Positive camber used in old race cars - why?

[simpson]

Why was it that the old, old cars used positive camber?? I hope that there's an expert in tech history here.

Bob Simpson

[Lola]

I think the car suspensions were designed to give negative camber as it travels upwards:confused: ........maybe

Take a look at www.monoposto.freeserve.co.uk
and look at technical tips. It explains this sort of thing.

[Yimkin]

Originally posted by simpson
Why was it that the old, old cars used positive camber?? I hope that there's an expert in tech history here.

Bob Simpson

Well according to my Dad, It was a hangover from the days of horse and carts, really. Look at any picture of an old carriage and you will see very marked positive camber.
The reason was to achieve 'correct' steering geometry - if the wheel sloped inwards towards the ground, a line drawn through the kingpin (which the wheel swivels on) could intersect a line drawn through the centre of the tyre at the ground (all as seen from the front).
This results in zero leverage on the steering when the wheel hits a bump, and therefore no kickback at the wheel. It also makes the steering very light.
Modern steering boxes are not easily reversible, so kickback is less of a problem, and it is now seen as much more important to have the outside (loaded)
wheel vertical in a corner to get as flat a contact patch as possible. Static negative camber can achieve this. Bugatti period tyres were almost round in section so were hardly affected by camber.

He then goes on to tell me to buy a book and save him from typists cramp