This beautiful aluminium bodied Porsche Spyder from 1965 came to us to
Steering Geometry
By measuring and resetting a race car steering geometry we aim to improve the handling on the circuit. This is achieved by setting the Toe and Camber on both the front and rear of the car. Toe is the measure of how much the front of the wheel points away or towards the centreline of the car. Camber is the measure of how much the top of the wheel points away or towards the car vertically.
Toe
Car manufacturers usually set the cars to Toe in, the front pointing slightly inwards. This is designed to make the cars understeer on the belief that understeering cars are easier to drive by many. Although understeer may be a desirable feature while driving on public roads, it will make a race car slow on a race track. Understeering cars usually feel horrible to drive on a race track, running wide as you go through the corner. Our aim is to set the Toe correctly for your car so that it handles far better by controlling its understeering/oversteering characteristics.
Camber
Most cars are set to run with positive camber, the top of the wheel points outwards away from the car, or no camber. We will adjust the camber angle to achieve a negative angle. This means the top of the wheel points slightly inwards towards the car. This will result in more grip through the corners as the weight of the car presses more evenly across the tread surface of the tyre onto the track surface. Both of these steering adjustments will also prove beneficial on the road but at the expense of tyre wear, whereas tyre wear is not an issue on the track.
Understeer
Understeer is the tendency for a car to turn less sharply than intended. The front wheels slide so that the car runs wide. The car does not turn as much as the amount of turn on the steering wheel is intended to make it turn.
Oversteer
Oversteer is when the car turns more than the steering wheel input intended. With oversteer, it is the rear wheels of the car that slide. It is often a characteristic that race car drivers prefer as they can more easily control its effects.
Examples of recent work:
Caterham 7 Weight Distribution and Suspension Alignment
The Caterham 7 is a car already renowned for its excellent handling.
Kent Motorsports can give you an FTD (almost!)
Below is an article reproduced from the Sevenoaks and District Motor Clubs
Honda Race Car Suspension Set Up
We were entrusted with the suspension setup on two Racing Honda Civics.
“Understeering cars usually feel horrible to drive on a race track, running wide as you go through the corner”
For further information, please talk to us about your needs and requirements.
yaser@kent-motorsport.co.uk
07812 673 272
