17 replies to this topic

[Timty]

Sorry for being a dope but what is a roll centre? is the central point at which the bodywork pivots over the suspension?
Edit forget it i just googled it! (my head hurts now) i kind of get it? so if you put negative camber on does that reduce the roll centre? and lowering reduces the centre of mass? and is the moment arm the distance between the two? (i'm in over my head arnt i ).

Edited by Timty, 17 February 2011 - 09:56 AM.

[Ethel]

Almost.

If you were to plot a line from the centre of the tyre contact patch to the effective axis the suspension allows it to move around, hopefully it would intersect the same line plotted for the other wheel in the middle of the car - that's the roll centre. People are interested in how far it is above, or even below the road surface. If you did the same for the other end of the car the line joining both points would be the roll axis.

A Mini's rear wheels move straight up and down so you could say it behaves the same as an infinitely long simple axle. The only time our pretend axles, for each wheel, would meet is when both tyres are sat on the same level surface, and midway between them would also be on the same surface.

[Timty]

I had to read it several times but i think i've got it now! Thanks for taking the time to explain Ethel.