4 link instant center

[sidewinder69]

What is the idea on the instant centers?Such as further and lower behind axle centerline does ________? Or higher and closer does ______?

[Austin34471]

I personally wouldn't get too concerned with the location of the instant center. The N-line, the line drawn from the instant center through the center of the axle tube, is easier to conceptualize. The angle of this line drawn from the IC through the axle tube is the "thrust angle" or the angle in which the rearend is pushing up on the chassis when torque is applied at the tire, and also the angle in which it pulls down on the car when brake torque is applied.
I try to look at thrust angle and indexing of the birdcage separately. Having the ability to make a movable 2d computer model of this is about the only way to really play around with/learn this IMO

[Matt49]

Every time you make a bar angle change, you are actually changing three significant things:
1) Roll steer
2) Thrust angle
3) Indexing
Once you have a mastery of that concept and dive into what each of these components does to handling, it really demystifies the whole thing.

[ZERO25]

I personally wouldn't get too concerned with the location of the instant center. The N-line, the line drawn from the instant center through the center of the axle tube, is easier to conceptualize. The angle of this line drawn from the IC through the axle tube is the "thrust angle" or the angle in which the rearend is pushing up on the chassis when torque is applied at the tire, and also the angle in which it pulls down on the car when brake torque is applied.
I try to look at thrust angle and indexing of the birdcage separately. Having the ability to make a movable 2d computer model of this is about the only way to really play around with/learn this IMO

Mark Bush has a good article in DLM mag this month discussing these topics.

[sidewinder69]

Okay well that is simple to visualize a n line.... so therefore what is the "spectrum" in a real world application from too much thrust angle and very little and how you want to apply it... I'm only asking these questions to shape a theory I'm trying to develop