Originally Posted by
SamuraiJack
Would anyone like to provide some tips on keeping a TC straight while blazing down straight-a-ways? Thoughts that come to my novice mind:
- how to absolutely center servo arm
- minimize play in steering
- minimize chatter
- toe seems to have some affect? depending on grip?
For centering the steering, on a fresh build, I eyeball everything first to get it close. Then I mess with servo position vs. steering linkage length to find the setup that gives the most even EPAs. Then I measure the tie-rods to make sure they're exactly the same length. Then I put the car on the setup station, center everything by eye, and set camber. Camber has a big effect on toe. Toe has a smaller affect on camber. Then I turn on my radio and adjust sub trim so the toe reading is the same left and right, then re-check camber. Then I set my actual toe and re-check camber again. Then I turn the wheel to each side and check the toe at maximum lock, and adjust EPAs to get them even.
Minimizing play in steering really depends on the car, I think. The plastic bag trick can work well if the ballcups are loose.
You shouldn't have chatter in a straight line.
You didn't mention suspension tweak, which is really, really important. With the amount of toe and camber we usually run, if there's a suspension tweak it will load the tires very differently in a straight line, and make the car pull.
Along those lines, left/right weight balance and droop accuracy are also important, because they can create or mask a suspension tweak.
More front droop can also make the car less sensitive to suspension tweaks and track surface irregularities.
Sometimes the track will just have funky slopes and irregularities, though, and you just have to learn how the car is going to pull at different spots and compensate for it.
-Mike