The chassis adjustments below can be as easy as a Titlemax loan if you follow the instructions.

The good thing about you

Stages
Stage 1 – Type of track LF Caster
• Rear end ratio RF Caster
• Fuel load Toe Out (Front)
• Caster LR Toe
• Toe in RR Toe >>
Condition Oversteer
Stage 2 – Tires RF Tire (Loose) Overall
raise psi ⇧
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires RF Spring** stiffen ⇧
Stage 4 – Advanced settings RF Bump Stiffness
Stage 4 – Advanced settings RF Rebound Stiffness
Stage 2 – Tires RF Camber less neg ⇩ -
RF Stagger
Stage 2 – Tires

Stage 2 – Tires LF Tire lower psi ⇩

Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires LF Spring** soften ⇩
Stage 4 – Advanced settings LF Bump Stiffness
Stage 4 – Advanced settings LF Rebound Stiffness
Stage 2 – Tires LF Camber less pos ⇩ +
Stage 2 – Tires RR Tire lower psi ⇩
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires RR Spring** soften ⇩
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires RR Spring Perch/Wedge less neg
Stage 4 – Advanced settings RR Bump Stiffness
Stage 4 – Advanced settings RR Rebound Stiffness
Stage 2 – Tires RR Camber
Stage 4 – Advanced settings RR Truck Arm Mount
RR Stagger Adju
Stage 2 – Tires
Adjust
Stage 2 – Tires LR Tire raise psi ⇧
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires LR Spring** stiffen ⇧
Stage 4 – Advanced settings LR Bump Stiffness
Stage 4 – Advanced settings LR Rebound Stiffness
Stage 2 – Tires LR Camber
Stage 4 – Advanced settings LR Truck Arm Mount
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires Front Sway Bar Size increase ⇧
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires Front Sway Bar Arm shorten ⇨⇦
Stage 4 – Advanced settings Ballast Forward increase ⇧
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires Rear Sway Bar Size decrease ⇩
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires Rear Sway Bar Arm lengthen ⇦⇨
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires LR Track Bar lower ⇩
Stage 3 – Feel and wear/temps between tires RR Track Bar lower ⇩
Cross Weight*** increase ⇧
Notes
* increasing or decreasing LR rebound more than RR will have a greater effect
** Overall stiffer front springs will make the car tight. Softer front will loosen
*** Increase cross weight by increasing RF/LR spring or ride height or decreas
 Oval Setup Guide V2.1.0 05-13-2020
>>> The lower the banking, the more split between RF/LF is recommended <<<
>>> Less caster decreases turning radius (short track) more caster for longer tracks <<<
(Less toe out "gives better straight line" stability)
>>> Adding rear toe helps car to turn under throttle. <<<
>>> The real benefit is side­‐bite from the aero effect of facing the right side into the wind. <<<
Oversteer Oversteer in the Oversteer Exiting Understeer Understeer
Entering Corner
raise psi ⇧ Middle
raise psi ⇧ Corner
raise psi ⇧ (Tight) Overall
lower psi ⇩ Entering Corner
lower psi ⇩
stiffen ⇧ stiffen ⇧ stiffen ⇧ soften ⇩ soften ⇩
increase ⇧ increase ⇧ decrease ⇩
decrease ⇩
less neg ⇩ - less neg ⇩ - more neg ⇧ - more neg ⇧ -
Adjusting front stagger up (larger) will help the vehicle turn in better on entry to a corner.
Adjusting front stagger down (smaller) will help tighten the vehicle on entry to a corner.
lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩ raise psi ⇧ raise psi ⇧
soften ⇩ soften ⇩ stiffen ⇧ stiffen ⇧
decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩ increase ⇧
increase ⇧ increase ⇧ decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩
less pos ⇩ + less pos ⇩ + more pos ⇧ + more pos ⇧ +
lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩ raise psi ⇧ raise psi ⇧
soften ⇩ soften ⇩ soften ⇩ stiffen ⇧ stiffen ⇧
more neg
decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩ increase ⇧
decrease* ⇩ increase ⇧ increase* ⇧
>>> More – will give you better straight line speed, but less forward bite off corner <<<
lower ⇩ lower ⇩
Adjusting rear stagger up (larger) will help the rear of the vehicle rotate under throttle, not just on corner exit.
Adjusting rear stagger down (smaller) will help tighten the rear of the vehicle under throttle, not just on corner exit.
raise psi ⇧ raise psi ⇧ raise psi ⇧ lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩
stiffen ⇧ stiffen ⇧ soften ⇩ soften ⇩
increase ⇧ increase ⇧
decrease* ⇩ decrease ⇩ increase ⇧ increase* ⇧
>>> More + will give you better straight line speed, but less forward bite off corner <<<
lower ⇩ lower ⇩ raise ⇧
increase ⇧ increase ⇧ decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩
shorten ⇨⇦ lengthen ⇦⇨ lengthen ⇦⇨
increase ⇧ decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩
decrease ⇩ increase ⇧ increase ⇧
lengthen ⇦⇨ shorten ⇨⇦ shorten ⇨⇦
lower ⇩ raise ⇧ raise ⇧
lower ⇩ raise ⇧
increase ⇧ increase ⇧ increase ⇧ decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩

n RR will have a greater effect on entry and exit

tight. Softer front will loosen the car. Overall stiffer rear springs will make the car loose. Softer rear will tighten the car.
pring or ride height or decreasing LF/RR spring or ride height. Opposite will decrease cross weight.
 Loose In Loose Out

ended <<< Soften LF Spring Stiffen LR Spring

ger tracks <<< Stiffen RF Spring Soften RR Spring
Increase RF Air Decrease RR Air
Pressure
Decrease LF Air Pressure
Increase LR Air
Pressure Pressure
nto the wind. <<< Increase Pinion Increase Pinion
Understeer in Understeer Lengthen LR Control Lengthen LR Control
the Middle Exiting Corner Arm Arm
lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩ Shorten RR Control Shorten RR Control
Arm Arm
soften ⇩ soften ⇩
decrease ⇩
increase ⇧
more neg ⇧ -
to a corner.
o a corner.
raise psi ⇧ raise psi ⇧
stiffen ⇧
increase ⇧
decrease ⇩ increase ⇧
more pos ⇧ +
raise psi ⇧ raise psi ⇧
stiffen ⇧ stiffen ⇧

increase ⇧ increase ⇧
decrease ⇩
off corner <<<
raise ⇧ raise ⇧
ot just on corner exit.
, not just on corner exit.
lower psi ⇩ lower psi ⇩
soften ⇩
decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩
increase ⇧ decrease ⇩
off corner <<<
raise ⇧
decrease ⇩

increase ⇧ decrease ⇩
shorten ⇨⇦ lengthen ⇦⇨

raise ⇧
decrease ⇩ decrease ⇩

.
Tight In Tight Out
Stiffen LF Spring Soften LR Spring
Soften RF Spring Stiffen RR Spring
Decrease RF Air Pressure Increase RR Air Pressure
Increase LF Air Pressure Decrease LR Air Pressure
Increase Pinion Decrease Pinion
Lengthen RR Control Arm Lengthen RR Control Arm
Lengthen RR Control Arm Lengthen RR Control Arm
 Springs SPRING RATE
LF Front RF Spring Rate is simply defined as
Loosen Entry: Stiffer Tighten = Stiffer Tighten Entry: Stiffer 300 pounds sitting on it, and 2 i
Tighten Entry: Softer Loosen = Softer Loosen Exit: Softer
Springs suspend the chassis, the
Front Spring Stagger on a wheel will also increase we
Loosen Entry & Tighten Exit = More means weight transfer decrease
Tighten Entry & Loosen Exit = Less
Springs are important when atte
LR Rear RR shock compression and rebound
fast, and to what wheel you nee
Tighten Exit: Stiffer Loosen = Stiffer Loosen Entry: Stiffer
the final word.
Loosen Entry: Softer Tighten = Softer Tighten Entry: Softer
Increasing Spring Rate
Rear Spring Stagger Increasing the Spring rate also i
Tighten Entry & Loosen Exit = More
Loosen Entry & Tighten Exit = Less Decreasing Spring Rate
Decreasing the Spring rate also

Four coil springs are located at e

mounted in such a way that the
This is done using a special tool

The ideal spring combination is

transferred towards the RF upon
higher the numbers the stiffer th
The front springs allow us an ad
adjusted as low as 150 lbs. & as
An overall softer spring package
This can be cured by using a sti
using higher camber angles to c

In general stiffer front springs w

changing the spring stagger bet
stagger is the difference in sprin
tighten the car under acceleratio
response during these transition
of tightening the car, it will loose

The RF & RR springs change the

accept the body roll & will contin
effect the chassis by changing th
wedge out of the car. A stiffer L

You'll notice that when making a

if you decide to make the RF spr
response during these transition
of tightening the car, it will loose

The RF & RR springs change the

accept the body roll & will contin
effect the chassis by changing th
wedge out of the car. A stiffer L

You'll notice that when making a

if you decide to make the RF spr
all actuality, what your doing by
corners as pairs. And that whate
little easier. In reality then, all y

Let me give you an example. Ju

condition. Now a stiffer RR & LF
stiffer RF or LR spring, or a wea
tighter race car.

As you can see, it's really easy t

it's simplest form.

Spring synopsis:
Weaker LF will make the car tigh
Weaker RR will make the car tig
Weaker RF will make the car loo
Weaker LR will make the car loo
Stiffer RF will make the car tight
Stiffer LR will make the car tight
Stiffer LF will make the car loose
Stiffer RR will make the car loos
Overall stiffer front springs will m
Overall stiffer back springs will m
Overall weaker front springs will
Overall weaker back springs will
Increasing front spring stagger w
Increasing rear spring stagger w
cause the chassis to snap lose in
NG RATE
Rate is simply defined as how much force is needed to compress the spring 1 inch. So, a 300 pound spring would compress 1 inch with
ounds sitting on it, and 2 inches with 600 pounds on it.

s suspend the chassis, the driver, and everything above the wheel assemblies, which is also called 'sprung weight'. Increasing spring rate
wheel will also increase weight transfer to the wheel/tire upon spring compression when hitting bumps or entering/exit a corner. That also
s weight transfer decreases on other wheels.

s are important when attempting to control weight transfer, but are not the final word. While springs help control the amount of transfer,
compression and rebound will assist in controlling the speed of the weight transfer. This means you can, to some degree, control how
nd to what wheel you need the weight on at specific transition points within a corner. So, springs are the starting point, and shocks are
al word.

asing Spring Rate

sing the Spring rate also increases ride height on various corners as well as cause weight changes due to spring length.

easing Spring Rate

asing the Spring rate also decreases ride height on various corners as well as cause weight changes due to spring length.

oil springs are located at each corner of the chassis. The springs determine how much weight is transferred to each corner of the car. The springs are
ed in such a way that they can be adjusted up or down to change ride heights. Springs are rated by how many pounds it takes to compress the spring 1".
done using a special tool called a spring compressor.

eal spring combination is one that would produce equal amounts of wheel travel at all four corners of the car. At all ovals, the heaviest weight is being
erred towards the RF upon entry into a corner. This means the RF corner of the car will travel more requiring a stiffer spring than the other 3 corners. The
the numbers the stiffer the spring. In NASCAR Racing we are allowed spring adjustments at all 4 corners of the chassis. (excluding Daytona and Talladega)
ont springs allow us an adjustment as low as 450 lbs. & as high as 2500 lbs. The front springs are adjustable in 50 lb. increments. The rear springs can be
ed as low as 150 lbs. & as high as 700 lbs. in increments of 25 lbs.
erall softer spring package is usually preferred over a stiffer setup. With a softer setup though, you run the risk of having the car bottom out on the track.
an be cured by using a stiffer sway bar & or raising ride heights. Using softer springs will cause the car to roll over more in the corners. This may require
higher camber angles to compensate for the roll.

eral stiffer front springs will make the car tighter. Stiffer rear springs will loosen the car. Weaker front & rear springs will have just the opposite effect. By
ing the spring stagger between the LF & RF as well as the LR & RR, you are able to effect the way the car reacts under acceleration & braking. Spring
er is the difference in spring rating between the left & right side of the chassis. Running more spring stagger up front, with a weaker left side spring, will
n the car under acceleration while loosening it under braking. i.e. a 800 LF spring & a 1000 RF spring. The greater the difference, the greater the chassis
nse during these transitions. Running more spring stagger in the rear, with a weaker left side spring, will have just the opposite effect as the front. Instead
tening the car, it will loosen the car under acceleration & tighten it while braking.

