Question about steering

[pablo]

Hey Guys and gals I have a quesiton about Ackerman. I have had several people tell me that it is very important to stick to the correct Ackerman when it comes to steering. I have also had some people tell me that the best handling is gained from a cross steer application. I am building my front end now, and I have an axle off of a mail van that was set up for a front steer drag link. I have turned the axle around in the desire to set up a rear steer. I could set up a T bucket style push pull steering with a front steer drag link, and it would probably be easier, but with all the advise that I have been getting from friends I am wondering if I should invest the work into the cross steer. My question is this, Does a front steer that does not adhere to the Ackerman theroy perform poorly? I mean tire scrub and ghost steer, bump steer etc? I see a lot of people that i have grown to respect on this forum that have built car with push pull steer and front drag link. any real world advise would be great.

Pablo

 

[Unkl Ian]

Ackerman is definitely possible with front steer,GM used front steer for many years.

The "problem" comes in swapping rear steer spindles into front steer,
usually for clearance issues.Now the inside tire doesn't turn as sharp
as it should.Ackerman makes the wheels toe out in a turn,because the
inside tire needs to turn tighter.

Personally,i think rear steer LOOKS better on an open wheel car.

Side steer can work well,without Bump Steer.It just requires some planning.

 

[Bonehead]

Pablo, I think you answered your own question. The mail jeep was set up with the tie rod in front, and so are most 4x4s, so that means it will work.
Same goes for the drag link, in 4x4s chevy usually goes forward and back and ford goes across the frame. So again they will work, as designed. My ackerman is really screwed up, and I get scrub. I plan on moving tie rod arms closer to the tires to help. Mine steers great going down the road. but parking and U turns I can feel the tires slide a little. In my case the Posi and the lack of weight probably does not help.

 

[gassersgarage]

Check out the October 07' issue of Rod & Custom. Great article about setting up front ends and steering.

 

[pablo]

so I guess what you guys are telling me is that if my axle is set up for front steer i should leave it a front steer? that makes sence to me, and i do not really care about how it looks.

Pablo

 

[Bonehead]

It saves a lot of clearance issues to have it out front. The Issues usually arise in trying to change one that has been set up for a tie rod in the rear to move to the front. Usually done by swapping the spindle sides. In your case the problems may come up in trying to take it the other way.

 

[Unkl Ian]

http://www.rctek.com/handling/ackerman_steering_principle.html

This shows rear steer,but the same logic applies to front steer.
Project lines through the outer tier rods,a king pins.

Find the intersection of the lines.It should be somewhere around the rear axle.

 

[Bonehead]

Good info Unkl. There is another diagram somewhere in the WWW that shows an overhead picture of Ackerman with the center of the rear axle to the king pins, to the tierods.

 

[Neophyte]

Good info Unkl. There is another diagram somewhere in the WWW that shows an overhead picture of Ackerman with the center of the rear axle to the king pins, to the tierods.

I think this is possibly the page you were referring to Bonehead?
http://www.nationaltbucketalliance.com/tech_info/chassis/ackerman/Ackerman.asp

 

[Bonehead]

That is the exact one. Good job. I have a pornographic memory, so things I find on the internet get pretty mixed up sometimes.