checking caster

[racerdad]

so i am trying to set caster and do not have any way to know if the wheel is turning 20deg. i did different things and i think lock to lock is 40 to 45 deg. i do not have turn plates so i may be of alittle off. but what i need to know is can i just turn it lock to lock when checking caster?
the other question i have is do these cars not have any ackerman it seems like they turn the same each direction. thanks cody

[VMS Motorsports]

The beveled edge is 20 degrees on a Longacre gauge, not sure if thats what you have.
You can build a little Ackerman in here and there with bending the steering arms, elongating holes, and such

[racerdad]

what i have is a joes caster camber gaege

[Earnst85]

I use two (2) of those linoleum floor squares laid face to face with grease in between  the faces. I start with them square to each other, placed under the tire. With the weight of the car on the squares, the grease allows the top square to turn while the bottom square stays straight. I turn the wheels & measure using an adjustable draftsman triangle (set to 20 degrees) .Stop when the difference between the edges is 20 degrees. I then set the gauge, turn the wheels until the tiles are at a difference of  20 degrees the opposite way. I picked up the box of squares (ten qty.) at Ollie's Bargain Outlet for  less than $10 and the same for the triangle at an office suply like Office depot or Staples. etc...

[justfreaky]

Check out this link
http://www.arkansaspontiacs.org/techstories/turnplates/turnplates.html

I have also heard of people using those cheap Dollar Store cutting boards; Using them as Earnst85 suggests.

Steve

[legends13]

yes, these do have ackerman. Look at the spindle arm on the bottom of the  spindle where the steering arm attaches. The arm is slotted to allow you to move the mount fore or aft. this is how you adjust the ackerman.

[slack11]

I have a small digital angle finder that I place on the face of each spindle when the wheels are straight ahead.  This is so easy, and it saves a ton of time setting up turning plates, turning, reading, etc.  Takes about 5 seconds to check each side..... Just put it on and read. I think the angle finder came from Harbor Freight, and I know I didn't pay more than 10 bucks for it.

[Kr36]

I use two pieces of construction paper to allow the front wheels to turn back and forth.  The paper is actually off a roll of 36 inch wide paper from the paint department at Mendards (or Lowes, or your vavorite paint department).  It was left over from a paint project.

I use a Joe's racing products bubble guage with a threaded adapter for Legends (Toyota) spindle.  It works great!  Mark the floor with chalk and use your eyeball and the guage to get the 20 degrees each way.

Camber, you can see with your eye.  Caster is a whole nother story.  The question is how exact does the measurement have to be?  How much do your track conditions change each night or even during a race?

Charles

[JGRacing]

The roll plastic like you use on the skirting of modifieds, works  pretty good as a cheap turn plate on the epoxy painted garage floor. 

[igotmylegend]

I know these are still kind of expensive but there there the  cheapest  one's I've  seen

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-Turn-Tables-Pair

[JGRacing]

Harbor Freight also has some steel turn plates that are not a bad price.  I have to race more than once every couple of years to justify spending the money.