caster?

[nekekami]

Hey I was just wondering if anyone knows if caster will be made to be suspension change we can use this time. I never understood why it wasn't in GT3, they had toe, camber, but not the third variable, especially when it can make such a huge difference in the handling of a car.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Probably, now that the steering wheels seems like the best choice for playing GT4. Caster aids steering response, so I guess now it'll be in. It really wasn't needed before, since we had toe angle adjustments in GT3. Positive caster can act like negative toe angle.

For those that don't know, caster angle identifies the forward or backward slope of a line drawn through the upper and lower steering pivot points when viewed directly from the side of the vehicle. Caster is expressed in degrees and is measured by comparing a line running through the steering system's upper and lower pivot points (typically the upper and lower ball joints of an A-arm or wishbone suspension design, or the lower ball joint and the strut tower mount of a McPherson strut design) to a line drawn perpendicular to the ground. Caster is said to be positive if the line slopes towards the rear of the vehicle at the top, and negative if the line slopes towards the front.

A very visual example of positive caster is a motorcycle's front steering forks. The forks point forward at the bottom and slope backward at the top. This rearward slope causes the front tire to remain stable when riding straight ahead and tilt towards the inside of the corner when turned.

Caster angle settings allow the vehicle manufacturer to balance steering effort, high speed stability and front end cornering effectiveness.

Increasing the amount of positive caster will increase steering effort and straight line tracking, as well as improve high speed stability and cornering effectiveness. Positive caster also increases tire lean when cornering (almost like having more negative camber) as the steering angle is increased.

What's the downside to positive caster? If the vehicle doesn't have power steering, a noticeable increase in steering effort will be felt as positive caster is increased. Other than that, the effects of positive caster are pretty much "positive," especially increasing the lean of the tire when the vehicle is cornering while returning it to a more upright position when driving straight ahead.

 

[WhiteSW20]

Probably, now that the steering wheels seems like the best choice for playing GT4. Caster aids steering response, so I guess now it'll be in. It really wasn't needed before, since we had toe angle adjustments in GT3. Positive caster can act like negative toe angle.

For those that don't know, caster angle identifies the forward or backward slope of a line drawn through the upper and lower steering pivot points when viewed directly from the side of the vehicle. Caster is expressed in degrees and is measured by comparing a line running through the steering system's upper and lower pivot points (typically the upper and lower ball joints of an A-arm or wishbone suspension design, or the lower ball joint and the strut tower mount of a McPherson strut design) to a line drawn perpendicular to the ground. Caster is said to be positive if the line slopes towards the rear of the vehicle at the top, and negative if the line slopes towards the front.

A very visual example of positive caster is a motorcycle's front steering forks. The forks point forward at the bottom and slope backward at the top. This rearward slope causes the front tire to remain stable when riding straight ahead and tilt towards the inside of the corner when turned.

Caster angle settings allow the vehicle manufacturer to balance steering effort, high speed stability and front end cornering effectiveness.

Increasing the amount of positive caster will increase steering effort and straight line tracking, as well as improve high speed stability and cornering effectiveness. Positive caster also increases tire lean when cornering (almost like having more negative camber) as the steering angle is increased.

What's the downside to positive caster? If the vehicle doesn't have power steering, a noticeable increase in steering effort will be felt as positive caster is increased. Other than that, the effects of positive caster are pretty much "positive," especially increasing the lean of the tire when the vehicle is cornering while returning it to a more upright position when driving straight ahead.

I doubt, if caster is put into the game that it'll vary the steering effort on the DFP. so I guess positive caster is good on GT4 for the most part

 

[Rezonance]

I'd certainly like to see caster adjustments allowed; been wishing for it since GT1. Regardless of whether or not it affects the actual steering effort of the DFP, it makes sense to have all of the bases covered as far as suspension tuning's concerned. It would be nice to have the ability to mess with steering response via caster adjustments without having to change toe settings, especially in rear-heavy cars with less forward weight transfer, and in FF cars that could use the effective "camber" effect of positive caster in corners while maintaining a fuller contact patch in a straight line.