Gibbs Rear steering and other stuff

Zerkfitting said:
I thought rear steer was the location of the steering linkage; in front of the axle or the rear of the axle.
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There's actually two meanings for "rear steer" in the automotive world.

The first, as you mention, applies to steering geometry in suspension designs that use a drag link to connect the front wheels to each other (instead of rack-and-pinion designs). It refers to where the drag link connects to each wheel spindle - "rear steer" has the spindle arms pointing back towards the rear of the car, so the drag link connects behind the centerlines of the front wheels. Conversely, "front steer" has the spindle arms pointing forward so the drag link connects ahead of the centerlines of the wheels. Manufacturers pick the design that works best with packaging their front suspensions and engine mounting. On race cars some drivers say they can feel a handling difference.

The other meaning for "rear steer" refers how the rear axle mounts to the chassis, or if it the rear suspension design allows the axle to skew "crooked" to the centerline of the car. The general rule of thumb is to mount the rear axle so it is square with the centerline of the chassis, and if you measure from the center of the front wheel to the center of the rear wheel on each side you get the same number. If the rear axle is able to skew then one rear wheel moves closer to the front wheel on that side of the car, while the other rear wheel moves farther away from the front wheel on its side. As MRM says, it's used mostly in dirt cars - you can see the rear axle move on high horsepower Late Model cars. On pavement a little rear axle steering goes a long way, and you can purposely install a rear axle with enough rear steer to have an effect (less than one quarter of an inch typically) and probably still stay within rules tolerances. But unless your rear suspension design allows enough axle travel for the axle to return to square on the straight-aways, your setting will fight you all of the way down those straight-aways.
 
BobbyFord said:
Interesting but I'm a little confused about, "front and rear wheel cambers." How do you adjust rear wheel camber on a solid axle rear end?
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By welding the axle bearing housing to the tube at the desired angle.
 
It's hard on axles, bearings and third members. Replaced on each car after every event.
 
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