as
    >the conrtol arm.

    Assuming the drawing is a top view of the front end.
 
    But then this end of the tie rod is going to fall outside of the rim,
    if not the tire, if the rod is on the same plane as the A-arm.  The
    problem is just that you can't place the tie rod on the same plane as
    either of the A-arms--there is no room inside the wheel.
               |
               |
               V
           ----                                  ----
          |    |======o-----o[[[]]]o-----o======|    |
          |    |                                |    |
          |    |   /--o                  o--\   |    |
          |    |/                              \|    |
          |    |\                              /|    |
          |    |   \--o                  o--/   |    |
          |    |                                |    |
           ----                                  ----
                  ^^^^ 
                  a-arm

    One solution is to use cables (assuming they don't stretch) to steer the
    car:

        (Top view, from side of car)

                 A-arm
                vvvvvvv
             |           |
             O  O-----O  O
              \ \\   // /
               \ \\ // /
         cable->\ \V/ /<-cable
                 \ V /
                  -O-

    Or a rod that turns, like a half-shaft, to steer the car.  A side effect
    is a saving in weight, since we have just done away with the entire
    steering rack assmbly.  Do you think I should apply for a patent here.
    :-)

    >I was also trying to allow room for weight transfer. Just having the 
    >maximum contact patch on the ground isn't enough if the weight isn't 
    >distributed well.

    I agree with you if you mean weight transferred longitudinally, but
    weight transferred from one tire to the other on the same axle may not
    be desirable.  I believe it is better to have weight more evenly
    distributed between the two tires on the same axle, that is why the
    end with less roll stiffness sticks better.  Of cause, now the
    subject of toe comes into play.  It is important that the two tires
    don't fight each other--this is more important when the weight is more
    evenly distributed between the two tires.

    -=Chong-Liang=-
291.16ALIEN::MCCULLEYRSX ProTue Apr 28 1992 21:2047
.12>    >I would assume that the intent of bump steer was to increase toe-in
.12>    >under braking.

.13>    I always thought that bump steer is a problem and not an intention.
.13>    The knuckle end of the steering tie-rod follows a complex curve when
.13>    the wheel moves vertically, but the tie-rod, being a simple rod, forces
.13>    the knuckle end to move in a perfect circle, and ends up steering the
.13>    wheel.
    
    I too always thought bump steer was a side-effect rather than an
    intention.
    
    I know that it is not limited to situations involving steering tie-rods
    and such, because one of the places where it is particularly
    undesirable is in the rear suspension.  (lends a whole new meaning to
    the phrase "rear steer" eh?)
    
    I don't understand the statement that "The knuckle end of the steering
    tie-rod follows a complex curve when the wheel moves vertically"
    because I believe that the wheel and everything attached to it is
    constrained to move in a simple arc (ignored realworld imperfections in
    rigidity and suchlike).  The only thing I can infer is that there is an
    assumption of steering input moving the knuckle, which I think is
    completely irrelevent to bump steer effects.
    
    To understand bump steer, consider the simple case of the rear wheel of
    a formula car using a trailing link design.  There are two such links,
    with the forward ends attached near the cockpit and the trailing ends
    attached to the rear hub carrier.  There are also a wishbone and a
    compression link attaching the hub carrier to the rear subframe
    adjacent to the halfshaft (parallel with, and above and below the plane
    of the shaft).  This gives four points of location to the hub.  Now, if
    the wishbone and compression link are parallel and equal in length,
    they scribe arcs that keep the hub carrier in the same relationship to
    the track surface, changing only the track as it moves, and if they are
    not parallel and equal length, the angular relationship of the plane of
    the hub and the track surface will change, causing a camber change. 
    Likewise, if the relationship of the trailing links is assymmetric
    and/or poorly chosen relative to the other attachments locating the hub
    carrier, the motion of those links can cause a change in the angular
    relationship of the plane of the hub with the longitudinal axis of the
    car as the links accomodate vertical motion of the hub.  This is a
    change in toe of the rear wheel, and produces bump steer.
    