F & RR springs change the roll couple distribution of the chassis. A stiffer RF spring will make the car tighter. This is because the the stiffer corner won't
the body roll & will continue forward creating a push. A stiffer RR spring will have just the opposite effect & create a loose condition. The LF & LR springs
the chassis by changing the wedge or cross weight in the car. A stiffer LF spring will make a car looser going in & coming out of a turn because it takes
e out of the car. A stiffer LR spring will tighten the car from the middle, out of a corner because it keeps cross weight in the car.

notice that when making a spring change either stiffer or weaker, it will have the same effect on the chassis as it's diagonal opposite corner. In other words,
decide to make the RF spring weaker to help loosen the car, you could also make the diagonal opposite corner (LR) weaker to also help loosen the car. In
nse during these transitions. Running more spring stagger in the rear, with a weaker left side spring, will have just the opposite effect as the front. Instead
tening the car, it will loosen the car under acceleration & tighten it while braking.

F & RR springs change the roll couple distribution of the chassis. A stiffer RF spring will make the car tighter. This is because the the stiffer corner won't
the body roll & will continue forward creating a push. A stiffer RR spring will have just the opposite effect & create a loose condition. The LF & LR springs
the chassis by changing the wedge or cross weight in the car. A stiffer LF spring will make a car looser going in & coming out of a turn because it takes
e out of the car. A stiffer LR spring will tighten the car from the middle, out of a corner because it keeps cross weight in the car.

notice that when making a spring change either stiffer or weaker, it will have the same effect on the chassis as it's diagonal opposite corner. In other words,
decide to make the RF spring weaker to help loosen the car, you could also make the diagonal opposite corner (LR) weaker to also help loosen the car. In
uality, what your doing by changing both diagonal corners together, is changing the wedge or cross weight of the chassis. Try to remember the diagonal
s as pairs. And that whatever one pair does, the opposite pair will have the opposite effect. Using this method makes remembering what spring does what a
asier. In reality then, all you have to remember is what one spring adjustment does, and you should remember how all the others corners are effected.

e give you an example. Just remember that a stiffer RF spring equals a tighter condition. Now I know that diagonally a stiffer LR spring also equals a tighter
ion. Now a stiffer RR & LF (diagonally) would have just the opposite effect (loose) on the chassis. Now if I have a loose race car, I now know I can try a
RF or LR spring, or a weaker RR or LF spring. All will help to tighten the chassis. I remember all this by simply knowing that a stiffer RF spring equals a
r race car.

u can see, it's really easy to get confused over what spring does what & how their strength or weakness effect a chassis while cornering. Let's try to put it in
mplest form.

synopsis:
er LF will make the car tight.
er RR will make the car tight.
er RF will make the car loose.
er LR will make the car loose.
RF will make the car tight.
LR will make the car tight.
LF will make the car loose.
RR will make the car loose.
l stiffer front springs will make the car tight.
l stiffer back springs will make the car loose.
l weaker front springs will make the car loose.
l weaker back springs will make the car tight.
sing front spring stagger will tighten the car under acceleration & loosen it under braking.
sing rear spring stagger will loosen the car under acceleration & tighten it under braking. (This will become more apparent as the RF tire wears and may
the chassis to snap lose in the latter stages of a tire/fuel run)
 Camber
LF RF CAMBER
(+): Quicker Turn in/Loosen (+): Slower Turn in/Tighten Camber is defined as the degree of tire 'lean'
(-): Tighten Middle Out (-): Quicker Turn in/Loosen sheet of plywood on the ground on edge aga
the ground. If your tire was leaned out like th
LR RR negative camber means the tire leans inward
(+): Tighten Entry (+): Loosen Middle Out
(-): Loosen Entry (-): Tighten Middle Out Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the w
the vehicle.

Positive camber is the tilt of the top of the tir

maximum grip allowable from the surface of
maximum cornering speeds.

Proper camber adjustments are achieved by

what your tires/camber are telling you. In a W
wide range of adjustment for the front tires.
we are only allowed adjustments of +1.8 thro

How it works - basics

Simply put, camber is used to keep the tire tr
flat in the corners, where grip is needed the

Camber is easy, just set it to where the tire t

garage page, right? Not so fast! There are a
can change it on the fly, such as tire sidewall
proper moment in any given corner requires

Tire temp and wear can usually get you close

desired result. Just be aware when adjusting
section below for more info.

Adjusting camber is not just for max perform

particular race at x track rarely has long gree
tire since you know you can change them fre
last the entire run without risking a blowout o

Increasing Camber (negative)

Increasing camber, by adding more negative
short term, in exchange for harming long ter

Decreasing Camber (positve)

Decreasing camber, by adding more positive,
short term, in exchange for helping long term

Contact Patch
BER
er is defined as the degree of tire 'lean' from an imaginary vertical line running from the top of the tire to the bottom. Imagine placing a
of plywood on the ground on edge against the side of your vehicle, then leaning it away from the vehicle, while not moving the bottom off
ound. If your tire was leaned out like that, that's Positive camber, which means the top of the tire leans away from the vehicle, and
ve camber means the tire leans inward towards the center of the vehicle.

er is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel at the top of the tire. Negative camber is the tilt of the top of the tire towards the center of
hicle.

e camber is the tilt of the top of the tire away from the center of the vehicle. Camber adjustments are utilized to help maintain the
mum grip allowable from the surface of the tire through the corners of the track. Proper camber adjustments are very critical for achieving
mum cornering speeds.

r camber adjustments are achieved by reading tire temperatures. Read the section on Tire Temperatures for the proper way to decipher
your tires/camber are telling you. In a WC car you are allowed camber adjustments on all 4 tires. In NASCAR Racing we are allowed a
ange of adjustment for the front tires. +5 is the most positive camber allowed, while -5 is the most negative camber allowed. In the rear
e only allowed adjustments of +1.8 through -1.8.

works - basics
y put, camber is used to keep the tire tread as flat as possible on the track, when you most need it to be flat. That usually means being
the corners, where grip is needed the most

er is easy, just set it to where the tire tread will be flat in the turns and provide even temps and wear across the tire when looking at the
e page, right? Not so fast! There are a great many factors that affect camber angle while traversing a corner, and many more factors that
ange it on the fly, such as tire sidewall flex, spring rate, caster, and steering angle, to name but a few. Getting the proper angle at the
r moment in any given corner requires telemetry, or at the very least, a reference point in the iRacing garage.

mp and wear can usually get you close enough to the truth, which are reflected by lap times, because remember, lap times are the
d result. Just be aware when adjusting camber, that you may be affecting short run vs. long run performance. See the need to know
n below for more info.

ing camber is not just for max performance, it can also be used to tune short run and long run performance. Let's say you know a
ular race at x track rarely has long green flag runs. You can adjust the camber a bit more agressively, at the expense of longevity of the
nce you know you can change them frequently. The opposite would be to keep the camber settings set more conservatively to be able to
e entire run without risking a blowout or a major fall-off in lap times.

asing Camber (negative)

sing camber, by adding more negative, exposes more of the outside of the tire to the track. Within reason, this can increase grip on the
term, in exchange for harming long term performance.

easing Camber (positve)

asing camber, by adding more positive, exposes more of the inside of the tire to the track. Within reason, this can decrease grip on the
term, in exchange for helping long term performance.

act Patch
 Front Toe FRONT TOE-IN
More Toe Out (+): Tighten Front toe is the relation of the front tires to o
More Toe In (-): Loosen other, that's called toe-in, and if they are poin

LF Toe RF Toe (The following assumes a left hand oval, but

More Toe In (+)#: Loosen More Toe Out (+)#: Tighten behaves on corner entry and while running in
More Toe Out (-)#: Tighten More Toe In (-)#: Loosen change direction. The more toe-out you use,
away from each other, trying to make the ve
Caster 'some' toe-in on the front wheels is about to
LF RF anywhere from straight to slightly to the left
front tire should be turning with a greater an
Higher: Slower Turn in Higher: Loosen Exit, Tighten Center
must trace an arc with a smaller radius than
Lower: Better Turn in, Tighten Exit Lower: Better Turn in
than the right-front tire. It is difficult to make

With toe-out, the inside tire in a corner turns

circle which improves the grip of the front tir

In addition to corner-entry grip, toe affects st

vehicle wander on the straightaways, sometim
an even finer adjustment.

Increasing Front Toe-In

Increasing Front Toe-in means the tires point
are fighting each other to go straight.

Decreasing Front Toe-in (Toe-out)

Decreasing Front Toe-in means the tires poin
they are fighting each other to turn left and r

Caster
Caster is the leaning forward or back of the t
the wheel at the top. Positive caster is when
forward toward the front of the vehicle.

Caster is used to provide directional steering

wheels on it that swivel to help you move it a
swivel back allowing you to push forward wit
This is negative caster. I'm sure you know ho
being difficult to push, it also has a tendency
reasons we want our chair to slide across the
the top of the wheels back adding positive ca
negative caster is preferred, even though adj
Caster is used to provide directional steering
wheels on it that swivel to help you move it a
swivel back allowing you to push forward wit
This is negative caster. I'm sure you know ho
being difficult to push, it also has a tendency
reasons we want our chair to slide across the
the top of the wheels back adding positive ca
negative caster is preferred, even though adj

Proper caster adjustments will vary with each

more positive caster the more feedback you w
force feedback wheel. More positive caster w
track about how the car is handling.

So why not crank the caster positive as far as

positive caster the LF rises while the RF drop
the car the more you turn the wheel. The mo
remove the looser the car will get.

In general, you'll want to run higher positive

corners & long straight-aways. +4 to +5 on t
would be preferred. Higher caster settings all

Another element that must be considered is t

on the LF wheel than the RF. When caster se
On tracks where your only turning left, you w
RF will make the car pull to the left entering
run the easier the car will turn itself into the
the right down a straightaway.

Caster stagger will also affect braking. If you

you may have to add brake bias. Although a
the car to pull to the side with the least amou

Caster stagger is NOT the only adjustment th

weight balance, tire stagger, tire psi, & track
left & many may even think that there wheel
when entering the corners with ease. Most ca
on the LF, you would run positive 3 or 4 on t
you turn into a corner better.

Simulating the pull that a stock car gets in a

Linearity setting you choose in setting up you
contribute in making the pull feel different fro
10%) You will notice the need to use a lot m
setup.

Do you see real drivers using counter steerin

there for them? Yes. You can get your contro
feel the pull? No, why? because the pull you'
Simulating the pull that a stock car gets in a
Linearity setting you choose in setting up you
contribute in making the pull feel different fro
10%) You will notice the need to use a lot m
setup.

Do you see real drivers using counter steerin

there for them? Yes. You can get your contro
feel the pull? No, why? because the pull you'
itself. Your controller isn't hooked up to the s
suspension creates. Furthermore, your steeri
to 270 degrees of motion, and much less on
lock to lock? With this in mind the game has
differences in degrees of lock to lock motion
order to make all types of controllers usable.

