Can someone who knows a lot more than I do explain the weight transfer effects as one increases positive caster? (If I had a set of scales, I would try it out.) Thanks!
Can someone who knows a lot more than I do explain the weight transfer effects as one increases positive caster? (If I had a set of scales, I would try it out.) Thanks!
This is a simplified view, because other geometric effects (such as kingpin inclination and scrub radius) might be used to cancel or accentuate the caster "weight jacking" effect.
With the upper pivot point on the upright located to the rear of the lower point (I think this is positive caster, but I could have the sign reversed), you will find that weight is jacked onto the inside wheel during a turn. This occurs becuase the ride height is raised on the inside corner as the contact patch moves rearward. Conversely the ride height is lowered on the outside corner, and thus weight is removed.
Adding weight to the inside should improve the grip at the front of the car, and thus help the turning (or lead to oversteer if extra grip wasn't desired!)
The other important effect of caster is to decrease the camber (or make more negative camber on the outside) while the wheel is turned. Again, this has the effect of improving cornering ability.
So, in general increasing caster (from 0) will improve front end grip. Obviously there is a point at which the benefit peaks. Downsides are increased steering forces, more feedback through the wheel, I'm sure at some point decreased traction due to excessive jacking forces.
Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought.
However, don't forget that such changes also effect bumpsteer and mayb even ackerman. Look it all over as you make changes. What a tangled mess we make....
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