    Forget steering knuckles, forget complex curves.  There are only simple
    arcs, and complex interactions.
    
291.17NYTP05::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeWed Apr 29 1992 12:3038
>    Cars with struct type suspensions generally have to weld or glue on a
>    section of cylinder with thread on the outside, and a large nut/spinner
>    which the spring sits on.

Hmm, McPherson struts don't work like regular springs anyway since 
they are pre-loaded. Just backing off the spring perch won't 
necessarily change the ride height. It will change the pre-load on the 
springs. Different length springs wouldn't help either. It seems that 
the only way to lower the car would be to change the length of the 
strut itself.

>    Assuming the drawing is a top view of the front end.
 
>    But then this end of the tie rod is going to fall outside of the rim,
>    if not the tire, if the rod is on the same plane as the A-arm.  The
>    problem is just that you can't place the tie rod on the same plane as
>    either of the A-arms--there is no room inside the wheel.

Yup, it's a top view and my drawing isn't to scale but my race car has
the mounting points right at the outside edge of the rim for both the
steering arm and the a-arm(s) and it has no bump steer. My 914 mounts 
the a-arm just outside the rim also but I believe that it uses a 
different method to negate bump steer.

>    I agree with you if you mean weight transferred longitudinally, but
>    weight transferred from one tire to the other on the same axle may not
>    be desirable.

Without having the information relating load to adhesion, it's hard to 
find the point where you get maximum grip. Either way though, weight 
transfer is a fact of life unless you can get the C.G. at ground 
level. I do agree that having equal weights on both sides is better
than having all the weight transferred. 

An interesting thought though, in ski racing you WANT to transfer all 
of your weight to the outside in a turn!

Glenn
291.18Non-preloaded McPherson strutsASDG::ZETTERLUNDWed Apr 29 1992 14:2316
re .17
    
>    Hmm, McPherson struts don't work like regular springs anyway since
>    they are pre-loaded. 
    
    I believe that stock McPherson struts always have preloaded springs. 
    However, if you cut the springs or if you modify the strut with 
    adustable spring perches it is easy to get a non-preloaded strut.  
    On my BMW 1600-2 I have replaced the normal spring perch with a 
    threaded perch.  I replaced the 5" OD springs with 2.5" ID springs; 
    the springs are 8" long.  When the suspension is at full droop, the 
    spring is about 2" shorter than the distance between the lower and 
    upper spring perches. (The spring is fastened to the upper perch.)
    BTW, Chong, I think that this is still legal for COM ST# classes.
    
    Bjorn.  
291.19NYTP04::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeThu Apr 30 1992 13:1717
>    On my BMW 1600-2 I have replaced the normal spring perch with a 
>    threaded perch.  I replaced the 5" OD springs with 2.5" ID springs; 
>    the springs are 8" long.

Does it work well?

I've actually gone the other way with my race car. I've put in
pre-load in the front suspension in order to assist turn in (less 
initial weight transfer under breaking/turn in). I then use the pull
rods to adjust ride height in the front (not something most street 
cars could do). Doing this, I can still use my desired spring rates to 
limit bump travel. Unfortunately, my suspension geometry is limiting 
the amount of pre-load I can put in. The next trick is to limit droop 
by restricting how far the shock extends. This requires internal shock 
modifications which I don't think I can do myself on my Bilstiens.

Glenn
291.20DATABS::SOOWe need the machine that goes *ping*.Thu Apr 30 1992 18:3927
    ALRIGHT!  We got up to four people into this discussion now.

    Re .16

    >I don't understand the statement that "The knuckle end of the steering
    >tie-rod follows a complex curve when the wheel moves vertically"

    If the upper and lower control arms aren't the same length or if their
    pivoting axis aren't parallel to each other, and the knuckle falls
    somewhere between the upper and lower control arm attachment points, it
    doesn't follow a simple arc but a curve defined by the interaction of
    the two control arms.

    Re .17

    >race car has the mounting points right at the outside edge of the rim
    >for both the steering arm and the a-arm(s) and it has no bump steer.

