Lola T324 Toe-in

[jaweakley]

Tested car for first time yesterday at Autobahn, car was a little loose down the straight. Does anyone have advise on toe-in for a lola supervee? Any suggestions would be helpful.

[kea]

Did you check the front caster ?
Rear Bump-steer ?

[tstrong]

No specific experience with a 342 but general to cars of this vintage toe in at both ends should be your starting point. Around 1/8 total toe in front, and 3/16 total toe in rear are good starting points. That said based on your description of loose on the straight and assuming you are not talking about under braking I would look at bump steer. You want to ensure that the rear tires dont go into a toe out condition. Ideally you would like the bump steer to be zero through out the range of travel but this is rarely achievable so you should try to minimize while ensuring that in bump you are increasing toe in. This may mean that in droop you will see some toe out (or reduction of the static toe in) which is not ideal but as the tire is more lightly loaded in droop is much less problematic than getting toe out in bump. Once you have gotten the bump steer as good as you can then i like to add enough static toe in such that any toe out due to bump steer never gets back to zero. Description is kind of confusing, but hope you get the idea. Todd

[jaweakley]

No specific experience with a 342 but general to cars of this vintage toe in at both ends should be your starting point. Around 1/8 total toe in front, and 3/16 total toe in rear are good starting points. That said based on your description of loose on the straight and assuming you are not talking about under braking I would look at bump steer. You want to ensure that the rear tires dont go into a toe out condition. Ideally you would like the bump steer to be zero through out the range of travel but this is rarely achievable so you should try to minimize while ensuring that in bump you are increasing toe in. This may mean that in droop you will see some toe out (or reduction of the static toe in) which is not ideal but as the tire is more lightly loaded in droop is much less problematic than getting toe out in bump. Once you have gotten the bump steer as good as you can then i like to add enough static toe in such that any toe out due to bump steer never gets back to zero. Description is kind of confusing, but hope you get the idea. Todd

I think you have hit the head on the nail, it is when I was accelerating through the gears I was getting this condition plus rough track, so, I will look at bump steer, as well. I am new to racing, did so 40 years ago, so, now I have to figure out how to set bump steer on my lola? I assume remove shock and then measure on total droop or bump and then adjust through the radius rods.... I will give it a shot.

Again, many thanks..... John

[jaweakley]

I think you have hit the head on the nail, it is when I was accelerating through the gears I was getting this condition plus rough track, so, I will look at bump steer, as well. I am new to racing, did so 40 years ago, so, now I have to figure out how to set bump steer on my lola? I assume remove shock and then measure on total droop or bump and then adjust through the radius rods.... I will give it a shot.

Again, many thanks..... John

And time to get the fish string out again....

[Charles Warner]

Check rear static toe before anything else. Start with 1/8" toe in total. Then, if the situation is not better, I would look at the tightness/security of all suspension pieces. Are the rod ends new? Does the suspension have any binding or stickiness?. On the straight there should not be enough bounce/jounce to create a dartiness in a straight line, regardless of how rough the track is. Bump steer might exacerbate an already existing problem.

[jaweakley]

Check rear static toe before anything else. Start with 1/8" toe in total. Then, if the situation is not better, I would look at the tightness/security of all suspension pieces. Are the rod ends new? Does the suspension have any binding or stickiness?. On the straight there should not be enough bounce/jounce to create a dartiness in a straight line, regardless of how rough the track is. Bump steer might exacerbate an already existing problem.

Yep, I have all new rod ends, so, that is not the issue. I have very little toe-in on the rear, will adjust and take it from there....

[Steve Demeter]

ON my T-328 (very very similar) I ran about 1/8 toe in at front and just enough at the rear so you could say that there is some.

Bumpsteer is very important on this series of car. Once you get the rear right just measure the angle of inclination of the machined surface on the top of the uprights. That way if you have to check it in a hurry you an get very close.