steering angle

drftk1d · 05-18-2005, 09:48 PM

i've been reading around posts on here and articles in magazines and such, and it seems like steering angle is one of the biggest factors in building and drifting a car.

i know that the tie rods can be modified to gain angle. but with cars like mine (the FC) that have less ultimate angle as compared to say, a S13, what are other options? on fc3spro.com a modification that relocated the tie rod on the hub was used to gain angle. are there any other methods to gain steering angle?
link to article: http://fc3spro.com/TECH/DRIFT/DCOMPARE/dcompare.html

Pennyman · 05-18-2005, 10:39 PM

I can see the benefit of having a few degrees extra steering angle to help get the car a tad more sideways than usual, but usually (as far as I've heard) the only cars that deperately required steering modifications were domestics and other cars with a large turning radius (and pro drift rides).

The modification you are mentioning could be as easy as grinding down a couple stops, or as bad as cutting out suspension components and fabricating/relocating them to increasing angle. Overall, I think there are bigger fish to fry with regard to drift tech (IE: suspension, differential, clutch, etc.) unless you happen to be trying to drift a bus or a moving truck.

I recommend looking at the setup of your steering components to get a good idea of how it is set up as a first step, then figure out how in-depth you want the project to be.

theflatlander · 05-19-2005, 12:11 AM

i know of couple FC drivers that use stock tie rods, and can drift with the best of them. I'd definately work on other parts of the caras Pennyman stated and then get lots of seat time before worrying about a little more steering angle.

_PG_ · 05-21-2005, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pennyman

I can see the benefit of having a few degrees extra steering angle to help get the car a tad more sideways than usual, but usually (as far as I've heard) the only cars that deperately required steering modifications were domestics and other cars with a large turning radius (and pro drift rides).

The modification you are mentioning could be as easy as grinding down a couple stops, or as bad as cutting out suspension components and fabricating/relocating them to increasing angle. Overall, I think there are bigger fish to fry with regard to drift tech (IE: suspension, differential, clutch, etc.) unless you happen to be trying to drift a bus or a moving truck.

I recommend looking at the setup of your steering components to get a good idea of how it is set up as a first step, then figure out how in-depth you want the project to be.

Meh..... FCs have horrid steering angles. Worst i've seen in popular drift cars.

To solve the solution, big spacers added to the inner tie rod allow the rack to move more, also a popular thing to do in japan and finally the US is cut the spindle, grind the piece shorter, and re weld it onto the spindle. To reinforce it, weld some support steel plates on either side of the re-welded Spindle arm.

CrazyHawaiian · 05-22-2005, 02:20 AM

Here's what I'm gonna be doing for a little more steering angle. On my lower control arms there are stops that prevent the steering from turning far enough where the insides of the wheels contact the body. By shaving down these stops you can get more angle but then you run into the problem of the wheel contacting the insides of the front fenders/chassis. Use a wheel spacer to move the wheel offset out and you gain more clearance. So my plan is to run the biggest spacers possible considering my wheel/tire and suspension setup, then shave down the stops to the point of maximum angle without contact. This will probably only get me a few more degrees of angle, but it wont require some crazy custom steering conversion. I'm just finishing up my suspension build and getting ready to mount my new tires. Once I can get the new front wheel/tire setup on there and do some measurements I'm gonna order the spacers, then once they're here I'm gonna shave down the stops while the control arms are still on the car.

Drift For Food · 05-23-2005, 11:18 PM

Steering anlge is only one part in building and drifting a car. In my mind, it's quite a small factor. However, it is a limiting factor. If you don't have enough, you run the risk of spinning out quite easily. While drifting, you're already using up a bit of the steer angle just to hold the drift. You do want some room around this angle to allow manipulation of the car during the drift. If you are too limited by the max steer angle of the car, you limit the manipulation you can do. You may find yourself at full lock at times and want more angle to catch the slide or to adjust your attack angle a little more.