    You are right.  I just verified that on a Truesports March.

    Re .18

    >Chong, I think that this is still legal for COM ST# classes.

    Correct, but I am still in SSA.

    -=Chong=-
291.21ASDG::ZETTERLUNDThu Apr 30 1992 19:0317
    re: .19
    
    > Does it work well?
    
    It works very well.  The main reason for using the 2.5 ID springs is to
    be able to lean the strut in for more negative camber.  Some IT racers
    bend the struts at the base instead!  Before I converted to the race
    spings, I had stock springs cut 2.5 coils and attached to the top spring
    perch.  Making sure the the springs fit into the lower spring perches
    when lowering the car after changing tires was a real pain.  It's also
    nice to be able to change the ride height.  I've been running the car
    so low (the lower the better) that I may have compromised the
    suspension geometry.  I'm going to try to run the car at a height that
    gives me maximum negative camber at full roll.  When the rear shocks
    wear out I plan to convert the rear suspension to coil-overs, too.
    
    Bjorn.
291.22how do you do conversion?NYTP05::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeWed May 06 1992 12:438
.18>    I have replaced the normal spring perch with a threaded perch.

Bjorn,

Just curious, how does this work? Is it just a two piece perch with
threads which fits where the old one went, no gluing or welding?

Glenn
291.23Front strut coil-over conversionASDG::ZETTERLUNDWed May 06 1992 15:1618
    Glenn,
    
    The parts are standard circle track parts.  I bought them from AFCO. 
    The lower spring perch consists of a threaded collar and T-shaped
    treaded perch with a wear plate (big washer).  I welded a support ring
    to the strut below the treaded collar.  I have silicone sealant to take
    up the slight clearance between the strut OD and the threaded collar
    ID.  The upper spring perch is the standard cone-shaped type.  I made
    an adjustable camber plate that uses a spherical bearing to take the
    load.  There are IT-legal ways to get the same effect, but the coil
    over set-up is very elegant.  I've had it on the car since the 1988
    season.
    
    BTW.  I removed the old spring perch completely and ground down the old
    weld bead to leave a smooth outer surface on the strut before welding
    on the support ring.
    
    Bjorn.
291.24From a rally preparation viewpointESBS01::RUTTERRut The NutMon May 18 1992 18:4220
>>    the springs are 8" long.  When the suspension is at full droop, the 
>>    spring is about 2" shorter than the distance between the lower and 
>>    upper spring perches. (The spring is fastened to the upper perch.)
>>    ...
>>    perch.  Making sure the the springs fit into the lower spring perches
>>    when lowering the car after changing tires was a real pain.  It's also
    
    This sounds like a risky setup to me !
    
    I can see that you wouldn't normally expect full droop of suspension
    on a racetrack, but the consequences of this happening could be
    quite serious indeed - if the spring didn't relocate in the perch.
    
    I thought a standard technique was to have a limiting strap (or cable)
    attached to the suspension to prevent it moving outside the range of
    the springs.  Have you considered this ?  Not easy to determine where
    it would be fitted at the upper end of a strut-type suspension, but
    if a suitable mount could be found, it would avoid dislocated springs.
    
    J.R.
291.25ASDG::ZETTERLUNDTue May 19 1992 12:4310
    re: .24
    
    > This sounds like a risky setup to me !
    
    It works just fine.  The springs are not seated only when the car is
    jacked up.  The 2.5 ID springs have ground tops and bottoms; aligning
    them at the bottom spring perches is not a problem.  They are also
    restrained by the strut tube so, in effect, they are really captive.
    
    Bjorn.  
291.26Can't the springs unseat anytime the wheel is unweighted?MLTVAX::FISHERKill your televisionTue May 19 1992 20:5715
>    It works just fine.  The springs are not seated only when the car is
>    jacked up.

Actually anytime a wheel is at full droop, right?  I've seen a lot of photos
of cars coming over crests with both inside wheels lifted, could that cause
one of your springs to become unseated?  I think that's what JR was talking
about.  The spring would meet up with the spring again certainly, but perhaps
not in the right place, probably slightly altering the "ride height" of that
wheel, which I'd think would redistribute your corner weights a bit.