One thing to remember in NASCAR Racing, a

be more sensitive to steering input.

Caster synopsis:
More positive caster will loosen the chassis th
More positive caster will allow you to catch sl
Caster adjustments are better felt through a
The car will pull to the side with the lower am
The higher the caster stagger, the easier the
The higher the caster stagger, the easier the
The higher the caster stagger, the less steeri
 T TOE-IN
toe is the relation of the front tires to one another. If you are sitting in the driver seat and the front wheels are pointed in towards each
that's called toe-in, and if they are pointed away from each other, that's toe-out.

ollowing assumes a left hand oval, but the principle is the same in either direction) Front Toe-in is used to change the way a vehicle
es on corner entry and while running in a straight line. The more toe-in you have on a pair of wheels, the more resistant they are to
e direction. The more toe-out you use, the easier it is to get that pair of wheels to turn into a corner, because they are already facing
from each other, trying to make the vehicle turn one way or the other.Why does this happen? Let's take an example where a vehicle with
toe-in on the front wheels is about to enter a left turn. The driver begins to turn the steering wheel left and the left front tire is pointing
ere from straight to slightly to the left while the right front tire is pointing much more to the left. The problem with this is that the left
ire should be turning with a greater angle than the right front tire, because the left-front tire is on the inside of the corner, and therefore
race an arc with a smaller radius than the outside tire. However, with toe-in, the left-front tire is actually trying to trace a larger radius arc
he right-front tire. It is difficult to make the vehicle turn because the left-front tire is fighting the right-front.

oe-out, the inside tire in a corner turns with a greater angle than the outside tire (as it should). The left front can now trace a smaller
which improves the grip of the front tires on corner entry.

ition to corner-entry grip, toe affects straight-line stability. Toe-in improves stability while toe-out worsens it. Toe-out can make the
e wander on the straightaways, sometimes requiring corrective steering. Also, on some vehicles, the toe can be adjusted at each wheel for
en finer adjustment.

asing Front Toe-In

sing Front Toe-in means the tires point towards each other and makes the vehicle easier to handle on high speed straights because they
hting each other to go straight.

easing Front Toe-in (Toe-out)

asing Front Toe-in means the tires point away from each other and makes the vehicle harder to handle on high speed straights because
re fighting each other to turn left and right.

r
is the leaning forward or back of the tire at the top of the wheel. Do not confuse this with camber which is the inward or outward tilt of
heel at the top. Positive caster is when the wheel is tilted back toward the rear of the vehicle. Negative caster is when the wheel is tilted
d toward the front of the vehicle.

is used to provide directional steering stability. When thinking of caster, think of a tool box, TV stand, chair, or anything else that has 4
s on it that swivel to help you move it across the floor. When you push an object like this across the floor you'll notice that the wheels will
back allowing you to push forward with ease. This is positive caster. Now take those 4 swivel wheels & turn them forward 180 degrees.
negative caster. I'm sure you know how difficult it is to push something with the wheels in this forward or negative position. Besides
difficult to push, it also has a tendency to take off in an unwanted direction until the casters spin in a positive direction. For the same
ns we want our chair to slide across the floor with ease, we want our race car to do the same. When setting your chassis you'll want to tip
p of the wheels back adding positive caster to provide you with that straight ahead directional stability. There are NO circumstances where
ve caster is preferred, even though adjustment range in NASCAR Racing is from -2.0 through +6.0.
 is used to provide directional steering stability. When thinking of caster, think of a tool box, TV stand, chair, or anything else that has 4
s on it that swivel to help you move it across the floor. When you push an object like this across the floor you'll notice that the wheels will
back allowing you to push forward with ease. This is positive caster. Now take those 4 swivel wheels & turn them forward 180 degrees.
negative caster. I'm sure you know how difficult it is to push something with the wheels in this forward or negative position. Besides
difficult to push, it also has a tendency to take off in an unwanted direction until the casters spin in a positive direction. For the same
ns we want our chair to slide across the floor with ease, we want our race car to do the same. When setting your chassis you'll want to tip
p of the wheels back adding positive caster to provide you with that straight ahead directional stability. There are NO circumstances where
ve caster is preferred, even though adjustment range in NASCAR Racing is from -2.0 through +6.0.

r caster adjustments will vary with each track & individual driver as well as the steering device you maybe using. (i.e. force feedback) The
positive caster the more feedback you will feel as a driver. More caster can also provide a more difficult steering effort, especially with a
eedback wheel. More positive caster will also give you a better feel for the car. More caster will allow you to make better decisions on the
about how the car is handling.

y not crank the caster positive as far as it will go? Because too much positive caster also has it's drawbacks. When you turn a car left with
e caster the LF rises while the RF drops. This changes the weight on all 4 corners of the car. In effect you're taking cross weight out of
r the more you turn the wheel. The more positive the caster, the more cross weight there is being removed. The more cross weight you
e the looser the car will get.

eral, you'll want to run higher positive caster settings on a short track with tight corners, over a larger track with long, wide sweeping
s & long straight-aways. +4 to +5 on the RF isn't uncommon for a track like Martinsville. For Michigan or California a setting of +2 or +3
be preferred. Higher caster settings allow you to �catch� power slides on exit a little bit easier as well.

er element that must be considered is the caster split or caster stagger as I like to call it. Caster stagger is simply using different settings
LF wheel than the RF. When caster settings are different, your steering will tend to pull toward the side with the least amount of caster.
cks where your only turning left, you would want a higher positive caster setting on the RF than the LF. This more positive caster on the
l make the car pull to the left entering the turns, which is the preferred setup for entering the corners. The higher the caster stagger you
e easier the car will turn itself into the corner. Higher stagger will also take some feel out of the car & also force you to hold your wheel to
ht down a straightaway.

stagger will also affect braking. If you run too much stagger at tracks that require heavy braking such as Martinsville or the road courses,
ay have to add brake bias. Although a better trade-off would be just to even up the caster allowing you to brake harder without causing
r to pull to the side with the least amount of caster.

stagger is NOT the only adjustment that will give you that pull to the left. Many other factors must also be considered. Camber settings,
t balance, tire stagger, tire psi, & track banking also plays an important role. Many newcomers will be uncomfortable with the pull to the
many may even think that there wheel won't calibrate properly. This pull to the left is normal & is the preferred setup to assist drivers
entering the corners with ease. Most caster stagger settings will be between 2 & 3 degrees. In other words, if you ran 1 degree positive
LF, you would run positive 3 or 4 on the RF. In general, tracks that are small & have tight corners will require a higher caster split to help
rn into a corner better.

ating the pull that a stock car gets in a game is going to yield different results for different types of controllers. To add to this variation, the
ity setting you choose in setting up your controller, in combination with the steering ratio you choose within the setup is going to
bute in making the pull feel different from user to user. On any given controller, setup the Linearity towards the Non Linear side (say
You will notice the need to use a lot more counter steering on the straight than somebody using 90% Linearity with the exact same

u see real drivers using counter steering down the straights? No, because they can center the wheel on the steering shaft. Is the pull still
for them? Yes. You can get your controller to center on the straights by how you calibrate it, get rid of it entirely if you like. Will you still
e pull? No, why? because the pull you're feeling is from the tension on the springs, bungee, or whatever your controller uses to center
ating the pull that a stock car gets in a game is going to yield different results for different types of controllers. To add to this variation, the
ity setting you choose in setting up your controller, in combination with the steering ratio you choose within the setup is going to
bute in making the pull feel different from user to user. On any given controller, setup the Linearity towards the Non Linear side (say
You will notice the need to use a lot more counter steering on the straight than somebody using 90% Linearity with the exact same

u see real drivers using counter steering down the straights? No, because they can center the wheel on the steering shaft. Is the pull still
for them? Yes. You can get your controller to center on the straights by how you calibrate it, get rid of it entirely if you like. Will you still
e pull? No, why? because the pull you're feeling is from the tension on the springs, bungee, or whatever your controller uses to center
Your controller isn't hooked up to the suspension of a stock car, so you're not going to be able to feel the dynamic pull that the
nsion creates. Furthermore, your steering wheel doesn't have the range of motion as a real car. At best you're probably getting from 240
degrees of motion, and much less on a Joystick (maybe 90 degrees if you're lucky?) A real car has what, maybe 3 to 4 full rotations from
o lock? With this in mind the game has to have Steering Ratio values that can compensate for the lack of true lock-to-lock movement. The
nces in degrees of lock to lock motion between a joystick and a wheel is why the Linearity setting makes such a big difference, it has to in
to make all types of controllers usable. You just need to find the setting that is comfortable to you.

hing to remember in NASCAR Racing, a setting of 32:1 is going to require MORE steering movement than a setting of 15:1, which would
re sensitive to steering input.

r synopsis:
positive caster will loosen the chassis the more the wheel is turned through a corner.
positive caster will allow you to catch slides on exit a little easier.
adjustments are better felt through a force feedback wheel.
ar will pull to the side with the lower amount of positive caster.
gher the caster stagger, the easier the car will turn into a corner.
gher the caster stagger, the easier the car will break loose braking into a corner.
gher the caster stagger, the less steering effort required. This will tend to give you a loose feeling upon corner entry.
 Tire Pressure Even small changes in tire pressure can alter hand
LF Front RF Nitrogen, which contains less moisture and theref
Higher: Loosen Entry Higher: Loosen Higher: Tighten Entry Contact patch
Lower: Tighten Entry Lower: Tighten Lower: Loosen Entry Keeping the largest amount of tire on the track, w
tire pressure for your vehicle and track combinatio
LR Rear RR that you keep enough air pressure in each tire so
Higher: Tighten Exit Higher: Tighten Higher: Loosen Exit pressure is one way of controlling contact patch, s
Lower: Loosen Exit Lower: Loosen Lower: Tighten Exit corners.

Rear Stagger Front:

More: Helps the car turn when on Only by adjusting a COMBINATION of tire pressur
the throttle any point in the corner. (Not all adjustments avail
-2/16 or -2mm of front toe, and equal caster on b
you make test runs of 3-10 laps, exit to the garag
idea if you need to adjust the pressure up or dow
temp rise while the vehicle goes through the corn

Rear:
Only by adjusting a COMBINATION of tire pressur
point in the corner. (Not all adjustments available
minimal rear toe (for ovals, LR toe should be 0 toe
toe should be 0 to slightly positive on both sides).
of 3-10 laps, exit to the garage and check your tir
adjust the pressure up or down. The best way to
vehicle goes through the corner.

PSI Up
The center of the tire swells outward and will rais
the vehicle feel more stable, and also prevents th
get a decent temp spread across a single tire of a
to what you started with, and look to camber first

PSI Down
The center of the tire bears less weight and will ra
grip but makes the vehicle feel more unstable, an
60kPa and still can't get a decent temp spread acr
least halfway back to what you started with, and l

Tire psi synopsis:

Higher psi in RF will loosen the car.
Lower psi in the RF will tighten the car.
Higher psi in RR will loosen the car.
Lower psi in the RR will tighten the car.
Higher psi in the LR will tighten the car from the m
Lower psi in the LR will loosen the car from the m
Higher psi in the LF will tighten the car.
least halfway back to what you started with, and l

Tire psi synopsis:

Higher psi in RF will loosen the car.
Lower psi in the RF will tighten the car.
Higher psi in RR will loosen the car.
Lower psi in the RR will tighten the car.
Higher psi in the LR will tighten the car from the m
Lower psi in the LR will loosen the car from the m
Higher psi in the LF will tighten the car.
Lower psi in the LF will loosen the car.
The lower the psi in a tire the hotter it will run.
The higher the psi in a tire the colder it will run.
Excessively low front tire psi will create a push.
Excessively low rear tire psi will create a loose con
Increasing the split (more RR psi than LR) increas
Increasing the split of the left & right side psi (mo
Tire pressure allows us to fine tune the chassis. D
results. Keep an eye on tire temperatures. Althou
degree than with a spring change. If you know &
pressure changes effect the chassis.