Now, you kind of have to figure out how much angle you need to work with. Is stock enough? Do you want more? Do you need more?

As well, you can work on car setup to tune how it drifts. You can set up the car to naturally hold a smaller angle. Doing so will both provide more room to work with and will also create a faster drift.

A smaller angle also forces you to be a little more smooth and subtle with your actions. You can't just chuck the rear out and expect to catch it with the steering all the time.

05-18-2005, 09:48 PM	#1
drftk1d Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7	steering angle i've been reading around posts on here and articles in magazines and such, and it seems like steering angle is one of the biggest factors in building and drifting a car. i know that the tie rods can be modified to gain angle. but with cars like mine (the FC) that have less ultimate angle as compared to say, a S13, what are other options? on fc3spro.com a modification that relocated the tie rod on the hub was used to gain angle. are there any other methods to gain steering angle? link to article: http://fc3spro.com/TECH/DRIFT/DCOMPARE/dcompare.html

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05-18-2005, 10:39 PM	#2
Pennyman A ring a ding ding... Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 380	I can see the benefit of having a few degrees extra steering angle to help get the car a tad more sideways than usual, but usually (as far as I've heard) the only cars that deperately required steering modifications were domestics and other cars with a large turning radius (and pro drift rides). The modification you are mentioning could be as easy as grinding down a couple stops, or as bad as cutting out suspension components and fabricating/relocating them to increasing angle. Overall, I think there are bigger fish to fry with regard to drift tech (IE: suspension, differential, clutch, etc.) unless you happen to be trying to drift a bus or a moving truck. I recommend looking at the setup of your steering components to get a good idea of how it is set up as a first step, then figure out how in-depth you want the project to be.

05-19-2005, 12:11 AM	#3
theflatlander Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North Dakota Posts: 393	i know of couple FC drivers that use stock tie rods, and can drift with the best of them. I'd definately work on other parts of the caras Pennyman stated and then get lots of seat time before worrying about a little more steering angle.

05-22-2005, 02:20 AM	#5
CrazyHawaiian Sample One Time!! Join Date: May 2003 Location: Hawaii Posts: 1,276	Here's what I'm gonna be doing for a little more steering angle. On my lower control arms there are stops that prevent the steering from turning far enough where the insides of the wheels contact the body. By shaving down these stops you can get more angle but then you run into the problem of the wheel contacting the insides of the front fenders/chassis. Use a wheel spacer to move the wheel offset out and you gain more clearance. So my plan is to run the biggest spacers possible considering my wheel/tire and suspension setup, then shave down the stops to the point of maximum angle without contact. This will probably only get me a few more degrees of angle, but it wont require some crazy custom steering conversion. I'm just finishing up my suspension build and getting ready to mount my new tires. Once I can get the new front wheel/tire setup on there and do some measurements I'm gonna order the spacers, then once they're here I'm gonna shave down the stops while the control arms are still on the car.

05-23-2005, 11:18 PM	#6
Drift For Food OMG the ground's white! Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 676	Steering anlge is only one part in building and drifting a car. In my mind, it's quite a small factor. However, it is a limiting factor. If you don't have enough, you run the risk of spinning out quite easily. While drifting, you're already using up a bit of the steer angle just to hold the drift. You do want some room around this angle to allow manipulation of the car during the drift. If you are too limited by the max steer angle of the car, you limit the manipulation you can do. You may find yourself at full lock at times and want more angle to catch the slide or to adjust your attack angle a little more. Now, you kind of have to figure out how much angle you need to work with. Is stock enough? Do you want more? Do you need more? As well, you can work on car setup to tune how it drifts. You can set up the car to naturally hold a smaller angle. Doing so will both provide more room to work with and will also create a faster drift. A smaller angle also forces you to be a little more smooth and subtle with your actions. You can't just chuck the rear out and expect to catch it with the steering all the time.