Notices

Steering Geometry

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 08 May 1999, 10:59 AM
  #1  
RobJenks
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
RobJenks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,475
Received 12 Likes on 10 Posts
Post

Having read numerous articles on the merits of maximum negative camber I have since been advised by a suspension specialist that the wrx cannot be adjusted.Apparently some negative camber can be achieved when lowering springs are installed.Any comments?
Old 08 May 1999, 09:29 PM
  #2  
R19KET
Scooby Regular
 
R19KET's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: SSO2003 2nd, SSO2005 1st, SSO2006 2nd, TACC Rd4 5th 4wd: In my car ;-)
Posts: 2,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Hi Rob,

Not quite true.There is some minor adjustment.It does depend on your car, but up to .75 deg' neg' is the norm'.Try a good tyre place, who have computer set up.Adjust to the max' neg' camber, = both sides.1mm total toe in front/back.It's worth it.

Mark.
Old 08 May 1999, 11:57 PM
  #3  
stapper
Scooby Newbie
 
stapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

mine setup was standard .10 now its is .50
en its feels so good in de corners
Old 09 May 1999, 10:35 AM
  #4  
Trout
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 15,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

The WRX should give a maximum negative camber of over 1 deg. My car is set up as maximum equal for the fronts - which is about 1.2 deg(I know some who has managed 1.5, which is a bit extreme).

I also have 0.1 deg toe in front and back and the rears have 0.75 neg camber.

In theory the rear is not adjustable for camber, but the place I went to knew Scoobies inside out and managed a small adjustment. (For guys in the UK south, it was Micheldever Tyres, Hampshire).

Hope this is useful.

Cheers,

David
Old 09 May 1999, 11:19 AM
  #5  
R19KET
Scooby Regular
 
R19KET's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: SSO2003 2nd, SSO2005 1st, SSO2006 2nd, TACC Rd4 5th 4wd: In my car ;-)
Posts: 2,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

The amount of neg' camber you run on the front will depend on your driving style,and type of driving you do.
If you do a lot of motorway driving,you will wear the insides of your tyres,if you have a lot of neg' camber.
If like me most of your driving is on A/B roads,it's less important.
If you increase the neg' camber on the back (more grip at the back in corners) you will induce more understeer !!! The one thing the Scooby does suffer from when booting it.
Unless you 'really' boot it in the corner,then you will get oversteer!.

Leda recommends ;DO the front,Leave the back.
Unless your suffering from oversteer in the first place.Unlikley.

Leda 'B',revalved front dampers,springs
uprated from Leda 275lbs to Leda 425lbs,and
2 deg' neg' camber!

Mark.


[This message has been edited by R19KET (edited 09-05-99).]
Old 09 May 1999, 11:52 AM
  #6  
T Defries
Scooby Newbie
 
T Defries's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Could somebody help me? I have a STIv5. The steering tends to follow the camber of the road, so you have to hold on tight over rough roads. Would changing the geometry help and what is recommnded. Are there any other solutions?
Old 09 May 1999, 03:00 PM
  #7  
Mark McE
Scooby Regular
 
Mark McE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

I believe the Austin Allegro did not suffer from this trait - i will swap you one for your STi V if you like.......
Old 09 May 1999, 07:46 PM
  #8  
Trout
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 15,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Defries,

the car I was referring to above is an STI V. Have you had the geometry done since you bought it?

There seems to be a misconception amongst all dealers, parallel, grey and IM that the cars are set up in the factory - they are not.

When I got my car all four wheels were pointing in different directions and it was sorted by Micheldever.

Regarding bias - my car is neutral to oversteer, it does not seem to suffer from the understeer that I have seen referred to elsewhere, the front set up does give it a lot of bite. On rough roads the car does give lots of movement, but I see this as a character of the car telling you what the road is doing through the steering. It's a bit disconcerting after after driving numb nuts vehicles such as BMWs which supposedly have good steering.

Cheers,

David
Old 10 May 1999, 10:43 PM
  #9  
T Defries
Scooby Newbie
 
T Defries's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

No, I have not had any thing done to it yet. I have no idea which way the tyres are pointing! Please advise whether it makes any difference with the "movement" or not?
Old 10 May 1999, 11:11 PM
  #10  
Andy Tang
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (3)
 
Andy Tang's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 13,274
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

A majority of my miles are on motorways, does that mean I would be better off with the standard camber settings as this would reduce tyre wear? Or are there better settings I could use?

Do the tyre pressures have a great effort on tyre wear? I'm currently running 35psi all round

Regards
Andy
MY97, saloon, Prodrive lowered, 17" Superturmiso
Old 11 May 1999, 12:08 AM
  #11  
JasonJ
Scooby Regular
 
JasonJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

This is going to be my next stop in trying to solve the understeering problem pushing hard right as the tyre pressures turned out to be OK.

At times the car will go straight on when I apply the power
Old 11 May 1999, 11:09 AM
  #12  
AndyG
Scooby Regular
 
AndyG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1998
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

I (unfortunately) do quite a few motorway miles as well, and experienced very high inside-edge wear on my 17" PZeros after the Prodrive suspension was fitted (and the geometry set). Fronts lasted 9000 miles with this configuration (-1.2 neg camber).

