I have occasionally wondered if it is better to do the rear on these cars, for drag racing, when the rear squats, such that when it approaches its peak squat depth, that it THEN flattens the tires to zero camber, which, I am guessing, would require positive camber to some extent when static.
Why? Any camber in the rear other than flat has produced slipping.
I have occasionally wondered if it is better to do the rear on these cars, for drag racing, when the rear squats, such that when it approaches its peak squat depth, that it THEN flattens the tires to zero camber, which, I am guessing, would require positive camber to some extent when static.
So, I will say it again, with details.. Your peak need for traction is not necessarily The picosecond that you begin to squat. If one were to look at the torque-applied-at-pavement-to-time graph, you may find that it does not occur when the vehicle is flat, no extra suspension squat.
Were one to align the camber curve so it provided the flattest possible contact patch, preferably overlapping the time frame in which peak torque is occurring, one could realize some traction gains, more especially so with stock sidewalls and high (relatively) tire pressures.
The FACT is that the car starts OUT with negative camber, negatively impacting footprint size and traction distribution across said tire footprint. As it squats, it ONLY BECOMES WORSE, WITH LESS AND LESS CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE CONTACT PATCH.
This is why starting with some positive camber, so that the tire hits zero camber at some time during the launch, instead of going from negative camber to OMG WAY TOO MUCH NEGATIVE CAMBER FOR MAX TRACTION is desirable.
If negative camber was the hot ticket for straight-line traction Top Fuelers would be using it, like the cambered rear axles they used or use in NASCAR.
Here's a thread discussing cambered solid axles, so no one makes a parade-like display of their ignorance by claiming they do not exist:
do any of you guys run a negative cambered rear diff? i have been thinking about the rear diff i want to get for my car. since the car will see more street time than track time will it hurt anything other than tire wear? the car will get pounded on autocrossing about 12 times a year and as many...
www.pro-touring.com
The idea, once again, is to more closely match maximum contact patch size and consistency with the maximum need FOR said contact patch maximum size and consistency.
I can't claim that having any positive camber would do, literally, ANY good at literally ANY time except right on launch at a drag race, but it is something that is ultra-cheap to try out, and would reduce the traction-reducing effects of negative-then-OMG-way-too-negative camber on launch.