Something I have seen done to avoid this to make a slot in the upper and
lower spring seats and put metal hose clamps through the slots and around
the base coils to hold the spring in place while unweighted.

Carl
291.27ASDG::ZETTERLUNDTue May 19 1992 21:3212
    re: .26
    
    The springs are attached to the upper spring perches just as you
    described (and as I described in a previous note).  I don't have the 
    springs attached at the bottom because I don't want the "metal hose 
    clamps" or equivalent to support the weight of the front suspension 
    at droop.  The springs don't have much play around the strut tube and
    can't come to rest anywhere but squarely on the lower spring perches. 
    Besides my car doesn't have enough power to droop the suspension
    very much anywhere I drive, including Climbing Turn at LRP :<).
    
    Bjorn.  
291.28NYTP05::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeThu May 21 1992 12:1915
> Can't the springs unseat anytime the wheel is unweighted?

That's an interesting point. When my brother was racing in IMSA, we 
would have to set the springs every time we took the car off the jack. 
I can't have that problem on my front suspension because I've 
preloaded the front springs. My rears have always set when I take the 
car off the jack but there's nothing to insure it. Two problems could 
occur if the springs weren't set.

- The corner weights would be off while driving
- If the spring sets in a turn, it could upset the car causing an 
accident.

Didn't someone attribute an accident at Indy once on a spring setting 
while driving?
291.29Further comments on max. suspension travelESBS01::RUTTERRut The NutWed May 27 1992 09:3437
>>one of your springs to become unseated?  I think that's what JR was talking
    
    Yes, this is what I considered a potential problem.
    
>>Something I have seen done to avoid this to make a slot in the upper and
>>lower spring seats and put metal hose clamps through the slots and around
>>the base coils to hold the spring in place while unweighted.
    
    That sounds the right solution.  Now you mention it, I do recall
    reading that in a [rally] preparation book some time ago.
    
    I know the considerations of racing and rallying do differ, but I
    still wonder at the risk involved.  Also, with strut suspension,
    the spring won't be 'going anywhere', but can still be out of position
    when suspension closes up again - whereupon it may shift again.
    
    I don't see any harm in having both ends of the spring attached
    to the seat using some form of clamp.  When the suspension is at
    full droop (whether the car is jacked up, airborne, or leaning lots)
    the clamp will only have to manage the 'unsprung weight' of the
    suspension/wheel/etc.  If it failed in this job, you would still
    be no worse off than not having the clamp in the first place, but if
    it is working as intended, you have a bit more security in the setup.
    
    Just another consideration in suspension set-up.  Really, the suspension
    should not be allowed to extend further than the spring travel anyway,
    if it does I would think things aren't completely right anyway.
    
    Also, what does limit your suspension travel on droop ?
    
    On compression, bump rubbers are quite standard, but in the opposite
    direction they often do not exist.  This can mean that your damper rod
    is performing this duty, which it is not intended to do.  Some other
    form of limiting device should be used, a job which could be
    fulfilled by fixing the spring to the upper and lower mounts...
    
    J.R.
291.30ASDG::ZETTERLUNDWed May 27 1992 12:5114
    
    re: .29
    
    > Also, what does limit your suspension travel on droop ?
    
    The answer is:
    
    > ... your damper rod is performing this duty, 
    
    > which it is not intended to do.
    
    Quite to the contrary.
    
    Bjorn.
291.31ESBS01::RUTTERRut The NutWed May 27 1992 13:1026
>>    > ... your damper rod is performing this duty, 
>>    > which it is not intended to do.
>>    Quite to the contrary.
    
    Perhaps we should agree to differ here.
    
    I think that the function of a damper rod *should* only be to operate
    the valving (or whatever friction device is used) of the [misnamed]
    shock absorber during suspension travel.
    