Tires are the most important component on a race

or the best possible setup, but if you don't have a
race car is for the benefit of the tires. All these ad
the track. If you have the best grip at all 4 wheels

Tire pressure is yet another adjustment that will a

tires get, the more they expand. Air contains mois
tires they use nitrogen. Nitrogen is preferred over
impossible to remove all the moisture from a tire,
tires both hot & cold. When tires expand it change
situation depending on your chassis needs.

Tire pressures can be adjusted on all 4 tires from

can be determined by reading tire temperatures.
center temperature, when compared to the inside
Under inflation can slightly loosen a chassis but gi
produces more heat which can result in quicker w

Stagger isn't a direct adjustment we can make in

Altering tire pressures allows us to slightly modify
can describe stagger is by using a white Styrofoam
over on it's side on a table. Now push it along the
cup as the right side tires on a race car. Imagine
same exact way. By increasing tire pressure on th
through a corner especially under acceleration.

One thing to keep in mind when dealing with tire

raising or lowering pressure your changing the rid
tire pressure actually reacts like a spring. Adding
 re pressure can alter handling and grip and is a fantastic tool for in-race adjustments. Race tires are usually filled with
less moisture and therefore expand less, and causes less tire pressure gain when heated.

unt of tire on the track, which is commonly called the 'Contact patch', is of utmost importance. So, what is the optimum
hicle and track combination? It depends...you knew I would say that, didn't you? The most basic recommendation is
r pressure in each tire so that when you drive through corners the most amount of tread is contacting the track. Tire
ontrolling contact patch, since by raising or lowering the pressure, you can control the amount of sidewall flex in the

MBINATION of tire pressure, caster, camber and toe can you acheive the highest contact patch possible on the track at
(Not all adjustments available for some vehicles) Your best bet is to start with somewhat known quantities, such as
oe, and equal caster on both front wheels. Use the pressure and camber from the basic setup for that track, then as
10 laps, exit to the garage and check your tire temps. While this won't give the best representation, it will give you an
st the pressure up or down. The best way to tell if you are adjusting in the correct direction is to check telemetry for
cle goes through the corner.

MBINATION of tire pressure, camber and toe can you acheive the highest contact patch possible on the track at any
all adjustments available for some vehicles) Your best bet is to start with somewhat known quantities, such as zero or
als, LR toe should be 0 toe to slightly positive, and RR toe should be 0 toe to slightly negative - for road courses, rear
ly positive on both sides). Use the pressure and camber from the basic setup for that track, then as you make test runs
garage and check your tire temps. While this won't give the best representation, it will give you an idea if you need to
r down. The best way to tell if you are adjusting in the correct direction is to check telemetry for temp rise while the
e corner.

wells outward and will raise the temp reading as well as increase center wear. Higher pressure reduces grip but makes
ble, and also prevents the tire from rolling onto the edge. If you have adjusted more than 10PSI or 60kPa and still can't
d across a single tire of approximately 30 degrees F, or 17 degrees Celsius, reset your pressures at least halfway back
, and look to camber first, then revisit pressures.

ars less weight and will raise the temp reading on the outsides as well as increase outer wear. Lower pressure increases
cle feel more unstable, and also causes the tire to roll more onto the edge. If you have adjusted more than 10PSI or
a decent temp spread across a single tire of approximately 30 degrees F, or 17 degrees Celsius, reset your pressures at
at you started with, and look to camber first, then revisit pressures.

en the car.
ighten the car.
sen the car.
tighten the car.
tighten the car from the middle out.
oosen the car from the middle out.
tighten the car.
rtant component on a race car. You can have the fastest engine
p, but if you don't have a set of tires between you & the track, everything else is meaningless. In fact, every single thing you adjust on a
t of the tires. All these adjustments that I've discussed in this guide are all about trying to achieve the best possible grip from the tires to
e best grip at all 4 wheels, then you'll have the fastest car on the track.

her adjustment that will aid you in achieving the best possible grip. Tire pressure is simply how much air you have in a tire. The hotter
expand. Air contains moisture. Moisture becomes steam as the air gets hot & increases pressure. WC teams actually don't use air in their
Nitrogen is preferred over air because it doesn't expand as much with temperature changes because it doesn't contain moisture. Since it's
the moisture from a tire, it will still change pressure as temperatures rises. This can be noted after running a test session & checking your
hen tires expand it changes the size of the tire which in turn changes the weight on that wheel. This can be either a negative or positive
our chassis needs.

justed on all 4 tires from as low as 8 psi. to as high as 60 psi. Improper tire pressure can cause an ill handling car. Correct tire pressure
ading tire temperatures. A tire with a temperature reading higher in the center of a tire indicates an over inflated tire. A tire with a lower
en compared to the inside & outside of a tire indicates a under inflated tire. Over inflated tires will have a tendency to make the car tight.
tly loosen a chassis but give better grip. Lower tire pressure will also increase the amount of heat in that tire. Excessively low tire pressure
ch can result in quicker wear. Higher pressure tires run cooler, have less drag & will be quicker at higher speeds.

ustment we can make in NASCAR Racing. NASCAR regulates the size of their tires which come with stagger already built into the tire.
lows us to slightly modify the stagger. Stagger is the circumference of the right side tires compared to the left side tires. The best way I
by using a white Styrofoam coffee cup. You know, the kind that is bigger around on the top than on the bottom. Take that cup & lay it
le. Now push it along the table letting it roll. You see how it turns in one direction. This is stagger. Imagine the top or larger side of the
s on a race car. Imagine the bottom or smaller side of the cup as the left side tires. See how it turns left? Stagger on a race car works the
easing tire pressure on the right side, or decreasing pressure on the left we add stagger to the chassis allowing the car to turn left better
ally under acceleration.

nd when dealing with tire pressures, is that your also changing the weight of the car on the corner your lowering or raising pressure at. By
ure your changing the ride height of the chassis. Changing the ride height adds or subtracts weight from that corner of the chassis. So
acts like a spring. Adding more tire pressure makes that corner of the chassis a little stiffer. Lowering tire pressure will tend to make that
 Stagger Calculator
To use, simply input the data into the orange boxes below, the red number will be the required stagger!

Input Data Calculated Data

Track Banking (deg) 14 Effective Distance Between Rear Wheels (in) 84.42
Turn Radius (ft) 326.7 Inner Tire Radius (in) 3920.4
Track Width (car) 87 Inner Distance Traveled (in) 12310.1
Inner Tire Circumference 81.5 Outer Tire Radius (in) 4004.8
Outer Distance Traveled (in) 12575.1
Required Tire Stagger (in): 1.75 Required Outer Tire Circumference (in) 83.25
NOTES
-Always use the tightest, slowest turn on a track for input values!!
-Enter track banking in degrees.
-For SK Modified and Tour Modified, Track Width is 84" Late Model is 76".
-Generally, the inside tire on the modifieds is 81.5" in circumference.

Track LMS SS SLM Mod Legends STAGGER

Bristol 1.75 1.5 1.75 1.875 1 Stagger is simply defined as the circumference of one tire bein
Charlotte Leg. 3 3.25 3 4 1 end of the vehicle (fronts or rears).
Charlotte Oval 0.75 0.625 0.75 0.75 0.625
1.625- If you remove the square bottom from a traffic cone, then turn
Concord 1.625-2.25 1.375-1.5 1.625-2.25 1 cone will travel in circles. That's the same effect stagger will ha
2.375
Dover 0.875 0.75 0.875 1 0.75 rears. Using stagger helps the vehicle turn easier.
Five Flags 1.625 1.375 1.625 1.75 1
Iowa 1 0.875 1.125 1.125 0.875 Front: Adding more front stagger will help a vehicle mostly on
Irwindale (Inner) 2.5 2 2.5 2.625 1
Irwindale (Outer) 1.75 1.5 2 1.875 1 Rear: Adding more rear stagger will help a vehicle mostly on e
Langley 2.125 1.625 2.125 2.25 1 with rotation any time you are on the throttle, so be careful her
ability to keep the vehicle in control on the straights.
Lanier 2.375 1.875 2.375 2.5 1
Lucas 1.375 1.125 1.375 1.5 1 Increasing Stagger (up)
Martinsville 2.625 2.125 2.625 2.75 1 Adjusting front stagger up (larger) will help the vehicle turn in b
Montgomery 1.875 1.5 1.875 2 1 rear stagger up (larger) will help the rear of the vehicle rotate u
Myrtle Beach 1.625 1.25 1.625 1.75 1
Decreasing Stagger (down)
Adjusting front stagger down (smaller) will help tighten the veh
rear stagger down (smaller) will help tighten the rear of the veh
exit.
 Increasing Stagger (up)
Adjusting front stagger up (larger) will help the vehicle turn in b
rear stagger up (larger) will help the rear of the vehicle rotate u

New Hampshire 1.125 1 1.25 1.25 1 Decreasing Stagger (down)

New Smyrna 2 1.625 2 2.125 1 Adjusting front stagger down (smaller) will help tighten the veh
rear stagger down (smaller) will help tighten the rear of the veh
Oxford Plains 2 1.625 2 2.125 1
exit.
Phoenix 1.125 0.875 1.125 1.25 0.875
Richmond 1.375 1.125 1.5 1.5 1
South Boston 2.25 1.75 2.25 2.375 1
Southern National 2.5 1.875 2.5 2.625 1
Stafford 2 1.625 2 2.125 1
The Bullring 2.625 2 2.625 2.75 1
The Milwaukee Mile 1 0.875 1 1.125 0.875
Thompson 2 1.625 2 2.125 1
USA 1.625 1.375 1.75 1.75 1
ber will be the required stagger!

Track Dimensions
Track Radius (ft) Banking (deg)
Bristol 242 24
Concord 240.9 12
Iowa 540.2 13
Langley 273 6
Lanier 218.4 11
Martinsville 242.6 12
New Hampshire 375 7
New Smyrna 267.2 23
Phoenix 675 10
Richmond 365 14
South Boston 251 12
Stafford 309.8 8
Thompson 239.5 26
USA (Lakeland) 326.7 14

fined as the circumference of one tire being larger than the other, on the same
onts or rears).

uare bottom from a traffic cone, then turn it on its side and roll it. As it rolls, the
cles. That's the same effect stagger will have on either the front tires or the
helps the vehicle turn easier.

ront stagger will help a vehicle mostly on entry to a corner.

ear stagger will help a vehicle mostly on exit from a corner, but will also assist
e you are on the throttle, so be careful here since too much will affect your
ehicle in control on the straights.

(up)
ger up (larger) will help the vehicle turn in better on entry to a corner. Adjusting
er) will help the rear of the vehicle rotate under throttle, not just on corner exit.

r (down)
ger down (smaller) will help tighten the vehicle on entry to a corner. Adjusting
smaller) will help tighten the rear of the vehicle under throttle, not just on corner
Setup The Race Car

Camber:
Camber is the inward or outward tilting of the front wheels. Negative camber is the tilt of the top of the wheel towards the center of the vehicle.
Positive camber is the tilt of the top of the wheel away from the center of the vehicle.
the corners. Proper camber adjustments are critical to achieving maximum cornering speeds. When camber is set correctly it allows the entire
surface of the tire to adhere to the track maximizing the tire contact patch when taking a corner at high speed.

