Ackermann

[260DET]

What, if any, is the current thinking on front wheel angles in turns, comparing the outside with the inside wheel?

There seems to be one school which advocates that the outer wheel angle in a turn should be at least equal to that of the front, or more. Anti or reverse Ackermann, because the outer wheel invariably will be operating at a greater slip angle anyway.

And what about in fast sweeping turns compared with slower sharper turns. On a sealed racing circuit, none of this 'doing it in the dirt' stuff. :)

Because my car with a front mounted steering rack seems to have reverse Ackermann the way it is presently set up and it doesn't turn in too well. Although there may be other reasons for that.

[Wojtek]

Hi,
That's a difficult questions to answer, as there have been discussions on this topic for quite some time, with various theories being applied by different manufacturers. To a large degree, the "correct" method depends on other factors in the cars' suspension, and tires used.
Ackerman angle is not determined by the location of the steering relative to the axle, but rather the point along the centreline of the car relative to the rear axle intersected by a line from the outer steering arm pivot through the steering axis. As you can see, it's difficult to explain without diagrams, but this topic is discussed in most suspension books.
As for your poor turn-in, this could be attributed to a number of reasons, including your basic suspension set-up.

Wojtek.

[260DET]

The reason why I mentioned the front mounted steering rack is because it is usually difficult if not impossible with that arrangement to have a true Ackermann setup.

And the reason why I asked the question is because Puhn does'nt mention it and Staniforth is evasive. :(

[Wojtek]

have you tried Smith, Alexander or Milliken?