    If the damper rod/valving is used as the limiting factor in your
    suspension travel, then the innards of the damper will have a
    coming-together that they were not expecting.  Again, due to the
    force [hopefuly] not being too strong (not true if the suspension
    is forcing the wheel down into a hole at speed), this may actually
    result in damage to the damper.  On compression, dampers often have
    a 'bump stop' type of rubber to avoid the collision of parts that
    will arise when the limit of travel is reached.  Even with this,
    your suspension should try and avoid depending on this part, as the
    shock body is not intended to take the pressures of bottoming-out.
    
    In theory, suspension components should only be required to perform
    a single duty.  To place multiple requirements on a component will
    usually mean that it is not working in it's best fashion.  Note 'theory' !
    
    J.R.
291.32NYTP05::JANKOWITZTwisty little passages all alikeWed May 27 1992 13:1723
>>    I don't see any harm in having both ends of the spring attached
>>    to the seat using some form of clamp.

In my car, the top perch is threaded and the bottom just sits there. 
If you attach the spring to the perch, the perch will become unseated 
instead of the spring. I don't know which would be more desireable.

>> Really, the suspension
>> should not be allowed to extend further than the spring travel anyway,
>> if it does I would think things aren't completely right anyway.

Why would you say that? In my race car, I can adjust the ride height 
using the pull rods on the front suspension. In the rear I just have 
rocker suspension and the only way to adjust the ride height is by 
moving the spring perch. If the spring was against the perch then 
adjusting the ride height would be putting different amounts of
preload on the rear springs, which is considered undesireable.
    
>> Also, what does limit your suspension travel on droop ?

Yes, the damper rod is performing this job. That is part of its job!
One of the Indy car tricks to suspension tuning involves using spacers
inside the shock to limit droop.
291.33Still agree to differ on some pointsESBS01::RUTTERRut The NutThu May 28 1992 09:2244
>>If you attach the spring to the perch, the perch will become unseated 
>>instead of the spring. I don't know which would be more desireable.
    
    No gain in either case I suppose.
    
>>Why would you say that? In my race car, I can adjust the ride height 
>>using the pull rods on the front suspension. In the rear I just have 
>>rocker suspension and the only way to adjust the ride height is by 
>>moving the spring perch. If the spring was against the perch then 
>>adjusting the ride height would be putting different amounts of
>>preload on the rear springs, which is considered undesireable.
    
    Main difference here is that I was considering a more simple,
    strut-type, suspension.  In your situation, I would say that
    the *ideal* way of adjusting ride height at the rear would
    involve adjusting both upper and lower spring perches.  Of course,
    this extra mechanism would probably outweigh any gain in the
    operation of springs/dampers...
    
>>>> Also, what does limit your suspension travel on droop ?
>>
>>Yes, the damper rod is performing this job. That is part of its job!
>>One of the Indy car tricks to suspension tuning involves using spacers
>>inside the shock to limit droop.
    
    With regard Indy setups (of which I know nowt), the dampers at least
    in this case are 'expecting' to be used as travel limiters.
    
    My reading/knowledge is mostly related to rally-type preparation,
    where suspension travel is going to be much more severe than is
    usually experienced under racetrack conditions.  If you then allow a
    damper to 'top-out', there is a risk that you will damage it.
    
    My comments as regard suspension component functionality would actually
    be more relevant to race set-ups, but only 'in theory', as the real
    thing may benefit from certain 'multi-functionality' even if this
    goes against the supposed ideals.
    
    Of these comments, I think that if you can avoid springs from coming
    loose form their perches (without the perches then being loose !)
    then that is worth doing.  If the suspension travel is limited by
    the dampers, that is not so important (when racing).
    
    J.R.
291.34What makes a car track straight?MLTVAX::FISHERKill your televisionMon Dec 07 1992 19:2828
I have a question about steering.  Is there some feature of steering racks
or front end geometry which determines what "straight ahead" is?

When I was recently working on a friend's car replacing a tie rod end (I
made an effort to reproduce the adjustment), a test drive showed a very sharp
pull to one side.  We couldn't think of any reason why anything except
the toe-in would have changed, so we adjusted the tie rod ends on both
sides and were able to eliminate the pull and also get the steering wheel
straight (without removing it).