I've since moved to .75 degree neg camber on the fronts, and after two thousand miles have no excessive wear (more importantly, the wear is *even* across the tyres). S02s now, but I don't think that makes much difference.

Andy
Old 11 May 1999, 03:05 PM
  #13  
Dave S
Scooby Regular
 
Dave S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Jason, try a bit more power then.

Find a SAFE place to experiment, then induce understeer and give it some serious welly. Works every time, brings the tail round nicely. I haven't ended up in a ditch yet.
Old 12 May 1999, 07:57 AM
  #14  
JasonJ
Scooby Regular
 
JasonJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Dave

Bit difficult when she understeers around a roundabout

Besides, although I try and try I can't get her to understeer turning left.
Old 12 May 1999, 08:22 AM
  #15  
R19KET
Scooby Regular
 
R19KET's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: SSO2003 2nd, SSO2005 1st, SSO2006 2nd, TACC Rd4 5th 4wd: In my car ;-)
Posts: 2,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Jason,

Dave is right.Find a big roundabout with plenty of space.Stay in second, and when the car starts to understeer,boot the throttle.
The car 'will' go into oversteer.Playing with the throttle will allow you to control how much !!!.
It switches very quickly so get ready to opposite lock.
Have fun,
Mark.
Old 12 May 1999, 09:09 PM
  #16  
Trout
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 15,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Just to rewind a bit....

Defries, you asked if have the geometry reset made the car move around less.

In short the car feels much more 'planted' and certainly more secure turning in to a corner. Well worth having done.

I have my before and after numbers here. Someone else also posted numbers but I think he must have mistyped, or probably I mistunderstood

Before (as delivered from the factory)

Left Front
0.80 deg -ve camber
0.07 deg toe-out!
Right Front
0.20 deg -ve camber
0.05 deg toe-out!!
Left Rear
1.30 deg -ve camber
0.04 deg toe out!!!
Right Rear
1.10 deg -ve camber
0.19 deg toe-in (at least it was the right direction)

Post Geometry reset
Left Front
-1.40 deg -ve camber
0.07 deg toe in
Right Front
-1.40 deg -ve camber
0.08 deg toe-in
Left Rear
-1.20 -ve camber
0.08 deg toe-in
Right Rear
-1.20 -ve camber
0.08 deg toe-in

Also I have tried various recommended tyre pressures and 35 psi all round seems the best compromise IMHO.

Cheers,

David
Old 13 May 1999, 03:29 AM
  #17  
RobJenks
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
 
RobJenks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,475
Received 12 Likes on 10 Posts
Post

Rannoch-I posted those figures.Somehow they became corrupted once they arrived on the bulletin board.
As a point of interest I have checked the camber values as given to me.
Implementing a plumb bob , tape measure and some basic trig I found massive errors in the data provided in the computer print out suppied by the "experts".
Sorry but your figures look too good too be true
For your own peace of mind I recommend your own check.
I'm off to the outfit that did mine and going to give them a bollocking!


Old 13 May 1999, 08:26 PM
  #18  
Trout
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 15,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Rob,

sorry to hear that you are corrupt!

The work was done by Micheldever who is widely recommended here and elsewhere. I have heard a number of garage folk say they are the only place in the south of England who have equipment that can actually do what it say it does (just like Ronseal).

However, I will check the car out as you suggest and will post the plumb-bob results.

DAVID
Old 14 May 1999, 03:52 PM
  #19  
Trout
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 15,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Plumb-bob results....

well my school protractor is not as accurate as the computer, but things do look pretty even all around and so I can only assume that the geometry work that I had done was accurate.

This is borne out by the more consistent behaviour of the car experienced from the drivers seat.

Cheers,


DAVID
Old 16 May 1999, 03:57 PM
  #20  
Andy Tang
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (3)
 
Andy Tang's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 13,274
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Could someone tell me the address and telephone number of Micheldever?

Thanks
Andy
Old 16 May 1999, 05:09 PM
  #21  
Trout
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
 
Trout's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 15,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

Micheldever Tyre Services
Micheldever Station
Winchester
Hampshire

01962 774437

Just of M3

I don't know what they charge as Park Lane paid them directly. They also ask that Scoobies are taken in first thing in the morning, 0800, as they take a while to do 60-90 minutes. They told me that they have Imprezas booked in most days - and they do like you to book.

Cheers,

David
Old 17 May 1999, 04:51 PM
  #22  
ColinU
Scooby Regular
 
ColinU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

From what I read here most folks are looking towards geometry changes primarily to reduce the understeer (certainly something I hope to minimize).

I've noticed that MRT (Australia) do an "Anti-Lift Castor Bush Kit" for the front inner control arms which claims to reduce understeer and minimize inner wear on the front tyres. Has anyone any experience of this kit? Is is worth fitting?
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
KAS35RSTI
Subaru
27
04 November 2021 07:12 PM
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
28
28 December 2015 11:07 PM
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
12
18 November 2015 07:03 AM
Ganz1983
Subaru
5
02 October 2015 09:22 AM
Baskey
General Technical
3
25 September 2015 03:45 PM



Quick Reply: Steering Geometry



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:39 PM.