K021 Instructions v1.0
Tuning
Page
79
Camber links adjust the car’s roll centers – points critical to understanding how the
suspension and chassis will roll through a corner. Without going through the geometry
here, remember this: the shorter and more angled down the camber links are (inside
lower than the outside), the higher the roll centers are. A higher roll center reacts more
quickly but with less overall effect. Thus, removing washers or shortening links makes
the car react more quickly but have less total roll. Adding washers or lengthening the
link will slow down the reactions but make the car feel stiffer. Changing washers is
generally a smaller effect than changing the length of the link. Remember:
Less washers (inside) = shorter link = higher roll center = more aggressive
More washers (inside) = longer link = lower roll center = slower, stiffer
If the above is the theoretical look at camber links, here’s a more direct view: In the
front, removing washers/shortening the link will quicken steering response but give the
front less roll, leading to a possible mid-corner push, or steering which seems to wash
out. A longer link will slow the reaction but give you more mid-corner steering. In the
rear, removing washers/shortening the link means the back end will roll less and square
up out of corners better. A longer link will give more rear traction in corners.
For a more systematic approach: Think about the outside ball studs first. The further
out in the hub carrier or caster block you run, the more “square” that end of the car will
run. This is especially felt in the rear: the ‘C’ hole in the rear hub carrier has more side
bite in the corner, but when the car does break loose it will spin hard. The ‘A’ hole will
let the rear end slide more, but it’s much easier to control with throttle. The inside holes
go through bumps a little better, too. Second, the inside ball stud location: the inside
hole (longer links) will give more traction and feel safer while the outside hole is more
aggressive. Last, find the number of ball stud washers you like: more washers will give
that end of the car more corner traction but slow down its response.
A final note about camber links: keep an eye on the balance of the front and rear links.
Having a short link up front and a long one in the back can make the car feel less
confident and consistent. If you find yourself liking a long rear link, try a longer front one
to go with it, and vice versa.
SHOCKS
The shock absorbers on your X – 6 Squared pack quite a lot of adjustment potential,
and with good reason: they’re working all the time, through corners, bumps and jumps,
even just going straight! On your shocks you can change the spring rate, the damping
and pack, mounting locations, and travel limits.
