<VV> Ackerman

Kirby Smith kirbyasmith at gwi.net
Tue Dec 6 21:01:51 EST 2005


Presumably, this would require the after-market arms to curve inward 
like the stock arms.  I suppose the shortest ones would never have 
enough length to make a difference.

kirby


Mike Kost wrote:
> 
> 
> Padgett wrote:
> 
>> <SNIP> In Real Racing the ackerman is not that important since the 
>> inside tire in a turn will have very little weight on it and tire wear 
>> is usually not important. Besides the steering angles at high speeds 
>> are small.
>>
>> In a low speed autocross where much wheel flailing may occur at low 
>> speeds, the ackerman needs to be correct because scrub will increase 
>> understeer and both front tires are having an effect, something you 
>> really do not need. Repeat after me: "Upsetting the front end geometry 
>> causes understeer". <SNIP>
> 
> 
> I've been running IECO quick arms for about 25+ years and find that for 
> most autocross courses the ackerman change makes little difference when 
> I run 13" tires. If I run my street 14" tires (which likely have a 
> little too much offset) the push is much more apparent. Just like was 
> mentioned in road racing there are many cases in autocrossing when 
> ackerman makes no difference since only the outside tire is in contact 
> with the ground (many pictures to prove it). When set up properly the LM 
> corvair (never dealt with an early) can be very neutral with 
> controllable power on understeer and power off oversteer. Having said 
> all of this I would love to have the ~3 turns steering I have now and 
> not have the ackerman problem so that it would turn better in parking 
> lots. I have noticed that a lot of newer vehicles (specifically our `99 
> GMC Savana) have front end geometries that result in similar tire 
> scrubbing on the outside tire in tight (parking lot) turns.
> 
> Mike Kost
> 
> 
> 



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