Proper camber adjustments are achieved by reading tire temperatures. The goal here is to get even temperatures across the whole tire.
On all tracks except road courses you need to run with negative camber on the right front and positive camber on the left front. This aids in getting
the car to turn left. How much camber you might ask? It varies depending on track banking, spring stiffness, body roll and other considerations.
Generally add just enough camber so the inside of the RF tire runs a degree or so hotter then the outside. Then backup a notch to get the tire
temperatures even again.
camber to the RF. More importantly, if you hit the apron with a lot of positive camber on the LF there will be a tendency to lose control of the car
as the LF gets more of grip and the RF looses grip.
This will cause the car to turn in hard toward the apron and only makes the situation worse. Be a little more conservative when working with the
LF camber. Work mainly on keeping the car under control when you get a piece of the apron.
typically want negative camber on both the LF and RF tires. The reason for this is the outside tire on a corner supplies most of the cornering force
Rear camber
and will is notdominate
therefore as criticalthat
as front camber
corner. due tonegative
By adding the fact camber
that the to
rear-end is ayou
both tires solid axle.
help theThe
car same theoryinholds
turn better both true though as you might want
directions.
negative camber on the RR and positive camber on the LR on an oval track. On a flatter track you may not need any camber in the rear. Stagger
Knowing howGoodyear
built into the to read and understand
tires tire temperatures
will naturally will be the
create some negative determining
camber factor
in the RR andinpositive
how muchin thecamber
LR as to
is.set in your wheels. In fact it’s the
only way to properly adjust for correct amount of camber. Since you must constantly monitor tire temperatures you will always be readjusting
Just when
camber (atyou
leastthink you
in the have your tire temperatures and camber perfect, you’ll change a spring or tire psi to find more speed, or the weather will
front).
be different forcing you to make some adjustments elsewhere. All that hard work you spent on achieving those perfect temperatures will have to
be thrown out the window and the whole process begins once again.
One final thought, if the tire temperatures on the inside and outside are not even, then your are going to increase wear and a shorter life of that
particular tire. Too much camber will decrease the size of the tire contact patch and reduce the amount of cornering force available.

How camber effects the handling of the chassis:

More negative RF camber allows the car to turn into a corner quicker, which will loosen up the chassis.

Less negative RF camber takes away some of the pull to the left. The car won’t turn as quick into a corner, which will tighten the chassis.

More negative LF camber will reduce the pull to the left while tightening the chassis from the middle out.
More positive LF camber will increase the pull to the left and allow the car to turn into a corner quicker loosening the chassis.

More positive camber in the RR will loosen the car from the middle out.

More negative camber in the LR will loosen the chassis entering a corner.

Caster:
Caster is a major factor which provides a vehicle with directional stability. Directional stability is the ability of the vehicle to travel straight ahead
Viewing the car from
with a minimum the side,
of steering Positive caster
corrections by theisdriver.
the backward (toward the rear of the vehicle) tilt of the steering axis and Negative caster is the
forward tilt of the steering axis. Caster is measured in degrees of angle, the amount the steering axis is tilted from a true vertical axis. Do not
confuse this with camber which is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel.

When a piece of
To understand thefurniture onand
principle casters
effectis of
pushed,
caster the casters
on the turn system,
steering on their let’s
pivots until thethe
examine wheels are household
ordinary in line withfurniture
the direction of force applied and
caster.
the wheels are trailing in back of the pivot. In this position, the furniture will roll easily and in a straight line. Therefore, it can be seen that when a
force is applied to the pivot it tends to drag the wheel behind it.

This simplelies
The reason principle
in the applies
fact thattothe
a vehicle.
projectedIf centerline
the steering
ofaxis pivot is
the caster tilted
pivot backward
strikes (toward
the ground in the rear
front of of
thethe vehicle),
contact theofprojected
patch centerline of
the wheel.
the pivot strikes the ground ahead of the contact patch (which is positive caster). When the vehicle is driven forward, the pivot is behind the wheel,
giving the car directional stability.
When setting your chassis you’ll want to tip the top of the wheels back adding positive caster to provide you with that straight ahead directional
stability. Under NO circumstances do we use negative caster, even though the adjustment range is from -2.0 to +6.0.

How much caster do I need?

The amount of caster set into the chassis depends on two factors:

The amount of weight on the front wheels and the feel of the steering effort to the driver.
The amount of positive caster depends a great deal on the speed of the race track and the amount of weight on the vehicle front end. The lighter the
For example,
weight on the afront
Porsche
end, road racing the
the greater car amount
with only of 40% frontcaster.
positive weight may have 61/2 degree positive caster where as a NASCAR stock car with 51%
front weight may have only 31/2 to 4 degrees positive caster with both cars running on the same track. Race cars that weigh 3500 pounds and
more, front caster angles run between 3 and 5 degrees positive.
The more positive caster a car has, the greater the straight line stability it will have. The car will have greater high speed stability and require less
constant attention on the part of the driver. The faster the track gets in terms of speed, the greater the positive caster setting.
Cars running at Daytona and Talladega have as much as 41/2 to 51/4 degrees of positive caster on the RF wheel. On shorter tracks where speeds
are more moderate, the RF caster is from 3 to 33/4 degrees positive
So why not
Another crank
factor the casterispositive
to consider as fardevice
the steering as it will
yougo? Because
maybe using.too much
(i.e. forcepositive caster
feedback) Thealso haspositive
more it’s drawbacks.
caster theWhen
moreyou turn a you
feedback car left
willwith
feel
positive caster
as a driver. Morethecaster
LF rises
canwhile the RF drops.
also provide a moreThis changes
difficult the weight
steering effort, on all 4 corners
especially with aofforce
the car. In effect
feedback your taking cross weight out of the car
wheel.
the more you turn the wheel. The more positive the caster, the more cross weight there is being removed. The more cross weight you remove the
looser the car will get.
Another element that must be considered is the caster split, or caster stagger as it is called. Caster stagger is simply using different settings on the
Caster stagger:
LF wheel than the RF. At any track where the car is making only left turns, the caster is staggered with more positive caster on the RF than on the
For
LF. short track racing,
The reason for usingmany drivers
caster prefer
stagger is totohelp
use the
as much
wheelscaster
steerstagger as possible
themselves (up in
to the left to the
a maximum
corners. of about 4 degrees). The greater the
amount of stagger will allow the driver to almost allow relax the steering wheel completely entering a turn, letting the car steer itself into the
corner.
The drawback of using so much caster stagger though is the increased effort in crossing the steering wheel over to the right to correct for
At higher speed
oversteer. race tracks,
The greater the more
the stagger, the the caster
greater thestagger closes up.toDaytona
effort required turn the and Talladega
wheel back past forthe
example
straightdrivers
ahead generally
centerlineuse no steering
of the more than 11/2
wheel.
degrees of caster stagger. The amount of caster stagger is totally up to the driver’s preference and several settings should be tried before the final
setting is arrived at.

How caster effects the handling of the chassis:

More positive caster will loosen the chassis the more the wheel is turned through a corner.

The car will pull to the side with the lower amount of positive caster.
The higher the caster stagger, the easier the car will turn into a corner. The less steering effort required. This will tend to give you a loose feeling
upon corner entry.

Toe-in or toe-out is the difference in distance between the extreme front and extreme rear of the tires when measured at spindle height. Front toe-
Front toe-out:
out is utilized to help minimize tire scrub and rolling resistance, while cornering. It’s used in oval racing in order to produce more optimum slip
We canfor
angles make adjustments that range from -0.200″ of toe-in through 0.200″ inches of toe-out. Never use a toe-in condition. The majority of setups
cornering.
usually require a setting of less than 0.125″ inches of toe-out. Don’t run anything less than 0.025″ and no more than 0.175″ inches max. toe-out on
Excessive
any track. amount of toe-out will cause tire scrub both on the straightaway and cornering. Warning, running too much toe out will scrub off speed
down the straightaway. At large tracks like Daytona and Talladega you would minimize toe-out and at small tracks maximize it. Another
consideration, adding more toe-out will add Understeer to the chassis at entry and at mid-corner.
To monitor toe-out, read the tire temperatures. Toe-out is read on the inside edge of the RF and the outside edge of the LF. If you have too much
toe-out these areas of the tires will heat up more. You should set camber first then check this condition for toe-out.

Start with an adjustment of 0.050 and you will be close. Adjust the toe-out only when the rest of the chassis is close to being correct.

Tire pressures:
Tire pressure is another adjustment that will aid in achieving the best possible grip. As a general rule, lower tire pressure generates more grip, but
Tire
at thetemperatures play a temperatures
expense of higher critical role inand
themore
effectiveness of a tire and you should try to keep them in the range of 190 to 220 degrees. If a tire is too
rolling resistance.
cold, it will become stiff, reducing the stiction forces. If it becomes too hot, it will begin shedding rubber, decreasing grip and adding to the wear,
while reducing its life.
Rolling resistance is a force that opposes the rotation of the tire, effectively slowing the car down. Increasing tire pressure will reduce the rolling
resistance while, increasing the top speed of the car. However, it will typically reduce the grip for that tire as well.
A third factor that comes into play with regard to tire inflation is the spring effect of the tire. 1 lb of air pressure adds an additional 15 lbs of spring
A
to fourth factor of
the sidewall to the
be aware of, when dealing
tire, effectively stiffeningwith
thetire pressures,onisthat
suspension thatcorner
you are
ofalso changing the weight of the car on that corner. By raising or
the car.
lowering tire pressure your changing the ride height of the chassis. Changing the ride height adds or subtracts weight from that corner of the
chassis.
This is another way that tire pressure can actually react like a spring. Adding more tire pressure makes that same spring a little stiffer. Lowering
tire pressure will make that spring a bit softer. In other words if you lower the RF tire pressure your also making the RF spring weaker.
Making the RF spring weaker will loosen the chassis. When you understand how springs work, you’ll be that much further ahead to understanding
how tire pressures work. This will become very important to be able to adjust the chassis during a race.
Tire pressure is simply how much air you have in the tire. The hotter tires get, the more they expand. Air contains moisture. Moisture becomes
Some
steam teams
as the actually don’t
air gets hot anduse air in their
increases tires, they use nitrogen. Nitrogen is preferred over air because it doesn’t expand as much with
pressure.
temperature changes because it doesn’t contain moisture. Since it’s impossible to remove all the moisture from a tire, it will still change pressure
as temperatures rises.
This can be noted after running a test session and checking your tires both hot and cold. When tires expand it changes the size of the tire which in
turn changes the weight on that wheel. This can be either a negative or positive situation depending on your chassis needs.
Tire pressures can be adjusted on all 4 tires from as low as 5 psi, to as high as 15 psi. Improper tire pressure can cause an ill handling car. Correct
tire pressure can be determined by reading tire temperatures.

A tire with a temperature reading higher in the center of a tire indicates an over-inflation.
A tire with a lower center temperature, when compared to the inside and outside of a tire indicates a under-inflation. Over inflated tires will have a
Tires are the
tendency only adjustment
to make the car tight.we can make during the race that allow you to compensate for differences between entrance and exit problems. They
work in much the same way as shocks. Increasing pressure is like stiffening a shock and will decrease grip on that corner. Lowering pressure is
like softening a shock, increasing grip on that corner.

To fix a loose condition into a corner:

Increase RF tire pressure and/or decrease RR tire pressure

Push all the way through the exit of a corner:

Increase LR tire pressure and/or decrease LF tire pressure

Altering tire pressures allows us to slightly modify the stagger. Stagger is the circumference of the right side tires compared to the left side tires.
Tire stagger:
The best way to describe stagger is by using a white Styrofoam coffee cup. You know, the kind that is bigger around on the top than on the
Take that cup and lay it over on it’s side on a table. Now push it along the table letting it roll. You see how it turns in one direction. This is stagger.
bottom.
Imagine the larger side of the cup as the right side tires and the smaller side of the cup as the left side tires. See how it turns left? Stagger on a race
car works the exact same way.
By increasing tire pressure on the right side, or decreasing pressure on the left we add stagger to the chassis allowing the car to turn left better
through a corner especially under acceleration. I wish we knew exactly how much this works in the game. It’s just something to be aware of.

