Today we will be talking about another important feature of your RC car and how it can improve your car’s performance on the track. You might have noticed that even small changes in your suspension or other important components of your car can affect your handling very much.
The angle of your two front or rear wheels relative to each other if you look at the car from above is called the toe angle. Its basic functions are to help with your car’s handling in tight corners, but also with improving its driving ability in straight lines. The expression “toe-in” or “toe-out” refer to the horizontal angle of your tires. But there are basically three positions of your toe angle: neutral, toe-in, and toe-out. You can adjust your RC car’s toe angle by adjusting the turnbuckles of your RC car.
If your tires are parallel to each other, you have a neutral toe angle. However, if the front of your tires which point inward, towards the car, then you are in a toe-in position. But if the front of your tires points away from the car, you have the toe-out position. If your toe angle is properly set, then your RC car’s performance on the race track will be significantly improved both in a corner and in a straight line. You will get the most out of your suspension!
So, which toe angle should you choose for your car? This depends on the type of vehicle you have, on-road or off-road. Also, track conditions play an important role in determining this toe angle. For your front tires, it’s generally a good idea to have a toe-in position, because it will result in improved stability. However, this setting can increase drag.
A toe-out position for your front tires will improve the stability in tight corners but can decrease stability in straight-line driving.
Rear only vehicles should have a toe-out position, as it helps your RC car’s swing around corners and other turns. For other types of RC cars, the rear tires should have a toe-in position, because it counteracts oversteering and improves traction.
When you adjust your tires’ toe angle, you should take into consideration the fact that only 1-2 degrees of toe-in or toe-out are more than enough to achieve your results. Your front toe angle can be adjusted either by adjusting the turnbuckles or tie rod ends. The rear toe angle is a bit trickier because you have to change the wheel hub carriers or bulkheads. But there are also some RC cars with turnbuckles in the rear, which can help you adjust your rear toe angle.
What happens though if you want to measure your RC car’s toe angle? There are several tools available on the market which help you accomplish this task, such as the one from Hudy or RPM Products.
Before making any important changes to your RC car, you should have a few test runs, in order to see where your car needs improving. Toe angle, combined camber, springs, and shocks, can improve your car’s performance without making any upgrades or buying new parts. It’s all about being attentive to your car’s control and handling and choosing the right combination of settings.
