Does the amount of steer change when going to lighter wheels?

[microbrush]

I am going to send in for the first time for the SS class and am using one of my kids cars. We were running heavier wheels (all modified to 1.160 diameter nothing removed from the inside, not sure how much they weigh) and were able to test and tune the cars with the heavier wheels. I am not going to be able to test the car with the lighter 2 gram wheels. I will need to send it in blind.

Do people think that the amount of steer would be the same, or should I adjust it up or down. The car needed a lot of steer 7-8 inches with the heavy wheels.

Thanks!

 

[BlewBYu]

Since I am assuming you are running fenders, you have 2 things to consider here. I really think that the classes are quite different given the Lighter wheels AND the fenders. Are you using pine fenders? If so the weight of the pine fenders may very well offset the reduced wheels as far as weight on the front. If you're not using pine fenders (using Balsa or Gee), you are moving into an area where each car reacts according to the sum of its parts. (I know that's not what you want to hear). You have to take into account how the fenders will affect the steer. Then add the effect of the lighter wheels into the equation.

Since you don't have time to test it, the best you can do is to set the steer where it was and see what happens. AT least that is what I'd do. It truly is a shot in the dark for you. Hope this helps some

BBU

 

[LightninBoy]

I am going to send in for the first time for the SS class and am using one of my kids cars. We were running heavier wheels (all modified to 1.160 diameter nothing removed from the inside, not sure how much they weigh) and were able to test and tune the cars with the heavier wheels. I am not going to be able to test the car with the lighter 2 gram wheels. I will need to send it in blind.

Do people think that the amount of steer would be the same, or should I adjust it up or down. The car needed a lot of steer 7-8 inches with the heavy wheels.

Thanks!

I'd leave the steer where it is for now. Your current wheels are probably 2.2 or 2.3 grams (assuming they are NSC wheels) so going down to 2.0 wheels will just be a small change.

I have seen cases where a car needs less (or more) steer with a new set of wheels - but that had nothing to do with wheel weight ... at lease in my experience.

 

[microbrush]

Since I am assuming you are running fenders, you have 2 things to consider here. I really think that the classes are quite different given the Lighter wheels AND the fenders. Are you using pine fenders? If so the weight of the pine fenders may very well offset the reduced wheels as far as weight on the front. If you're not using pine fenders (using Balsa or Gee), you are moving into an area where each car reacts according to the sum of its parts. (I know that's not what you want to hear). You have to take into account how the fenders will affect the steer. Then add the effect of the lighter wheels into the equation.

Since you don't have time to test it, the best you can do is to set the steer where it was and see what happens. AT least that is what I'd do. It truly is a shot in the dark for you. Hope this helps some

BBU

Thanks BBU. The car had fenders on it when we tested them with the heavy wheels. This class is most similar to our council rules and why I am choosing it. The only new variable will be the weight of the wheels, which would lighten the front I am guessing. So would that affect the amount of steer in a meaningful way? It may not. I will most likely keep it at what it was as that is where the car seemed the fastest. The other variable is that the DFW now has no bumps to ride on. Would that also alter the steer?

 

[microbrush]

I'd leave the steer where it is for now. Your current wheels are probably 2.2 or 2.3 grams (assuming they are NSC wheels) so going down to 2.0 wheels will just be a small change.

I have seen cases where a car needs less (or more) steer with a new set of wheels - but that had nothing to do with wheel weight ... at lease in my experience.

Sounds good! Yes, NSC wheels. Thank you for the reply!

 

[Kinser Racing]

I've never tried it but would think that the steer would be relatively the same. It would depend on if your adding weight to the car to make up for the weight your taking away with the wheels. That could change steer.

 

[GravityX]

Not sure if changing the weight, of the wheel, would require a steer change, but the weight on the DFW may cause you to adjust the steer. I believe the heavier the weight at the DFW, the less steer would be needed, slightly, because the car is not going to be "thrown" as easily with more traction between the wheel edge and the track surface. Just speculating by way of reasoning. If I remember correctly there was a term coined for this, I want to say "slip-tion" (slipping/sliding traction), could be wrong, it's here in the forum somewhere.

 

[derby freak]

Seems like to me that amount of steer is different for every car i build ....Havent really measured it closely ....Always tuned my car on track until now ...ill be using a tuning table much more until i get a place to set my track up again