steering set up
Discussion
There are lots of posts in blatchat on this - e.g. this
Basically, there are a range of set ups and it is down to what you want to use the car for (track, road or both) and your personal preference. Probably the most noticeable is the tracking - you can go toe-in for straight line stability or toe-out for improved turn-in, but you may not like the twitchiness of the latter.
Talk to the guy setting the suspension up for you and he should have some suggestions.
Steve
Basically, there are a range of set ups and it is down to what you want to use the car for (track, road or both) and your personal preference. Probably the most noticeable is the tracking - you can go toe-in for straight line stability or toe-out for improved turn-in, but you may not like the twitchiness of the latter.
Talk to the guy setting the suspension up for you and he should have some suggestions.
Steve
Settings are entirely subjective. In my experience (20+years) toe in or parallel on the front causes tramlining and poor turn in. The smallest amount of toe out addresses this on a K, a bit more on cars with heavier engines.
You need to find a friendly garage with a 4 wheel laser alignment machine, operated by someone who is happy to set it the way you want it, not the way the computer says (if it says anything at all.)
You need to find a friendly garage with a 4 wheel laser alignment machine, operated by someone who is happy to set it the way you want it, not the way the computer says (if it says anything at all.)
Very good advice that.
I went to Kwick Fit last Sunday as it was quiet and they've got a proper Hunter alignment machine. The computer had no idea what a Caterham was or what the settings should be. I took some down with me luckily and we were able to override the default settings for another car to set it to what I wanted.
A quick check first showed the tracking was OK but one of my front wheels had - 2 degrees camber and the other had - 0.5!
I finished up with the following settings:
Front wheels (L) (R)
-2.05 & -2.2 negative camber
0.5 & 0.5 positive toe out
4 & 5 degrees positive Castor
Rear wheels
-1.5 & - 1.3 negative camber
0.10 & 0.10 positive toe out
In hindsight now that I've driven it a while I would say that that much negative camber on the front will be great on track but is a little too aggressive for the road. The turn in is great though. I think I'll probably go back and dial back the negative camber at the front to nearer 1.5 - 1.75 at some point and see how that performs.
There's nothing you can do about the rear camber as that's set by the dedion ears at the end of the rear dedion axle so you'll just have to live with what you end up getting. Same goes for front Caster. It can be changed but not whilst you are down at the wheel alignment place. It requires you to dismantle and love some washers about on the front wishbone joints to move the wishbone forwards/backwards as required. Ideally you are aiming for 5-6 degrees positive caster. If it's close it's probably good enough.
Tom
I went to Kwick Fit last Sunday as it was quiet and they've got a proper Hunter alignment machine. The computer had no idea what a Caterham was or what the settings should be. I took some down with me luckily and we were able to override the default settings for another car to set it to what I wanted.
A quick check first showed the tracking was OK but one of my front wheels had - 2 degrees camber and the other had - 0.5!
I finished up with the following settings:
Front wheels (L) (R)
-2.05 & -2.2 negative camber
0.5 & 0.5 positive toe out
4 & 5 degrees positive Castor
Rear wheels
-1.5 & - 1.3 negative camber
0.10 & 0.10 positive toe out
In hindsight now that I've driven it a while I would say that that much negative camber on the front will be great on track but is a little too aggressive for the road. The turn in is great though. I think I'll probably go back and dial back the negative camber at the front to nearer 1.5 - 1.75 at some point and see how that performs.
There's nothing you can do about the rear camber as that's set by the dedion ears at the end of the rear dedion axle so you'll just have to live with what you end up getting. Same goes for front Caster. It can be changed but not whilst you are down at the wheel alignment place. It requires you to dismantle and love some washers about on the front wishbone joints to move the wishbone forwards/backwards as required. Ideally you are aiming for 5-6 degrees positive caster. If it's close it's probably good enough.
Tom
tomwoodis said:
Very good advice that.
I went to Kwick Fit last Sunday as it was quiet and they've got a proper Hunter alignment machine. The computer had no idea what a Caterham was or what the settings should be. I took some down with me luckily and we were able to override the default settings for another car to set it to what I wanted.
A quick check first showed the tracking was OK but one of my front wheels had - 2 degrees camber and the other had - 0.5!