Tire temperatures:
Every adjustment made on a race car, the goal is to maximize the grip of each tire. Taking tire temperatures after the car has had 8 to 10 hard,
competitive laps will tell more positive facts about how the chassis is handling than anything else. Reading tire temperatures is one of the methods
Comparing tire temperatures
in chassis tuning across the
where it is possible surface
to get awayoffrom
the LF and RFmethods
guessing tires it can
andbe determined
work if each wheel
with predictable has the proper camber angles, proper toe,
variables.
proper weight distribution, as well as proper tire inflation. By reading the average temperature of the RF and comparing it to the average
temperature of the RR we can tell if the chassis is loose or tight. Comparing diagonal averages indicate the proper amount of wedge in the chassis.
The optimal tire temperatures should be in a range of 100 to 140 degrees. Keep in mind that the hotter the tire the quicker it will wear out. It’s also
On the LFto
a short
important you
track
knowwill run
it iswhat with
normal more
for thepositive
the outside inside camber,
edge
and inside so RF
of the justtire
temperature the opposite
of and
each the holds edge
tireoutside
is. true. While cornering
of the LF to be 5these
to 10 temperatures
degrees hotter.should
On a even
largerout if you
track withhave
the
longercorrect amounts
straights, thisof camber
spread willand
be or
even weight
less.transfer. Thethe
On an oval, moreRFcamber
tire willyou run,
have the negative
more higher these spreads
camber, thuswill be. Onina the
resulting small trackedge
inside wereofyou
the spend
tire
acontacting
lot of timethecornering,
track more you’ll
thanfind the spread
the outside higher.
edge givingThis
youisthebecause
higheryour spending more time cornering than on the straights. If you try to achieve
temperature.
even temps across the tire you may develop a push. This is telling you that you have too much positive camber. Just be sure to check the tire
Comparing
temperaturesthe in average temperature of all four tires will tell you which corner of the chassis is working the hardest. To figure the average
the corners.
temperature of a tire, add the 3 temps across the tire and divide by three. If your RF is a lot hotter than the other three tires your probably pushing
because the RF is doing too much work. Work on cooling that tire, by lowering the RF spring and allow the other tires to share some of the load.
When a tire is under worked, it’s temperature is a lot lower than the other three tires. Concentrate on that corner of the car, by adding weight to
that corner, you increase the temperature of that tire. If a tire is a lot hotter than the other 3 work on cooling that tire.
Loose or tight chassis? Compare the RF average to the RR average. The RR should be about 10 degrees cooler than the RF. As the average
Wedge? Check
temperatures the average
approach of thenumber
the same RF & LR the tires and compare
car becomes loose.them
When to the RFaverage of thethan
is greater two10 front tires, warmer
degrees then to the
thanaverage
the RRofthethecartwo right
will side
push.
tires. The diagonal average should be 5 to 10 degrees cooler than both the front and right side averages. Warmer you have too much cross weight.
Cooler you need more wedge.
The bestsetting?
Toe-out way to decipher
Comparetire thetemperatures
inside edge ofis theto run
RF 10
andlaps
the on a particular
outside edge ofsetup andIfmonitor
the LF. you have tiretoo
temperatures.
much toe-out, Don’t expect
the tires to heat
will learnup
everything
more in
reading the temperatures
these two areas. only once. It will take a number of 10 laps sessions to sort out everything that is going on with the tires. When analyzing
tire temperatures it should be done in a specific order. This is because a problem in one area may mask a problem in another area. Here is what to
do:

Run 10 laps, adjust front cambers. Run another 10 laps.

Adjust tire psi. Run 10 more laps.

Adjust toe if needed. Again run 10 laps.

Adjust wedge. Run 10 laps.

Adjust for tight or loose condition based on RF and RR average. Run 10 laps.

Look for overheated or overworked tire. Adjust on that corner. Run 10 laps.

Repeat the process all over again. Run 10 more laps.

Oh no, I hear you say. This is going to take ages to get sorted out. Yes, it will. But if you want to do it properly, then this is the only way to get it
sorted out.
When checking tire temperatures it is important to make sure your not locking up the brakes or making any sudden changes in your steering
outputs. These will all create erroneous tire temperatures readings. Let’s try to simplify how to read tire temperatures by giving you this guideline.

Too much NEGATIVE camber, shows higher temperature on the INSIDE edge.

Too much POSITIVE camber, shows higher temperature on the OUTSIDE edge.

OVER inflated has higher MIDDLE temperature than the inside and outside edges.

UNDER inflated will have a LOWER MIDDLE temperature than the inside and outside edges.

Too much TOE-OUT, shows higher temperatures on the INSIDE RF and OUTSIDE LF edges.

Too much TOE-IN, shows higher temperatures on the OUTSIDE RF and INSIDE LF edges.

TIGHT condition when RF is more than 10 degrees HOTTER than RR.

LOOSE condition when RF is more than 10 degrees COOLER than RR.

HIGHEST average temperature is the corner that is being worked the MOST.

LOWEST average temperature is the corner that is being worked the LEAST.

LESS WEDGE when RF and LR diagonal average is the SAME or HIGHER than the front and right side average.

MORE WEDGE when RF and LR diagonal average is more than 10 degrees LOWER than the front and right side average.

Lets look at some examples:

(The I M O reading is the Inner, Middle and Outer section of the tire)

RF
IMO
108 102 94 – Indicates too much negative camber.

RF
IMO
94 102 108 – Indicates too much positive camber.

RF
IMO
104 88 97 – Indicates an under inflated tire.

RF
IMO
104 110 97 – Indicates an over inflated tire.

RF
IMO
104 98 94 – Indicates correct camber. Overall average temp is 198.6.
127 125 123 – Overall average temp. is 125. If the RR and RF temp above came off the same car we would have a very loose race car. The RR is
approximately
RR 26 degrees hotter than the RF. If this RR is also the hottest tire on the car, it indicates the RR is doing the majority of the work in
the
I Mcorners.
O This is the corner of the chassis that needs work on. We need to take some weight off this corner to cool this tire. Start by going with a
weaker RR spring. This should cool this tire and tighten up the chassis.

RF
115
IMO 92 86 – Outside edge is too cool indicating it needs more positive camber. Average temp. is 97.6. Let’s compare this with the RR below taken
on the same car.

RR
90
I M88
O 86 – Average temp. is 88. This tire is 10 degrees cooler than the RF indicating a neutral handling chassis. This should be good, but we
could be faster with a camber change on the RF. Let’s adjust the camber on the RF, run another 10 laps and take temperatures again below.
92
RF90 88 – Average temp. is 90, but now when we compare the average of the RF and RR we find our tire temperatures too close to each other.
After
I M Othe camber adjustment we no longer have a neutral handling car, but one that is now on the verge of becoming loose. Your general feeling
may be 90
100 95 that– the camber
Camber change
looks muchmade thenow.
better handling worse and
The average it very
temp is 95.well may of. But were still heading in the proper direction. You may have to
take a step backwards at 1st to take 2 steps forward later. We can now work on increasing the temp of the RF or work on cooling the RR to
increase
RR our average split between the RF and RR. To increase the heat in the RF try a stiffer spring. To decrease the heat in the RR try a weaker
spring.
I M O Either way you will make the car tighter. How much of a change depends on how much it changes your tire temps. Run another 10 laps
As
andyou can your
review see from the aboveagain.
temperatures example there isn’t
Eventually youalways
shouldanbeimmediate
faster thancure.
yourChassis
neutral setup is sometimes
handling setup withlike solvingcamber
improper a very in
complicated
the RF. puzzle.
For every change you believe your making for the better, it will have an adverse effect elsewhere in the chassis. If for
Experiment and learn as you test. Always keep in mind that you may be going the correct way, but there could be an adjustment elsewhere example your car feels great
that
going
may beinto and through
masking the middle
your initial of Because
change. a corner,ofbut is chassis
this loose onsetup
exit, can
youbecome
have to very
tighten it up somehow.
frustrating Curingand
for the novice the experienced
loose condition exiting the
alike.
corner now has probably messed up your chassis going into the turn. Now you must loosen it up again. It’s a constant battle of give and take. By
monitoring tire temperatures you can eliminate some of the mystery of how and why a chassis is reacting like it does.
 Ride Heights RIDE HEIGHTS
Front Ride heights are intimately tied to corner weights. They also
Higher: Tighten Exit help seal the nose of the vehicle to the track for better top sp
Lower: Loosen Exit How it works
Depending on the vehicle, the ride height adjusters may be c
LF RF change the ride height on that corner of the vehicle. When yo
Higher: Loosen Higher: Tighten corner weight changes on ALL 4 wheels. This is because the
Lower: Tighten Lower: Loosen redistribute the weight among the remaining three.

LR RR Ride heights are best used to ditribute the corner weight in s

the track as possible without hitting it, or keep it to a minimu
Higher: Tighten Higher: Loosen
and the rest of the lap you are running as low as possible. Yo
Lower: Loosen Lower: Tighten
cells in the rear can rise up as the fuel burns off, causing the
sure to test your vehicles for at least 20-40 laps when you th
Rear
Higher: Loosen Entry There are several adjustments that can affect ride heights, su
Lower: Tighten Entry clearance comes into play here, since the frame rails or side

Wedge (Cross %) Front % Vehicle rake, or the difference in height from rear to front, ca
Higher: Tighten Higher: Tighten Exit
Lower: Loosen Lower: Loosen Exit Increasing Ride Height
Increasing the Ride Height will also increase corner weight on
This is the general case for speedways but at short tracks, the opposite can happen. adjusting either of those ride heights up. This effect also app

Decreasing Ride Height

Decreasing the Ride Height will also Decrease corner weight
adjusting either of those ride heights down. This effect also a

The chassis ride height is simply the distance measured in inc

lowest to the ground. Usually just behind the front wheels &
each spring. NASCAR has limits as to the minimum ground cl
gravity. The lower the center of gravity, the lower the overall

There are a number of criteria that must be considered when

center & rear steer isn't an option for us to adjust within NAS
can be adjusted at any time & will have to be readjusted afte
lowered. Check you tire temperature for proper camber angle

If the ride height is set to low the car may bottom out on the
where there are dips in the track. If the car bottoms out in th
raise the ride height or run stiffer springs. Personally I've alw
better off you should be. Again, this theory depends on a lot

NASCAR Racing allows us to adjust the ride height on the LF,

changing the height of the RF. Raising the ride height at the
is opposite is the LR. Raising the LR will actually lower the RF
lowered. Check you tire temperature for proper camber angle

If the ride height is set to low the car may bottom out on the
where there are dips in the track. If the car bottoms out in th
raise the ride height or run stiffer springs. Personally I've alw
better off you should be. Again, this theory depends on a lot

NASCAR Racing allows us to adjust the ride height on the LF,

changing the height of the RF. Raising the ride height at the
is opposite is the LR. Raising the LR will actually lower the RF
high as 6.00". The LF is always the lowest point of the car &
LF. The higher the front of the car the tighter the car will be.

The LR can also be set as low as 4.50", but can be adjusted a

as 7.50". Adjusting the ride height effects the way weight is b
entering the corner. Just the opposite is true when running th
different degrees of over or under steer.

Another thing you must consider when raising the ride height
the air. With that big spoiler running across the back, it will c
also create more down force on the back of the car which sh
will prove worthy here.

Experimentation & accepting the less of all evils should be yo

car, the faster the car should be, but possibly at the expense
On larger tracks where moderate acceleration occurs at the m
(under steer) exiting the corner.

