Rear wheel track
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi all,

Can anyone offer advice of rear wheel track dimensions? I'm running on a set of starmags so the offset's not massive (even if they are 7" wide) and super Minifins (i.e. 1" spacer built in)

However, the track at the rear is about 100mm less than that at thr front; would chucking 1/2" or even 3/4" spacers on the rear mess up the handling?

I know there's a moment issue (engineering wise) with having to use longer studs, etc. which is why I'ma bit apprehensive about doing it just for aesthetics, but even the 1/2" spacers would make a worthwhile difference.

Thanks in advance, Dave.

If the rear of the car is narrower the car will tend to oversteer, ok if you like doing hand brake turns or auto testing, if it is wider the car will tend to understeer more.

Ideally the front and rear track should be the same although the rear does toe in slightly from standard. You should measure the from the front of the rear tyre and the back and take the average

I got some longer studs from Merlin motorsport and spacers for the back of mine and I was already running S drums just to widen it up to match the metro 4 pots discs I have on the front

Cheers

Brocky

Edited by Brocky on 14th Nov, 2006.

BTW - I took my buddy VTEC Pete out for a spin this weekend, and even though I am running her in, he gave it a name, the "Brocket"...cause I'm a brocket maaannn, nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah....

Build thread - http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=7483

Katy Mini Owners Club Thread - http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=505552

Let's make sure you embarrass at least one VTEC MINI today !

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well the rear track is less on a mini but without measuring 100mm sounds a lot.

are your running metro discs and calipers? this puts the front wheels out more.

Personaly i wouldn't increase the wheel spacers any more on the rear, but saying that a lot of the 16v mini's have the rear spaced out loads to match the metro (or custom) front subby track, they don't seem to be having any probs (not that i've heard of anyway)

It's all about balance .......

If you look through some manufactures datqa sheets you will find, in gernal, that most FWD cars have a slightly wider front track than rear and most RWD cars the oposite (4wd varies but tends to be slightly wider at the rear mostly).

This is to do with the balance between front and rear axle weights, particularly as the weight is being transfered across the car through a corner.

I am at work at the minute and so really want not to be but I will try to get back on line later and post up an explaination of what the different parameters to do with suspension do to effect the handling of a car.


BTW I seem to remember that you can use Metro radius arms on the rear to increas the rear track a little. Much better than spacers as they give you more track between the wheel bearings rather than on the outside loading them up excessively! I can't remember what the track increase is (15mm to 20mm per side I recall) or even if I just made all that up due to a stressful day (which I don't think I did.... LOL)

Evening up the track front to rear, especially on a short wheelbase FWD car like a Mini is going to make it very ..hhuummm. interesting to drive ... adn not in a good way!! Best leave it a bit narrower at the rear .... but 100mm does sound a lot.

Roger

P.S. (doesn't the body work on a Mini get slightly wider at the rear than the front also increasing the illusion of the rear being narrower??????)

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

You sound very knowledgeable on suspension...

I spaced the rear out 8mm per side on top of the s drums, I haven't measured the actual relative front rear track widths, but guess it will still be narrower than the front.

I will have a closer look at this, to be honest it was more to get the rear wheels to line up with the arches as they were under alot further than the front lol

I remember my first mini had s discs on with standard drums on the rear and it was very easy to hand brake turn, infact I think at times the back end came round too easily.

Edited by Brocky on 16th Nov, 2006.

BTW - I took my buddy VTEC Pete out for a spin this weekend, and even though I am running her in, he gave it a name, the "Brocket"...cause I'm a brocket maaannn, nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah....

Build thread - http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=7483

Katy Mini Owners Club Thread - http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=505552

Let's make sure you embarrass at least one VTEC MINI today !

https://www.facebook.com/groups/17557298589...096464253807802

Bit of a holy thread resurection but, what is the optimal difference between front and rear track for say a fast road/track car?

I think the brackets for my rear beam have brought the track in quite a bit, so thinking about re mounting the radius arms.

Is there a specific number I should be aiming for, such as 40mm wider at the front?