Continuing our study of perspectives on suspension kinematics, and how the design of the front upright influences many aspects of a car’s performance, this month we look at camber variation in steering. This cannot be studied without first looking at camber variation in heave and roll.
Trying to ensure the right camber for each tyre at the right place at the right time is not that different to trying to achieve the ideal slip angle on each tyre, or the ideal front and rear ride heights at each position of each corner.
Wheel camber can be changed either statically on the set-up pad (most of the time with shims) or dynamically with the suspension kinematics. And different pick-up points will give you different camber variations in heave and roll.
For the front axles, different caster and KPI (king pin inclination) angles will give you different camber variation in steering. And while the camber angle is visible (an experienced engineer can see the difference between two and three degrees of camber), the slip
