new to the game and tryin to fig out some

Mulvaney · 10/10/11, 11:50 PM

first of all i would like to thank anyone in advance that helps me out.

i have recently purchased a couple mini sprints and so far i can't keep up. i have a book that talks a lot about setups and stuff but it seems like it is in french or something i can't figure it out. One part tells me to run toe out to make the car turn and then the next section says toe out hurts so use akerman. i don't have a clue what akerman is let alone how to get it in my car. also it says that akerman makes the left front turn sharper than the r front and to me that sounds like toe in on the left front idk. and also caster angle how does this help me and how do i get it . and on my jacobs ladder should my top bar be longer than the bottom one. sorry for so many ?s but if i don't ask i will never figure it out and prob end up selling my cars. i don't like being the one in the way all the time

thebus79h · 10/11/11, 8:24 AM

First things first, if you haven't raced before, then don't expect to be up front right away. It's definitely not an easy thing to do, and if you have raced before, then you still have to get used to the car, and the way it reacts.

On our cars (600cc Micro Sprints and TQ Midgets), we run about an 1/8" toe out. That's measured using a tool we made that measures the difference between the front of the front tires, and the back.

The ackerman effect is something we had in karting, but don't really know how you would get it here since a mini sprint uses a pittman arm anymore. What it is is when you take your tie rods (has to have two), and they aren't connected at the same point. so the angle of each tie rod is different, therefore, changing the angle of the spindle. But have no idea how you would pull this off on a mini sprint. Now on a micro sprint, with the steering box in the front, you essentially could, but would take some work because most aren't setup that way. Being honest with you, this isn't to huge of a deal with setup on these type of cars.

Caster will make the car more or less stable down the straight away, and easier to turn, or harder to turn. Contact your car builder to find out how much caster they recommend. But you change the caster angle by rotating your radius rods in the front either forward or back, depending on where it needs adjusted.

And on the jacobs ladder, the straps should be even length, if they aren't, it sounds like the rear end is either to far left, or to far right.

Jack Dupp · 10/11/11, 9:21 AM

Ackerman steering geometry explained:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackerma...ering_geometry

TQ29m · 10/11/11, 11:05 AM

Isn't "google" a wonderful thing, saved me a lot of money on refrigerator repairs, and anything I'm not familiar with! Just ask it, and it will answer, someone else out ther, has had your same problem. Bob!

dant · 10/11/11, 10:00 PM

perhaps you should pay someone to go over your car-set it up one time and learn how to...you haven't described 'why' you can't keep up or what the car does,,,no one local you race with to give a hand? google mini sprint set up..good luck,,,axels square to motor plate-bird cages timed-10degrees caster -1/8 to 1/4 toe out

Mulvaney · 10/12/11, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dant

perhaps you should pay someone to go over your car-set it up one time and learn how to...you haven't described 'why' you can't keep up or what the car does,,,no one local you race with to give a hand? google mini sprint set up..good luck,,,axels square to motor plate-bird cages timed-10degrees caster -1/8 to 1/4 toe out

honestly i don't know why it is slow it was tight in the middle of the turn i made some small air adjustments and wound my car a little tighter before setting up for the turn and it feels good around the whole track if anything it is a little loose from middle to exit so next weekend i am goin to take a little stagger out but i don't think that is going to make up a whole straighaway by the end of the first lap which is about how far they are ahead of me. on the restart i can stay up with them but they drive a little more into the turn and kill me off the turn but i think that is more because they get in to the turn better but thanks for all the advice and i will take it all thanks

10/11/11, 11:05 AM	#4 Re: new to the game and tryin to fig out some
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,558	Isn't "google" a wonderful thing, saved me a lot of money on refrigerator repairs, and anything I'm not familiar with! Just ask it, and it will answer, someone else out ther, has had your same problem. Bob! __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

10/10/11, 11:50 PM	#1 new to the game and tryin to fig out some
Mulvaney Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 168	first of all i would like to thank anyone in advance that helps me out. i have recently purchased a couple mini sprints and so far i can't keep up. i have a book that talks a lot about setups and stuff but it seems like it is in french or something i can't figure it out. One part tells me to run toe out to make the car turn and then the next section says toe out hurts so use akerman. i don't have a clue what akerman is let alone how to get it in my car. also it says that akerman makes the left front turn sharper than the r front and to me that sounds like toe in on the left front idk. and also caster angle how does this help me and how do i get it . and on my jacobs ladder should my top bar be longer than the bottom one. sorry for so many ?s but if i don't ask i will never figure it out and prob end up selling my cars. i don't like being the one in the way all the time

10/11/11, 8:24 AM	#2 Re: new to the game and tryin to fig out some
thebus79h Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 446	First things first, if you haven't raced before, then don't expect to be up front right away. It's definitely not an easy thing to do, and if you have raced before, then you still have to get used to the car, and the way it reacts. On our cars (600cc Micro Sprints and TQ Midgets), we run about an 1/8" toe out. That's measured using a tool we made that measures the difference between the front of the front tires, and the back. The ackerman effect is something we had in karting, but don't really know how you would get it here since a mini sprint uses a pittman arm anymore. What it is is when you take your tie rods (has to have two), and they aren't connected at the same point. so the angle of each tie rod is different, therefore, changing the angle of the spindle. But have no idea how you would pull this off on a mini sprint. Now on a micro sprint, with the steering box in the front, you essentially could, but would take some work because most aren't setup that way. Being honest with you, this isn't to huge of a deal with setup on these type of cars. Caster will make the car more or less stable down the straight away, and easier to turn, or harder to turn. Contact your car builder to find out how much caster they recommend. But you change the caster angle by rotating your radius rods in the front either forward or back, depending on where it needs adjusted. And on the jacobs ladder, the straps should be even length, if they aren't, it sounds like the rear end is either to far left, or to far right.

10/11/11, 9:21 AM	#3 Re: new to the game and tryin to fig out some
Jack Dupp Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 333	Ackerman steering geometry explained: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackerma...ering_geometry

10/11/11, 10:00 PM	#5 Re: new to the game and tryin to fig out some
dant Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 191	perhaps you should pay someone to go over your car-set it up one time and learn how to...you haven't described 'why' you can't keep up or what the car does,,,no one local you race with to give a hand? google mini sprint set up..good luck,,,axels square to motor plate-bird cages timed-10degrees caster -1/8 to 1/4 toe out