The lingo to know!
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Knowing what you need for your setup can be daunting... Here are some of the key terms you'll need to know when having your geo setup completed.
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What Is Suspension Geometry?
Suspension geometry is the geometric arrangement of the parts of a suspension system, and the value of the lengths and angles within it. Getting these values correct for your vehicle gives you the best set up.
Camber
Camber is the angle between the vertical axis of a wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear. The camber angle directly effects the size and shape of the tyre's contact patch, impacting grip, cornering, acceleration, and braking.
See Fig 1.
Camber Curve
The camber curve is linked to the tyre's relationship with the road and how it changes as the suspension moves through its travel.
Camber Gain
Camber gain is the change in camber angle per amount of vertical displacement of the wheel. The perfect balance between cornering grip and braking grip is reliant on getting the camber gain right!
Toe
Toe angle is the angle of the wheels when viewed from directly above. The angle of the toe can effect corner entry handling, tyre wear and straight line stability.
See Fig 2.
Corner Weight
Corner weighting involves adjusting the suspension to achieve an even weight distribution across the diagonals of the car, and if possible left to right. It even takes into consideration the weight of the driver!
Bump Steer
Bump steer is when the front wheels move up and down. The bump steer angle is the difference in angle between that of the wishbone and that of the steering arm. Determining the most suitable bump steer angle is crucial in providing the best set up for your vehicle.
Suspension Spring
The main purpose of the spring is to keep the tyre in contact with the ground as much as possible, regardless of cornering forces and road surface. When a wheel hits a bump, the job of the spring is to return the wheel back to the ground as efficiently as possible to regain grip, but compress enough to ensure it doesn't unsettle your vehicle.
The spring is able to effect the amount of body roll during cornering, acceleration and braking. Through the use of softer or stiffer springs we can alter the amount of compression a spring can exert, effecting how the vehicle feels when driving. We can also control the ground clearance by using different springs.
Suspension Damper
The damper's job is to control the motion of the spring and manage the weight transfer and shock loads of the car.
Control Arms
The control arms are one of the core components of a suspension system and serve as the direct connection points between the front wheel assemblies and the vehicle's frame. The control arms allow a driver to steer a car while also guiding the wheels up and down with the road surface.
Caster
Caster is the measure of how far forward or behind the steering axis is to the vertical axis, viewed from the side. This is measured by drawing a line between the top and bottom pivot points of the front upright. The angle between the drawn line and vertical is the caster angle. There's positive caster, negative caster and neutral caster.
See Fig 3.
Wheel Offset
Correct offset ensures your wheels have enough clearance so nothing rubs against the suspension, brakes or vehicle body. Having the correct offset is also important for safety, since the wrong offset can reduce vehicle stability or interfere with braking.
Rake
Rake is the difference between the front and rear ride heights and impacts the downforce exerted on your vehicle.