I still don't understand how this worked.  I had always thought that a
vehicle moving in a straight line would divide its toe-in equally between
the two front wheels, so any imbalance in the adjustments to the tie rod
ends would show up only as the steering wheel not being centered right,
but the car would still track straight, though maybe not very well.

So there must be some other factor which makes the front end want to align
in a particular direction, like maybe the steering rack itself has some
centering force to it.

The vehicle in question is a 1977 Saab 99 with manual rack-and-pinion
steering.  Camber at each front wheel appeared to be equal and was not
adjusted in any way.

Can anyone explain this to me?

thanks,
Carl
291.35Tires sameLEDS::LEWICKEThat Hideous Strength----PolyesterMon Dec 07 1992 19:407
    Carl,
    	Did it have identical tires on both sides?  I know that when I've
    had toe in screwed up one tire will track and the other will scrub. 
    (particularly enjoyable on standing water)  If one tire on the car was
    "dominant" it would always track and the other tire would always scrub.
    					John
    
291.36Tires the sameMLTVAX::FISHERKill your televisionTue Dec 08 1992 19:396
Yes, the tires were the same on all 4 corners.  My friend could not say
for certain that it did not have the pull before we changed the tie rod
end, but we certainly did eliminate it solely through adjustment of the
tie rod lengths.

Carl
291.37Q and A timeCOMET::COSTASlap it, flip it, rub it down.Wed Jun 23 1993 05:0420
    
     It is very important to have the tie rods as close as possible to
    being the same length. Differences of as little as an 1/8 of an inch
    can create undesirable scrub and produce a dominate tire. It is also
    important to check track width at the front of the front tires against
    the back of the front tires. This will give you your total toe. Toe out
    will make a car more stable, toe in will make it more responsive, but
    we are still talking about very small differences here. Usually 1/16 to
    no more than 1/4 of an inch.
    
     Now, I have some questions on front suspension systems. Coil spring
    versus torsion bar specifically. Would a torsion bar system be superior
    to a coil system, or vice versa? I would think that since a torsion bar
    lies flat, you would have a lower center of gravity compared to an
    upright coil. Would a torsion bar be lighter than a coil and have less
    unsprung weight? Is the progressive rate of a torsion bar more or less
    desirable then the linear rate of a coil?
    
    TC
    
291.38Springs and thingsAUSSIE::COLEThis is lucky Phil.Wed Jun 23 1993 05:3053
    re -.1
    
>     It is very important to have the tie rods as close as possible to
>    being the same length. Differences of as little as an 1/8 of an inch
>    can create undesirable scrub and produce a dominate tire. It is also
>    important to check track width at the front of the front tires against
>    the back of the front tires. This will give you your total toe. Toe out
>    will make a car more stable, toe in will make it more responsive, but
>    we are still talking about very small differences here. Usually 1/16 to
>    no more than 1/4 of an inch.

    I think it is the other way round. Toe out forces the inside wheel
    to more of its share of generating steering force. For a track car,
    I would adjust toe for the best handling compromise and then measure
    for future reference (like after you hit something and need to put
    it back for the next race).
    
>     Now, I have some questions on front suspension systems. Coil spring
>    versus torsion bar specifically. Would a torsion bar system be superior
>    to a coil system, or vice versa? I would think that since a torsion bar
>    lies flat, you would have a lower center of gravity compared to an
>    upright coil. Would a torsion bar be lighter than a coil and have less
>    sprung weight? Is the progressive rate of a torsion bar more or less
>    desirable then the linear rate of a coil?
    
    Spring wise, a coil spring in nothing more than a torsion spring
    wrapped up to make it more compact. There is no progressive rate
    unless the geometry of the situation (push rods, bell cranks and
    so on) makes it so. Also, you have to fit the damper in there too.
    The only decent dampers would appear to be telescopic, so you are
    stuck with a coil shaped thing anyway.
    
