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Rear Steer

Rear steer is the rear axle sitting or moving out of perpendicular to the chassis centerline, so the back of the car effectively steers itself and goes tight or loose with no input from the driver.

Also called:
rear axle steer

In practice

Hyper Racing puts it plainly: “Rear steer happens when the rear axle is not perpendicular to the center line of the chassis.” Direction matters — with the right side forward “the chassis will feel as though it has understeer or tight,” and skewed the other way it “will feel like it has more oversteer or loose.” Two separate conversations hide under one name. Static rear steer you build in “by simply lengthening or shortening the rear locating mechanism.” Dynamic rear steer shows up as the suspension works: over bumps, from spring deflection under cornering and acceleration g-forces, and from chassis roll. On a Z-link, Hyper Racing says “more rear torsion arm angle means more rear steer” and “a longer top radius rod means more rear steer.”

Why it matters

Rear steer is why a car can go tight after a change at the back that had nothing to do with the front, and it will send you chasing the front end for no reason.

Go deeper

Read the full post:

Four-Link Setup on a Dirt Track Car: What Every Bar Actually Does

Sources

  • Rear Steer — Hyper Racing — micro-sprint chassis builder defining rear steer, separating static from dynamic, and naming which way the skew makes the car tight or loose.