Alignment

[Darkside]

This has been bouncing around in my head for a couple days and I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but I'm curious to hear what you all think...

So I'm working on two cars, a street rod and a new basx car. Drilled axle holes using the SB Extreme. Got the alignment nailed on the street rod. Alignment on the DFW side was perfect (lightnin boy test) and the other side had a very slight toe out. So I slugged and re-drilled it on that side and it's now perfect as well. So I move on to the basx chassis and I've got a very slight toe in on the DFW side and an equally very slight toe out on the other side... (Now we're talking very very slight. The jig is good)... So here's my thought on this... If the angles are equal, don't they effectively cancel out? Essentially they're in line with one another. The net effect is the axles are parallel with an extremely slight stagger between the two axles when perpendicular to the line of travel right?

I'm tempted to prep and test it as it is. Or should I resist that temptation and do what I know I should do and slug and re-drill both sides?

Also I've heard that the lightnin boy test, although an exceptional test method, is too critical. And that if you're drilling with a quality jig you're pretty much good to go... What are the thoughts on that?

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

If the angles are equal, I'd run it.

 

[Darkside]

If the angles are equal, I'd run it.

That's my thought. The wheels are effectively aligned, so I'm thinking that, at the worst, it'll result in a very slight crab with respect to the direction of travel.

Besides if I run it like it is and it doesn't work, I know exactly what I need to change first.

 

[Brian Stanley]

I know it probably doesn't matter with a BASX car, but I've been wondering if you might actually want a little toe out on one side and an equal toe in on the other for a fendered car.

 

[Darkside]

I know it probably doesn't matter with a BASX car, but I've been wondering if you might actually want a little toe out on one side and an equal toe in on the other for a fendered car.

Why is that?

 

[Loud2ns]

If the angles are equal, I'd run it.

My newest car has this.

 

[Brian Stanley]

Why is that?

Well, I don't know for sure, but it seems to me that the cars steering into the rail are crabbing down the track at a slight angle. It would think, especially on a fender car, this creates more surface area exposed to the wind, creating drag. In other words the air is hitting the side of the car slightly as it goes down the track. If the axles are off slightly, having the body crab the opposite of the steer it would actually result in the car body going down the track in a straighter fashion, reducing the surface area that can create drag.

At least that's my hypothesis, haven't tested it yet.

 

[Darkside]

My newest car has this.

Yellow flame? The car that smoked mine earlier this month? Lol!

Curious after reading Brian Stanley's post... Which side had the toe in, DFW or lifted side?

 

[Darkside]

Well, I don't know for sure, but it seems to me that the cars steering into the rail are crabbing down the track at a slight angle. It would think, especially on a fender car, this creates more surface area exposed to the wind, creating drag. In other words the air is hitting the side of the car slightly as it goes down the track. If the axles are off slightly, having the body crab the opposite of the steer it would actually result in the car body going down the track in a straighter fashion, reducing the surface area that can create drag.

At least that's my hypothesis, haven't tested it yet.

Interesting thought...

 

[Loud2ns]

Yellow flame? The car that smoked mine earlier this month? Lol!

Curious after reading Brian Stanley's post... Which side had the toe in, DFW or lifted side?

Yeah, that one! Lol

NDRW is toe in and DRW is toe out.

I don't ascribe to Brian's hypothesis. I think if you have a good drill in the rear it won't crab and it just follows the front straight when the front gets stabilized on the rail.