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How much steering angle is enough? 30 deg each way? (60deg net)

I want this to be a track day / autox whore with some minor street driving..

~90 - 100" wheelbase unless I find some miracle ways of chopping out length...

+/- 30 degrees over two turns of the wheel is about as much as you want for a street car. Go watch some of my videos on the autocross and big tracks - it's perfect. Then again I have a 80" wheelbase, too.

If you had my book, it spells it out

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

HAHA. In about 2 months when I am employed and no longer a broke college kid I will spring for the book, for now I will just settle for the personal touch!

typically in autox you don't need a super small turning circle,
take a line strait out from your rear axle, and another perpendicular from your inside wheel, where these lines cross is center of your turning circle. this should be tite enough for parking lot manouvering. not without coinciedence, a second line perpendicular in the same direction from your outside wheel should cross at the same point (ackerman steering) if it doesn't you'll have heavy steering in the parking lot, and extra tire wear.
http://www.rctek.com/handling/ackerman_steering_principle.html

thanks vb, yes I'm aware of ackermann right now it looks like i'm hitting about a 14' turning circle with 30deg of steering on the inside wheel...

Unfortunately ackermann is a little out of my control because I have chose to go with miata spindles. The ackermann center is actually behind the rear axle right now (more than 100%) which is something that I have to work around... I know I will see some scrubbing but I'm more concerned any high speed effects this geometry will have...

It's never out of your control. You can either make new steering arms or bend the existing ones. It all depends how important you feel it is to have a given amount.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

You can place the rack closer to the axle centreline to get more "dynamic" ackerman. Caution: a little placement makes a lot of difference.

G

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The Lethal Locost
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