increased caster angle with no powersteering
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From: Idaho
increased caster angle with no powersteering
Today was the first time I ever heard of the upper control arm swap from side to side to increase caster and so I started researching and have been reading all day. Before today I didn't even really know what caster was and didn't know at all how it affects the way the car drives. 
Anyway, with everything that more positive caster does, it's all beneficial except for the increased steering effort. How hard would it be if I went from about 1* to 3* caster in my DB (4dr DC) with no power steering? People say it's not a problem with power steering but I took mine out to increase the steering feel. Also, would caster wear tires any differently or faster than with stock-spec caster? TIA for any help, sorry for the long post. 
Anyway, with everything that more positive caster does, it's all beneficial except for the increased steering effort. How hard would it be if I went from about 1* to 3* caster in my DB (4dr DC) with no power steering? People say it's not a problem with power steering but I took mine out to increase the steering feel. Also, would caster wear tires any differently or faster than with stock-spec caster? TIA for any help, sorry for the long post.
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From: Idaho
Re: (repn a lude)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by repn a lude »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">explain???</TD></TR></TABLE>
I was wondering the same thing as you when H-T Martin_p told me that he had switched his front UCAs on his Del Sol earlier today. If you want to find out more about it, search "caster" on H-T and here's a really good, short website:
http://www.240edge.com/perform....html
Basically, switching the driver-side upper control arm and the passenger-side upper control arm (just swapping them from one side to the other) gives you about 2* more positive caster on top of the I think 1* stock positive caster, which will cause your car to have a tendency to straighten out its wheels, not wander around as much especially at higher speeds, and have more camber gain as you turn the wheel more. The thing I'm worried about is steering effort because it's already kind of hard on my car with no power steering and more positive caster makes it even harder, so I'm wondering if anyone has tried it like that and if anyone has comments/suggestions.
I was wondering the same thing as you when H-T Martin_p told me that he had switched his front UCAs on his Del Sol earlier today. If you want to find out more about it, search "caster" on H-T and here's a really good, short website:
http://www.240edge.com/perform....html
Basically, switching the driver-side upper control arm and the passenger-side upper control arm (just swapping them from one side to the other) gives you about 2* more positive caster on top of the I think 1* stock positive caster, which will cause your car to have a tendency to straighten out its wheels, not wander around as much especially at higher speeds, and have more camber gain as you turn the wheel more. The thing I'm worried about is steering effort because it's already kind of hard on my car with no power steering and more positive caster makes it even harder, so I'm wondering if anyone has tried it like that and if anyone has comments/suggestions.
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From: Portland, OR
Re: (Hatch_R)
There's some good info about it here.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1082319
not really about how hard it is to turn, but how there can be negative effects (i.e. bump steer, less UCA travel) when you do this.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1082319
not really about how hard it is to turn, but how there can be negative effects (i.e. bump steer, less UCA travel) when you do this.
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From: Sherman Oaks, CA, United States
Re: (nonsense)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There's some good info about it here.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1082319
not really about how hard it is to turn, but how there can be negative effects (i.e. bump steer, less UCA travel) when you do this. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Agreed, but I personally, would gladly take those side effects for the benefits for a daily driver. Bumpsteer isn't that huge of a deal in my opinion, and less UCA travel can be correcte by running a high enough ride height and stiff enough springs. The fact that my car is significantly easier to drive on freeways, with less wandering over the rain grooves and bumps, made the swap worth it to me. However, I'm still trying to decide if it was worth it on the auto-x course.
Then again, I'm also a bit of an extreme case, since I'm running SPC UCAs that have caster adjustment built in, swapped for even more caster. 1.5* adjustment range + 2*ish from the swap + 1* stock ~= 4+* caster. I might end up swapping them back, just to get some more suspension travel.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1082319
not really about how hard it is to turn, but how there can be negative effects (i.e. bump steer, less UCA travel) when you do this. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Agreed, but I personally, would gladly take those side effects for the benefits for a daily driver. Bumpsteer isn't that huge of a deal in my opinion, and less UCA travel can be correcte by running a high enough ride height and stiff enough springs. The fact that my car is significantly easier to drive on freeways, with less wandering over the rain grooves and bumps, made the swap worth it to me. However, I'm still trying to decide if it was worth it on the auto-x course.
Then again, I'm also a bit of an extreme case, since I'm running SPC UCAs that have caster adjustment built in, swapped for even more caster. 1.5* adjustment range + 2*ish from the swap + 1* stock ~= 4+* caster. I might end up swapping them back, just to get some more suspension travel.
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From: Idaho
Re: (TunerN00b)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There's some good info about it here.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1082319
not really about how hard it is to turn, but how there can be negative effects (i.e. bump steer, less UCA travel) when you do this. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Yea I pretty much know/read about all that stuffy already, I actually read that same thread yesterday already. The thing I'm worried about is that the steering will be way too hard so I'm hoping to get some input from people that have tried it with no power steering (bump steer too would be worse with no power steering, I wonder if that'd be a problem too).
*edit - never mind, it wasn't that exact thread I read, it was some other one by the same user
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1082319
not really about how hard it is to turn, but how there can be negative effects (i.e. bump steer, less UCA travel) when you do this. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Yea I pretty much know/read about all that stuffy already, I actually read that same thread yesterday already. The thing I'm worried about is that the steering will be way too hard so I'm hoping to get some input from people that have tried it with no power steering (bump steer too would be worse with no power steering, I wonder if that'd be a problem too).
*edit - never mind, it wasn't that exact thread I read, it was some other one by the same user
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