Author Topic: Caster and camber  (Read 6038 times)

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Offline Tzoom

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Caster and camber
« on: July 05, 2008, 01:10:13 AM »
What caster and camber (king pin angle?) to you use on a straight front axle?
Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games --- Ernest Hemingway

Offline interested bystander

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2008, 01:22:34 AM »
Methinks it's deju vue all over again.

Those topics  have been bandied about for at least the last ten days- there a huge amount of information and good opinions in the recent Land Racing archives if you take the time to search.

Good hunting!
5 mph in pit area (clothed)

Offline Tzoom

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2008, 01:36:38 AM »
I did and I read anywhere from 6 degrees to 30 degrees of caster so I guess I've pretty much nailed that down but I didn't see anything about camber except for Sum's statement that he is "shooting for no camber".
Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games --- Ernest Hemingway

Offline hotschue

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2008, 07:49:41 AM »
Currently building axle for new car.  13 degrees caster - 0 camber - 0 toe - 0 scrub - should go fairly straight.  13 degrees is a subjective number, whatever works, I raced a few Uyehara funny car chassis and that was Dave's choice, worked for me, f/c spec is as close to running as LSR and it still has some steerability at slow speed. 
Udo Horn
221.559 D/CGC '03
182.144 G/GMS 2019

Offline Tzoom

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2008, 08:53:19 AM »
Thanks.  I was looking at photos of funny car/altered axles in a Mark Williams catalog and it looked like they had about 10 or 12 degrees of camber.  Seemed like that would cause a lot of drag.   
Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games --- Ernest Hemingway

Offline hotschue

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2008, 09:06:52 AM »
There is no drag until you turn the steering wheel.
Udo Horn
221.559 D/CGC '03
182.144 G/GMS 2019

Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2008, 09:09:08 AM »
     Don't forget spindle kingpin inclination - kingpin is NOT 90 degrees to wheel spindle plane - usually about 8 to 10 degrees difference based on original design.

                      Ed

Offline hotschue

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2008, 09:30:41 AM »
There is another thread in this heading that addresses scrub and king pin angle.  A must read if you are building an axle.  Originally I looked through all the catalogs to buy a finished axle, came to the conclusion build it from scratch to meet your particular needs.
Udo Horn
221.559 D/CGC '03
182.144 G/GMS 2019

Offline Tzoom

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2008, 11:30:35 AM »
Wow! No lack of information on that thread.  I'm going to have to print it out and study it more.  Thanks 
Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games --- Ernest Hemingway

Offline Stan Back

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2008, 06:08:03 PM »
I see how 1/8" tow-in is recommended for "used parts" -- so the slop doesn't result it toe-out.  I think zero is almost unobtainable and would err on the tow-in side -- just to be safe.  Front Runners seem to search at high speed on salt -- our preference is for the grooved tires such as M&Hs.  (Now we're arguing Ford and Chevy . . . )
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Offline sheribuchta

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Re: Caster and camber
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2008, 08:32:31 PM »
stan is right---one thing though toe is something you can check yourself --jack up the front of the car --spin the tires (front) and mark them around the outside of the tire with a ink pin as close to the center as possible --now let the car down and push it backwards 8 or 10 feet --now push it forward 8 to 10 feet (you did that because the tires try to tow out when the car moves forward) now check the tow by measureing from line to line (wheel to wheel ) in the rear as high as you can (ideal would be half way up the tire --spindle height ) now measure the front (same height ) subtract the front from the rear if you come up with 0 to 1/8 (narrower in front) inch you are good to go --if the front measurement is bigger than the rear you have toe out---not good--make your adjustments and push the car backwards again 8 to 10 feet then forward 8 to 10 feet and check your measurements if there off repeat until they are right on the money pushing the car backward then forward after each adjustment  --you would be suprised how many cars ive checked fresh from the alignment shop and they were off now i always do my own  then i know its done--it is important to have good parts with no play if you dont fix that first--all of the drag race cars we set at 0 toe on dirt or salt i would run 1/8 toe in --im only talking about straight axels here if you have a arms look up the specs for your car --us bike guys dont deal with such things   LOL  willie buchta