Adjusting Chamber And Toe

[mrman99]

I got a +2-1 a-arm and was wondering what everyone's chamber and toe is set at. and also if those settings are when your weight is on it, or off of it.

[BdBanshee]

Toe in is set at 1/2 inch, and I always do it without sitting on it.

[Blue Duece]

my cambers is at +3, castor is at +5 and i have a total of an 1/8 of toe in, so a 16th on each side, at high speed my tires spread even so theres no drag on my bike, at the bottom of my travel my tires are plumb to the ground and having my spindles rocked back 5 degrees helps with head shake

[Lepew]

Lonestar has some good info on their website. I don't like much toe in, no more than 1/8". I always set all of the adjustments at ride height (my weight on it). Good Luck, remember lots of patience.

[evil]

well, some kinds of "toe" are a good thing but depending on what type of riding you do will help you to deside as to where to set it at. like mentioned above i hate saying the name but lonestars site has a good refrence as to type of riding and setting you should be at.

[DUNEDEMON]

my cambers is at +3,

Duce are you really running 3 deg of POSITIVE camber? Yikes!

 

I run 1.5 deg of negative camber, 9 deg of positive caster, and 1/4" toe in.

 

Negative camber is when the tops of the tires lean in towards the centerline of the vehicle, make the vehicle turn in hard and promotes good handling at high speed. Caster is the spindles inclination forward or backwards if you were looking straight down on top of it. POSITIVE caster works with camber through the travel range as long as the camber gain is minimal, tough to explain without a graph but think of it this way - have you ever tried driving your car realy fast in reverse and attempted a precise steering manuver? Feels strange right? This is the effect of NEGATIVE caster. With some tinkering on your camber / caster settings you can really get your bike to handle great.

[Blue Duece]

my cambers is at +3,

Duce are you really running 3 deg of POSITIVE camber? Yikes!

 

I run 1.5 deg of negative camber, 9 deg of positive caster, and 1/4" toe in.

 

Negative camber is when the tops of the tires lean in towards the centerline of the vehicle, make the vehicle turn in hard and promotes good handling at high speed. Caster is the spindles inclination forward or backwards if you were looking straight down on top of it. POSITIVE caster works with camber through the travel range as long as the camber gain is minimal, tough to explain without a graph but think of it this way - have you ever tried driving your car realy fast in reverse and attempted a precise steering manuver? Feels strange right? This is the effect of NEGATIVE caster. With some tinkering on your camber / caster settings you can really get your bike to handle great.

yeah i am..... a degree and a half each side translates into a 16th of an inch both sides...you cant even see it,...ive tried positive and negative...my desert banshee is at is -4, but my mx bike isnt, its ride height is 9 inches and it tracks like a slot car....... i set it up on my goodyear sponsers alighnment rack..and theres a 16th of play(slop) between the two ball joints, 9 degrees of - castor seems like alot, but i guess in sand it dont matter ......i race on tight tore up tracks in socal and the less the castor the faster the front end reacts to steering input, but a -9 would help for high speed...... why not get a scotts steering stabilizer and have the best of both worlds, i can let go of my bars at 90 mph and track straight as an arrow, there 500 bucks you can get one at www.scotts.com...and thanks for explaining castor and camber to me.......

[DUNEDEMON]

and thanks for explaining castor and camber to me.......

Hope I did not come off like an ass, that was not my intention, was just trying to explain the terms to some of those who might not have a clear understanding of the them.

a degree and a half each side

Again not trying to be a dick, just to clarify - that is only 1.5 deg positive, they do not get added together, 3.0 deg positive would have your front tires looking like the back of a VW baja bug.

 

Your settings on your 2 bikes is good information, gives others some insight about different set-ups.

why not get a scotts steering stabilizer and have the best of both worlds, i can let go of my bars at 90 mph and track straight as an arrow

I have no need to go 90 and let go of my bars, hell with my gearing I couldn't even get close to 90.

Edited May 14, 2004 by DUNEDEMON

[Blue Duece]

yeah i should have said plus 3 overall..my bad......most alignments i think should be for the terrain your in and such......i can see the 9 degress castor for the sand cause your mostly trying to straight line in the dunes, or dragging.....i tend to like no drag on my front end so ill go with a slight positive camber and little to no toe, it coasts real nice that way, and then i reley on the stabilizer for high speed head shake......

[DUNEDEMON]

most alignments i think should be for the terrain your in and such......

Excellent point, I could not agree more.

i can see the 9 degress castor for the sand cause your mostly trying to straight line in the dunes, or dragging

I actually don't do much dragging, primarily ripping bowls and generally haulin' ass, my settings just promote a nimble handling bike with razor sharp response for quick turning / transitioning on the throttle or off.