camber/toe

can you guys tell me what the camber and toe should be on 125inch funny car chassis thanks mark

 

the camber will wary depending on who builds it the toe on mine is a 1/8"

 

My experience is that if you tip the spindles more than 10 degrees back, you'll have that wheel flopping thing happen when you back up.

 

ken- i think you are referring to caster not camber. most of the cars i have had experience with have had at least 12-15 degrees caster. as far as CAMBER goes, every builder does their own thing. here again, every car i have been involved with was built with 0 degrees camber, now that does not mean that after its off the jig table race ready weight that it doesnt pick up 1-2 degrees negative camber. i think spitzer builds his cars with camber shims to adjust it out or in accordingly. in regards to toe, .090-.125 is about average.

 

Ken, that would be "caster" "camber" is the way the top of the tire tips in to the frame or out from the frame. being that you are on a flat surface the camber can be "0" degrees on both front wheels. a little positive wont hurt, but they both must be the same. 1/8 toe in, is the norm.

 

I have A-arms and the top control arm has a rod end for adjusting. Thanks!

 

Yo, where do you find a micrometer that big??? lol lol as far as caster 12 to 15 is way to much because when you back up the frontend thinks it has 12 to 15 degrees of NEGATIVE caster, and it will rip the steering wheel right out of your hand. 7 deg. is good. try not to reinvent the wheel, cuz if you do it will still be round. hehehe.

 

By the way you might want to ask Uncle Bob "Myers" how to set the toe on a staggered wheel front end, its different than a straight wheel front end, I forgot how to do it.

 

you cant do it like a conventional front end because of the stagger it takes two straight edges and a little concentration but it easier to do than to try to explain lol

 

My chasis has 15 degrees of caster and I have never had a problem with the wheels wanting to flop while backing up. 1/8 toe in works great

 

Toe In

How about run a string line down the center of the car and measure off that? Perhaps one could take it a step further and run a square off the string line out to the fronts and rears of the tires and mark the chassis (in four places of course) for permanent datums?

 

Here ya go Eli

Instant replay from 7/24/07.............Post #10
Bare with me here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Being a former smoker (40+yrs.), I am aware of the American Lung Association symbol
It is a cross with double bars that happens to be red, you might know it.
This is the picture you need to see in your mind to follow along.
The up and down of the cross signifies the main bar. The two bars of the cross signifiy the front alignment centerlines. If you measure tire to tire centerline, the bars of the cross will be very crooked. If you measure from the inside of the leading wheel two inches back from the face of the tire (the fat of the tire) to the centerline of the back wheel, you will achieve one of the straight bars of the cross.
Now, you will go to the back and repeat the above from the fat of the tire to the centerline of the tire in front of you. You have just completed two bars of the cross which will have 90 degree intersections.
This means, now the front wheels should be square to the direction the car is supposed to go. If you did it 'tire center to tire center', you will see the car will now go right instead of straight.
__________________
Bob Meyer
Meyer Race Cars /San Diego
2005 Our 40th Anniversary

 

In addition to the very important toe in described before, the camber is the least concern. You can easiley over complicate camber. On a F/C with an adjustable top tube, some will get creative and raise or lower the crank bolt by adjusting them. Mostly all they get is crooked wheels ! Just use an old fashioned steel carpenter's square with the short end on the ground, either in front or back of hub cover, fat of tire to ground.

Many chassis may have more caster than my prefrerance of 9*. Shimmy is mostly caused by crappy rod ends. The 15* guys that have no problems are one day going to back up a little too fast and damn near break both wrists, then they'll (maybe) understand.

Toe in, again, should be 1/8" to 3/16".

Bob

 

i know of a few nitro funnys that have 17 degrees in them, not saying that its right or wrong, just letting youse guys know what i have been in contact with. and how does that sayin go, walk softly and carry a big micrometer? or a 2 dollar tape measure.

 

LOL i could have drawed it out on paper for him i wasnt sure how to explain it properly but you did a great job Bob but after 40 years you made it sound easy LOL

 

thanks guys we will get it done