Make it handle

[robnolimit]

We have some good finding on our Track Width testing. Let me start with a good description.
Tread width - This is the total width of the tires footprint, from the outside of the tread on the left side to the outside of the tread on the right side.
Track width - This is measured from the center of the tires footprint, from one side to the other.
Naturally, Tread width will always be wider than Track width. Both of these can be adjusted with tire size and wheel offset.
**** Now, a though about getting through a corner at speed. For a car or truck to reach it's max ability in a corner, it has to "rotate" through the corner. Just driving through wont be fast enough. Four tires don't rotate, three tires do. Now, I'm not saying you need to carry one wheel, but three tires need to be REALLY stuck, and one needs to slip a little. On corner entry and through the middle, You need to be on the two front tires, and the outside rear. On corner exit, this changes to the two rear, and the outside front. The transition happens as throttle is applied, and the steering starts to 'unscrew', and this is all a balancing act.
** One more thing, the effects of track width on lower speed handling, are NOT the same as they are on high speed corners

What we found on the track was what expected, but may seam backwards.
*When we set the truck up a wider rear track width (compared to the front) the truck was 'loose' - or the back would slide outward in the corners, mostly on corner entry, but also was not so hooked up on the exit. This is because when the tires are farther apart, it is harder to get the leverage of the chassis to push them into the pavement.
*When we made the rear narrower, we got the reverse, it developed a severe 'push' on corner entry and through the corner, the only time it cleared up was on the corner exit, under throttle. As the tires get closer, they are more planted to the pavement, and it's hard for one to slip, and let the truck rotate.
*Both of these conditions are multiplied when using a posi type of rear axle. Driving both rear wheels.
*In all set-ups, we worked to get the best laps we could. Shock valving, springs, sway-bars, tire pressure, caster/camber/toe.
Now, most would think that a neutral or balanced track width would be the best, but, not so. At the end of the day, it turned out that our balance point was a bit to the narrow side. Our best laps were ran with the rear track width set at 1/2" less than the front. Now, as per our theory, this would lean towards being 'tight' or a 'push'. But, because trucks are nose heavy, and tend to be naturally 'loose', we are simply using the adjusted track width to balance that out.