On short tracks where you have heavy acceleration, having a

A. The higher the CG is above the ground the more weight w

impact suspension geometry such as rear axle steer or camb

B. Let the front roll center fall where it may in order for the f
to make the car looser (overseer) in the mid portion of the co

C. Many people refer to this parameter as roll couple distribu

typically result in a mid turn push. There are no fixed numbe

D. Anybody can crank on the weight jacks until the race car h
than +/- 25 pounds. If the car is balanced and right front is g
you can likely benefit from a stiffer rear spring. After you ma

E. Excessive split (left to right) can cause the car to lack high
the car turn too easy and often makes the car loose.

F. Typically for pavement tracks the front has a larger numbe

increasing the rear number makes the car looser in the turns

While weight jacking is a quick and simple way to change the

than +/- 25 pounds. If the car is balanced and right front is g
you can likely benefit from a stiffer rear spring. After you ma

E. Excessive split (left to right) can cause the car to lack high
the car turn too easy and often makes the car loose.

F. Typically for pavement tracks the front has a larger numbe

increasing the rear number makes the car looser in the turns

While weight jacking is a quick and simple way to change the

race car wants for springs.

Before your race car goes on the track (or at the shop) the ti
Typically, there is a pressure difference in the tires between t
tire. This measurement can change from cold to hot condition

A computer is just dumb box. It only know what you tell it. F
registered in your brain. The computer can not see t he car a

The temperature of a wheel can be elevated to the point whe

read only the tire temperatures it may suspect a slightly high

A good place to take the rim temperature is where the center

Ride Height synopsis:

Too low a ride height could cause the car to bottom out.
The higher the RF ride height the tighter the car will be.
The higher the REAR ride heights, the more drag on the strai
A higher LF will tighten the chassis.
A higher LR will loosen the chassis.
A higher RR will tighten the chassis.
A higher LR lowers the RF and may cause the RF of the chas
ely tied to corner weights. They also contribute to aerodynamic handling by altering the rake (tilt of the vehicle from back to front), and ride heights can also be adjusted to
e vehicle to the track for better top speed.

e, the ride height adjusters may be called spring perch offset, pull/pushrod length, torsion bar offset, heave perch offset, etc, and they all have the same function, which is to
n that corner of the vehicle. When you change the ride height on one wheel, two things happen; one, the vehicle height on that corner either goes up or down, and two, the
n ALL 4 wheels. This is because the total weight of the vehicle is divided between the four wheels, and when you change one wheel, the others must as well in order to
mong the remaining three.

ed to ditribute the corner weight in such a manner that you get balanced tire wear between the front and rear wheels, as well as to keep the front of the vehicle as close to
hout hitting it, or keep it to a minimum anyway. Sometimes the vehicle can actually be fastest when you bottom out on some of the bumps, since those are only momentary,
ou are running as low as possible. You must be careful when adjusting it this close however, since it may cause problems later in a fuel run, because vehicles that have fuel
up as the fuel burns off, causing the front splitter or frame rails to completely bottom out, taking grip away from the tires and make the vehicle slide across the track. So, be
s for at least 20-40 laps when you think you are ready to race, to ensure your heights are correct

ments that can affect ride heights, such as spring rate, truck arms, arb preload, and others, so be sure to recheck your heights after any vehicle adjustment. Also, ground
y here, since the frame rails or side skirts can hit the track if the ride heights are too low. This can slow the vehicle down considerably.

rence in height from rear to front, can have major effects on speed, handling and vehicle aerodynamic performance.

ht
ht will also increase corner weight on that wheel, UNLESS you have ARB preload (negative number), which will then reduce weight on the RF and increase it on the LF when
ride heights up. This effect also applies to the LR/RR if the vehicle has a rear ARB adjustment capability.

ht
ght will also Decrease corner weight on that wheel, UNLESS you have ARB preload (negative number), which will then increase weight on the RF and reduce it on the LF when
ride heights down. This effect also applies to the LR/RR if the vehicle has a rear ARB adjustment capability.

s simply the distance measured in inches from the bottom of the frame rails to the ground. This measurement is taken at all 4 corners of the car where the frame rails are
ually just behind the front wheels & just in front of the rear wheels. Ride height is adjusted by turning down or up on load bolts located at each corner of the car on top of
s limits as to the minimum ground clearance allowed. Ideally you would want to run your chassis as low as possible. The lower your ride height, the lower your center of
enter of gravity, the lower the overall weight is to the ground. The lower the weight the less weight transfer will occur while cornering.

riteria that must be considered when adjusting ride height. Those include chassis clearance, spring rates, camber change, front & rear roll centers, & rear steer. The front roll
an option for us to adjust within NASCAR Racing. These adjustments are built into the chassis itself. Rear roll center can be taken care of by adjusting the track bar. Camber
ime & will have to be readjusted after making a ride height change. This is because your camber angles & contact patch of the front tires will change as your car is raised or
temperature for proper camber angles. The most important factor we must consider is chassis clearance.

o low the car may bottom out on the track. This will more likely occur at high speed high banked tracks where the centrifugal forces are higher higher or at road courses
he track. If the car bottoms out in the rear you will most likely get loose. Bottoming out up front will result in a push. If you bottom out you can do one of two things. You can
un stiffer springs. Personally I've always believed that lower was better, but I also believe that softer springs are better. On paper, the softer the springs & lower the car, the
. Again, this theory depends on a lot of other adjustments set within the chassis, so experimentation is the only real answer.

s to adjust the ride height on the LF, LR, & RR. The RF is non adjustable & grayed out, although changing the ride height at any of the other three corners will result in
he RF. Raising the ride height at the LF & RR corner will also automatically raise the RF. Lowering the ride height at those same corners will also lower the RF. The corner that
sing the LR will actually lower the RF ride height, taking weight off the RF & thus loosening the chassis. At the LF we are allowed to set the ride height as low as 4.50" & as
hts can also be adjusted to

he same function, which is to

es up or down, and two, the
must as well in order to

t of the vehicle as close to

those are only momentary,
use vehicles that have fuel
lide across the track. So, be

adjustment. Also, ground

d increase it on the LF when

and reduce it on the LF when

where the frame rails are

orner of the car on top of
he lower your center of

s, & rear steer. The front roll

sting the track bar. Camber
nge as your car is raised or

gher or at road courses

do one of two things. You can
springs & lower the car, the

e corners will result in

ower the RF. The corner that
height as low as 4.50" & as
 Rear Track Bar TRACK BARS
Left Both Right The track bar, or the panhard rod, is a metal ro
Raise: Tightens Exit & Loosens Entry Raise: Loosens Raise: Loosens Exit & Tightens Entry the rear end housing on the other side.
Lower: Loosens Exit & Tightens Entry Lower: Tightens Lower: Tightens Exit & Loosens Entry How it works - basics
The track bar is used to control the lateral mov
Rear Truck Arm Mounts adjust the handling of a race vehicle.
LR Higher: Loosen Entry Higher: Loosen RR Higher: Loosen on Exit
LR Lower: Tighten Entry Lower: Tighten RR Lower: Tighten on Exit As the suspension compresses and extends, th
lowering the track bar also changes the roll cen

Track bars affect the vehicle differently, depen

the right side largely affects corner exit.

Increase Track Bar (up)

Increasing the left side height of the track bars
will make the vehicle looser on exit.

Decrease Track Bar (down)

Decreasing the left side height of the track bar
will make the vehicle tighter on exit.

The track bar or panhard bar as I like to call it,

side to side while cornering. The left side of th
mounts are adjustable up & down & change th

Within the sim we are allowed to lower the bar

how far off the ground the track bar is located.
Lowering the track bar equally lowers the rear

We are also allowed to change the track bar st

the angle at which the bar is mounted. By chan
or RR) you add rear steer to the car. The easie
the wheel at the RF to RR then measure the sa
measurement is NOT the same as the other, y
how the chassis will perform at various points

Raising the right side of the track bar, or lower

up under braking. Of course lowering the right
tighter under acceleration & loosen you up whi
greater the angles of the bar, or the larger the

Track Bar synopsis:

Raising the bar on both ends loosens the chass
Lowering the bar on both ends tightens the ch
Raising the right side of the bar loosens the ca
Lowering the right side of the bar tightens the
K BARS
ack bar, or the panhard rod, is a metal rod that runs parellel to the rear axle and connects to the chassis on one side of the vehicle, and
ar end housing on the other side.
works - basics
ack bar is used to control the lateral movement of the rear axle as the suspension compresses. It is this controlling aspect that is used to
the handling of a race vehicle.

suspension compresses and extends, the track bar moves in an arc and it effectively steers the vehicle with the rear wheels. Raising or
ng the track bar also changes the roll center as it swings through its arc when the body rolls to one side or the other.

bars affect the vehicle differently, depending on which side you raise or lower. On ovals, the left side generally affects corner entry , and
ht side largely affects corner exit.

ase Track Bar (up)

sing the left side height of the track bars, will make the vehicle looser on corner entry. Increasing the right side height of the track bar
ake the vehicle looser on exit.

ease Track Bar (down)

asing the left side height of the track bars, will make the vehicle tighter on corner entry. Decreasing the right side height of the track bar
ake the vehicle tighter on exit.

ack bar or panhard bar as I like to call it, is simply a bar that is mounted behind the rear-end that keeps the rear end from moving from
o side while cornering. The left side of this bar is mounted to the rear-end, while the right side is mounted to the frame. Both of these
s are adjustable up & down & change the rear roll center of the car. Rear roll center directly effects the body roll experienced in the car.

the sim we are allowed to lower the bar as low as 7.00" & raise it as high as 14.00". This measurement in inches is simply telling you
ar off the ground the track bar is located. Raising the track bar equally on both ends raises the rear roll center & thus loosens up the car.
ing the track bar equally lowers the rear roll center & will tighten up the car.

e also allowed to change the track bar stagger or split between the left & right mounting points. Adding stagger to the track bar changes
gle at which the bar is mounted. By changing the track bar from level, to either uphill or downhill (raising or lower only one side, the LR
you add rear steer to the car. The easiest way to describe rear steer is by equating it with wheel base. If you measure from the center of
heel at the RF to RR then measure the same on the LF & LR that will give to your wheel base. If one side of your wheel base
urement is NOT the same as the other, you have rear steer. When you add rear steer to the car by running track bar stagger, you change
he chassis will perform at various points throughout a corner.

g the right side of the track bar, or lowering the left side, will make the car looser under acceleration while at the same time tighten you
der braking. Of course lowering the right side of the track bar or raising the left side will have the opposite effect & will make the car
r under acceleration & loosen you up while braking. How much tighter or looser? It depends on how much track bar stagger you have. The
r the angles of the bar, or the larger the difference between the LR & RR, the greater the effect on the chassis.

Bar synopsis:
g the bar on both ends loosens the chassis.
ing the bar on both ends tightens the chassis.
g the right side of the bar loosens the car under acceleration, & tightens the chassis under braking.
ing the right side of the bar tightens the car under acceleration, & loosens the chassis while braking.
 Shocks
LF Front RF
Positive Bump: Loosen Entry Positive Bump: Tighten Entry Positive Bump: Tighten Entry
Negative Bump: Tighten Entry Negative Bump: Loosen Entry Negative Bump: Loosen Entry
Positive Rebound: Loosen Exit Positive Rebound: Loosen Exit Positive Rebound: Loosen Exit
Negative Rebound: Tighten Exit Negative Rebound: Tighten Exit Negative Rebound: Tighten Exit

LR Rear RR
Positive Bump: Tighten Exit Positive Bump: Loosen Exit Positive Bump: Loosen Exit
Negative Bump: Loosen Exit Negative Bump: Tighten Exit Negative Bump: Tighten Exit
Positive Rebound: Loosen Entry Positive Rebound: Loosen entry Positive Rebound: Loosen Entry
Negative Rebound: Tighten Entry Negative Rebound: Tighten Entry Negative Rebound: Tighten Entry

Left Side Un-Balanced Adjustments Right Side

Positive Rebound: Turn Better Loose In / Tight Off: Neg RR Rebound Positive Bump: Turn Better
Negative Rebound: Turn Less Tight In / Loose Off: Pos RR Rebound Negative Bump: Turn Less

SHOCK BUMP COMPRESSION:

The stiffer the FRONT shocks, (higher the number) the tighter the car will be when braking.
The softer the FRONT shocks, (lower the number) the looser the car will be when braking.
The stiffer the REAR shocks, (higher the number) the looser the car will be under acceleration.
The softer the REAR shocks, (lower the number) the tighter the car will be under acceleration.