I finished up with the following settings:
Front wheels (L) (R)
-2.05 & -2.2 negative camber
0.5 & 0.5 positive toe out
4 & 5 degrees positive Castor
Rear wheels
-1.5 & - 1.3 negative camber
0.10 & 0.10 positive toe out
In hindsight now that I've driven it a while I would say that that much negative camber on the front will be great on track but is a little too aggressive for the road. The turn in is great though. I think I'll probably go back and dial back the negative camber at the front to nearer 1.5 - 1.75 at some point and see how that performs.
There's nothing you can do about the rear camber as that's set by the dedion ears at the end of the rear dedion axle so you'll just have to live with what you end up getting. Same goes for front Caster. It can be changed but not whilst you are down at the wheel alignment place. It requires you to dismantle and love some washers about on the front wishbone joints to move the wishbone forwards/backwards as required. Ideally you are aiming for 5-6 degrees positive caster. If it's close it's probably good enough.
Tom
Did you sit in the car while the geo was adjusted checked?I went to Kwick Fit last Sunday as it was quiet and they've got a proper Hunter alignment machine. The computer had no idea what a Caterham was or what the settings should be. I took some down with me luckily and we were able to override the default settings for another car to set it to what I wanted.
A quick check first showed the tracking was OK but one of my front wheels had - 2 degrees camber and the other had - 0.5!
I finished up with the following settings:
Front wheels (L) (R)
-2.05 & -2.2 negative camber
0.5 & 0.5 positive toe out
4 & 5 degrees positive Castor
Rear wheels
-1.5 & - 1.3 negative camber
0.10 & 0.10 positive toe out
In hindsight now that I've driven it a while I would say that that much negative camber on the front will be great on track but is a little too aggressive for the road. The turn in is great though. I think I'll probably go back and dial back the negative camber at the front to nearer 1.5 - 1.75 at some point and see how that performs.
There's nothing you can do about the rear camber as that's set by the dedion ears at the end of the rear dedion axle so you'll just have to live with what you end up getting. Same goes for front Caster. It can be changed but not whilst you are down at the wheel alignment place. It requires you to dismantle and love some washers about on the front wishbone joints to move the wishbone forwards/backwards as required. Ideally you are aiming for 5-6 degrees positive caster. If it's close it's probably good enough.
Tom
No I didn't to be fair and that would have been a good idea now you mention it.
I would assume that with me in it, the negative camber on the right hand front would increase even further and drift even further apart from the camber on the left? Same goes for the right rear at a guess.
To be fair these settings were a starter for 10. I do plan to go back at some stage and tweak them.
It took about 2hrs to get the front left to have even vaguely the same camber as the front right as it took an age to get the ball joint to come off the front wheel assembly until we acquired the right 'technique'. It was a real pain having to dismantle make a change reassemble and then re-test each time. We did that 3 times to get it vaguely close and 2 hrs was about all I could subject them to without feeling like I was taking the p***.
I would assume that with me in it, the negative camber on the right hand front would increase even further and drift even further apart from the camber on the left? Same goes for the right rear at a guess.
To be fair these settings were a starter for 10. I do plan to go back at some stage and tweak them.
It took about 2hrs to get the front left to have even vaguely the same camber as the front right as it took an age to get the ball joint to come off the front wheel assembly until we acquired the right 'technique'. It was a real pain having to dismantle make a change reassemble and then re-test each time. We did that 3 times to get it vaguely close and 2 hrs was about all I could subject them to without feeling like I was taking the p***.
it is probably too late to mention it, but the ball joint comes apart fairly easily if you use a nut and bolt placed between the joint and the hub,then expand the nut and bolt with a spanner until the joint pops apart.
Set up is not difficult to do at home, especially if you have a trailer which can be set level. Weight up the drivers seat and set corner heights, then camber (home made gauge not difficult) and toe in using some straight device (I used broom handles, but string is OK but a bit of a faff) strapped to the wheels, then simple trigonometry.
Set up is not difficult to do at home, especially if you have a trailer which can be set level. Weight up the drivers seat and set corner heights, then camber (home made gauge not difficult) and toe in using some straight device (I used broom handles, but string is OK but a bit of a faff) strapped to the wheels, then simple trigonometry.
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