    Modern open wheelers tend to put the spings above the drivers legs,
    lying almost horizontally, with the dampers mounted co-axially within
    the spring. The whole mess is operated by pushrod and bell crank.
    Springs don't have that much mass anyway, relative to
    the mass of the car, so C of G in probably a tenth order consideration.
    
    The mass of the torsion bar would be exactly the same as the equivalent
    coil spring, since elasticity is a bulk property (spring rate will
    depend on the material and volume of the spring).
    
    If a coil acts directly on the suspension, then some of its mass will
    count as sprung weight, but if you use a linkage, then all the spring
    can be sprung.
    Both torsion and coil systems achieve rising rate by having geometry
    which varies with wheel travel. In addition coils can get rising rate
    by winding them with a varying pitch. In this case, the rate rises
    as the coils bind progressively, so it is a somewhat crude method.
    
    That's enough opinions for now.
    
    Phil
291.39COMET::COSTASlap it, flip it, rub it down.Wed Jun 23 1993 23:5721
    
     My understanding of generating additional force from the inside tire
    on a turn was to work with rod end angles and perfecting bump steer
    conditions, rather than going to additional toe. Too much toe would
    scrub the tires too much on the straight costing you speed and
    overworking the tires.
    
    Now back to springs. 
    
     For purpose of my comparison, I was thinking along the line of stock
    front stub race cars. Chevy versus Dodge, actually. I'm sure once you
    have a governing body that allows a great deal of modification, then
    there are plenty of ways to work around the shortcomings of any system.
    I'm stuck with working on stock stubs that must use stock components
    and are 20 years old. I also believe that the Chrysler set ups are rear
    steer as compared to front steer in the GM.
    
    TC
    
    
     
291.40Toe in or out? that's the QuestionsVERSA::ROADESWed Jun 30 1993 22:0912
    re: toe
    
    we who run stock cars on oval tracks (dirt and asphalt) use 1/16 to 1/4
    inch toe out.  (the larger number for dirt were scrub in the straight
    line is less important.)  The toe out stables the car and provides a
    tighter turn for the inside wheel in the corners..."ackerman".  This is
    for oval racing.  Wonder why guys who turn left and right what toe out? 
    shouldn't we really want to same?  Whould not toe in or out stablize
    the car?  What is the diff??
    
    jeff
    
291.41COMET::COSTATime to rebuildWed Jun 30 1993 22:5711
    
     The tighter turning of the left front wheel should be accomplished
    thru geometry changes rather than just toe. If you run static toe out,
    when you turn and unload the left tire, the bump steer can make the 
    tire toe in, or return to neutral, which is undesirable, espescially if
    the need for steering corrections becomes needed. I seem to recall
    seeing that an oval car needs the left front to steer and additional
    3-5 degrees more than the right front.
    
    TC
    
291.42MOre on toeAUSSIE::COLEThis is lucky Phil.Thu Jul 01 1993 03:4817
    re: re: toe
    
    Us guys who turn both ways want toe for the same reasons as those who
    turn left. On road circuits biassing the camber and brakes to the left
    turns is not such a good idea, however :-). Here in Sydney, there are
    both CW and CCW circuits, and it would be real pain to change the
    setup all the time, particularly at my level, running a modified road
    car.
    
    Toe in or out would be different, because the change in steering force
    due to  lateral weight transfer would be in opposite directions. Scrub
    radius would also have a lot to do with this.
    
    I just adjust to until I like the way the car handles. If I'm feeling
    really scientific, I might them measure it.
    
    PHil
291.43AUSSIE::COLEThis is lucky Phil.Thu Jul 01 1993 03:5511
    re .41
    
    > The tighter turning of the left front wheel should be accomplished
    >thru geometry changes rather than just toe. If you run static toe out,
    
    Depends whether your regs allows this. Best thing is to move the rack
    or whatever around to increase ackerman angle. This can be hard if the
    rack is in front of the wheels and you find it necessary to put the
    steering joints in the middle of the front brake rotors.
    
    PHil