Setup Tips For a Race Car Chassis

The importance of proper chassis setup cannot be overstated. Proper setup means higher corner exit speeds, and higher corner exit speeds will put you first at the finish line. Nowadays racing chassis setup is more science than art. To do it right, you'll have to invest in the proper tools. You'll need a set of scales, an accurate caster/camber gauge, a tire pyrometer and a tape measure. Work methodically and refine your setup over time.

  1. Align the Car

    • First, set the tire pressures and stagger. Then set the caster, camber and toe, square the rear end, set the third link angle and the panhard bar height. Keep in mind that changing caster can affect the camber, so set the caster first. After you're done, check everything again. If you don't have baseline settings for all of these variables, ask your chassis builder or a competitor. Keep in mind, these are only a starting point; you'll change these settings after testing.

    Scale the Car

    • You simply can't do a good job of setting up a race car without knowing corner weights, rear and left side percentage, and cross weight. Before scaling the car, set the stagger, the ride heights, fill the tank with fuel, have the driver in the seat and set the sway bar neutral (no pre-load).

    Test and Take Notes

    • Test as much as possible. If you can afford it, rent the track for testing. Get the tires hot; you can't have a valid test on cold tires. Write down everything. Record every change made to the car and how the car reacted to the change. And most importantly, only make one change at a time.

    Use Tire Temps

    • Use tire temperatures to determine proper camber settings and tire pressures. Take three readings across the tread of each tire. Always take temps in the same order and write everything down. Proper use of tire temps can also tell you if the car is loose (back tires hotter than the front) or if it's pushing (front tires hotter than the back).