SHOCK REBOUND:
The stiffer the FRONT shocks, (higher the number) the tighter the car will be under acceleration.
The softer the FRONT shocks, (lower the number) the looser the car will be under acceleration.
The stiffer the REAR shocks, (higher the number) the looser the car will be under braking.
The softer the REAR shocks, (lower the number) the tighter the car will be under braking.
Shock synopsis:

RF
Higher compression will tighten the chassis entering a corner.
Lower compression will loosen the chassis entering a corner.
Higher rebound will tighten the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Lower rebound will loosen the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Overall stiffer RF shock will tighten chassis, weaker will loosen it.

RR
Higher compression will loosen the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Lower compression will tighten the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Higher rebound will loosen the chassis entering a corner.
Lower rebound will tighten the chassis entering a corner.
Overall stiffer RR shock will loosen chassis, weaker will tighten it.

LF
Higher compression will tighten the chassis entering a corner.
RR
Higher compression will loosen the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Lower compression will tighten the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Higher rebound will loosen the chassis entering a corner.
Lower rebound will tighten the chassis entering a corner.
Overall stiffer RR shock will loosen chassis, weaker will tighten it.
LF
Higher compression will tighten the chassis entering a corner.
Lower compression will loosen the chassis entering a corner.
Higher rebound will tighten the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Lower rebound will loosen the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Overall stiffer LF shock will loosen chassis, weaker will tighten it.

LR
Higher compression will loosen the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Lower compression will tighten the chassis accelerating out of a corner.
Higher rebound will loosen the chassis entering a corner.
Lower rebound will tighten the chassis entering a corner.
Overall stiffer LR shock will tighten chassis, weaker will loosen it.

Asymmetrical changes:
The stiffer the shock, the less grip that tire will have.
Stiffer rebound on the left shocks will help the car turn in by slowing weight transfer to the right.
Stiffer compression on the right shocks will help the car turn in by also slowing weight transfer to the right.
Softer rebound on the front shocks will loosen the chassis exiting the corner.
Softer compression on the rear shocks will tighten the chassis exiting the corner.
Doing just the opposite mentioned above, on either compression or rebound will produce just the opposite results.
Asymmetrical changes seem to have a greater influence than individual shock changes.

General:
Use the above info as a guideline only. Changing just one shock may not give you the exact results mentioned above. Other factors must be
considered. Other shocks & settings as well as asymmetrical changes will produce different results with varying degrees of chassis changes or
feelings based on other components & driving style.
SHOCK COMPRESSION
Increments of shock compression are described as the amount of resistance force when pushing the shock piston into it's body.
How it works - basics
Shock compression is used to control dynamic corner weight distribution for the part of the vehicle above the wheel assemblies, also called
'sprung weight', when said wheel is NOT fully compressed or extended. What does this mumbo-jumbo mean? Basically, it's this; The shock
compression provides a method for controlling how fast a corner of a vehicle transfers weight. This means you can loosen or tighten a vehicle at
very specific points on entry to or exit from a turn on a race track.

The stiffness of the shock compression determines how rapidly the shock affects the dynamic wheel weight and weight transfer. A very soft
compression will still transfer weight to that wheel upon entry or exit to a corner, depending on which wheel you adjust (With compression,
front shocks mostly affect corner entry and rear shocks mostly affect corner exit), but at a slower rate since it has little resistance. A very high
compression will transfer weight much more quickly, since there is a lot of resistance. For instance, if you were to set the LF & RF compression
both to 1 , and the vehicle is tight upon corner entry (left hander), then raised the LF compression to its max setting, the vehicle would likely
become looser upon corner entry, since the LF wheel receives its dynamic weight transfer much more quickly than the RF. The same principle
applies to rear shock compression, if available, where the stiffer shock would acheive it's weight transfer more quickly.

Shocks should be adjusted only when your setup is getting good and close to race ready. Adjusting shocks to correct major handling problems
will likely not give you the result you desire, since they are considered more of a fine-tuning adjustment.

Increase Bump
Increasing shock bump, or compression, speeds the application of weight to that corner upon suspension compression.

Decrease Bump
Decreasing shock bump, or compression, slows the application of weight to that corner upon suspension compression.

SHOCK REBOUND
Increments of shock rebound are described as the amount of resistance force when pulling the shock piston outward from it's body.
How it works - basics
Shock rebound is used to control dynamic corner weight distribution for the part of the vehicle above the wheel assemblies, also called 'sprung
weight', when said wheel is NOT fully compressed or extended. What does this mumbo-jumbo mean? Basically, it's this; The shock rebound
provides a method for controlling how fast a corner of a vehicle transfers weight. This means you can loosen or tighten a vehicle at very specific
points on entry to or exit from a turn on a race track.

The stiffness of the shock rebound determines how rapidly the shock affects the dynamic wheel weight and weight transfer. A very soft rebound
will still transfer weight away from that wheel upon entry or exit to a corner, depending on which wheel you adjust (With rebound, rear shocks
mostly affect corner entry and front shocks mostly affect corner exit), but at a slower rate since it has little resistance. A very high rebound will
transfer weight much more quickly, since there is a lot of resistance. For instance, if you were to set the LR & RR Rebound both to 1 , and the
vehicle is tight upon corner entry (left hander), then raised the LR Rebound to its max setting, the vehicle would likely become looser upon
corner entry, since the LR wheel sheds its weight much more quickly than the RR. The same principle applies to front shock rebound, where the
stiffer shock rebound would shed it's weight more quickly.

Shocks should be adjusted only when your setup is getting good and close to race ready. Adjusting shocks to correct major handling problems
will likely not give you the result you desire, since they are considered more of a fine-tuning adjustment.
will still transfer weight away from that wheel upon entry or exit to a corner, depending on which wheel you adjust (With rebound, rear shocks
mostly affect corner entry and front shocks mostly affect corner exit), but at a slower rate since it has little resistance. A very high rebound will
transfer weight much more quickly, since there is a lot of resistance. For instance, if you were to set the LR & RR Rebound both to 1 , and the
vehicle is tight upon corner entry (left hander), then raised the LR Rebound to its max setting, the vehicle would likely become looser upon
corner entry, since the LR wheel sheds its weight much more quickly than the RR. The same principle applies to front shock rebound, where the
stiffer shock rebound would shed it's weight more quickly.

Shocks should be adjusted only when your setup is getting good and close to race ready. Adjusting shocks to correct major handling problems
will likely not give you the result you desire, since they are considered more of a fine-tuning adjustment.

Increasing Shock Rebound

Increasing shock rebound speeds the shedding of weight from that corner upon suspension rebound.

Decreasing Shock Rebound

Decreasing shock rebound slows the shedding of weight from that corner upon suspension rebound.
nto it's body.

l assemblies, also called

ally, it's this; The shock
loosen or tighten a vehicle at

ight transfer. A very soft

djust (With compression,
ittle resistance. A very high
et the LF & RF compression
g, the vehicle would likely
the RF. The same principle
kly.

ct major handling problems

ion.

on.

rd from it's body.

emblies, also called 'sprung

this; The shock rebound
hten a vehicle at very specific

transfer. A very soft rebound

(With rebound, rear shocks
ce. A very high rebound will
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ely become looser upon
nt shock rebound, where the

ct major handling problems

 Sway Bars Front Sway Bar
Front Sway Bar Rear Sway Bar A sway bar is also known as an anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar
Larger: Loosen Entry (May Cause a corner. This is done with a bar that connects to both front
Larger: Tighten Exit
Wheelspin on exit) acts as a third spring to help balance out weight transfer du
Smaller: Loosen Exit Smaller: Tighten Entry
bars, but within the sim we are only allowed to adjust them
Within NASCAR Racing we are allowed a total of 12 differen
Front ARB Asymmetry Rear ARB Asymmetry by the thickness or diameter of the bar. The thicker the bar
Higher: Better Turn in, Tighten Off with
Higher: (More Grip on Exit)
snap loose
Lower: Tighten Entry, Loosen Center Off Lower: (Less Grip on Exit)
By changing the diameter of the bar we are able to adjust th
Front ARB Preload Rear ARB Preload
front of the car. Generally speaking, the larger the bar the le
the car becomes. Therefore the smaller the bar, the more bo
(-): Tighten on Exit (-): Loosen Entry bars is an easy way to compensate for roll couple or body ro
(+): Better Turn in, Tighter Exit with
(+): Tighten Entry
Snap loose
Front Sway Bar synopsis:
Front Swaybar Link Slack LR Swaybar Attachment The larger the bar the tighter the chassis.
Higher + #: More Roll, loosen center & Chain: For bumpy tracks, used 3/4 of the The smaller the bar the looser the chassis.
Exit Tighten Center &
Lower + #: Less Roll, time
Solid: For Smooth Tracks
Exit
wn as an anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar. The purpose of a sway bar is to control body roll through
with a bar that connects to both front lower a frames. Without getting to technical, a sway bar
o help balance out weight transfer during cornering. There are a number of ways to adjust sway
m we are only allowed to adjust them one way, & that is through the size of the sway bar itself.
we are allowed a total of 12 different choices for the front sway bar. The sway bar is measured
meter of the bar. The thicker the bar the stiffer the bar.

ter of the bar we are able to adjust the amount of roll couple or weight transfer that occurs at the
lly speaking, the larger the bar the less the body roll up front. The less the body roll the tighter
fore the smaller the bar, the more body roll & the looser the car becomes. Fine tuning with sway
compensate for roll couple or body roll.

is:
ighter the chassis.
e looser the chassis.
STEERING RATIO
Steering ratio is defined as the comparison of degrees of steering wheel turn vs. degrees of front wheel(s) turn.
Example
If you turn the steering wheel one full rotation (360 degrees), and the front wheels turn 30 degrees, then the ratio is 12:1. So, you would have to turn the
steering wheel 12 full rotations in order to get the front wheels to turn around in one complete circle.

Steering ratio is used to control steering response, NOT alter the handling of the vehicle. On a short oval track, you might want a lower ratio, such as 8:1, to
make the vehicle turn more quickly, and on a large superspeedway you might want something like 14:1, so you can keep better control of the vehicle, because
at 200mph, you don't want the vehicle to turn quickly with small steering movements.

Increasing Steering Ratio

Increasing the steering ratio will slow the rate of the vehicle turning as you turn the steering wheel.

Decreasing Steering Ratio

Decreasing the steering ratio will quicken the rate of the vehicle turning as you turn the steering wheel.
ave to turn the

tio, such as 8:1, to

the vehicle, because
 Front Avg.
Front Left 171.83 Front Right
O M I I M O
161 168 154 FL-RR Avg. 184 184 180
161.00 178.17 182.67

Left Side Avg. F&R Avg. Right Side Avg.

154.83 171.92 189.00

Rear Left RL&FR Avg. Rear Right

O M I 165.67 I M O
160 160 126 196 196 194
148.67 Rear Avg. 195.33
172.00
 SK Modified
Front Avg.
Front Left 50.5% Front Right
738 598

Left Side Avg. Cross Right Side Avg.

56.0% 50.7% 44.0%

Rear Left Rear Right

742 RearAvg. 567
49.5%

Total 2645
Under steer: When you have traction with the rear wheels but the front wheels lose traction regardless of the steering c
Wheel Base: The distance as measured from the center of the front wheel to the center of the rear wheel.