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Should You Use Front Stagger

The reaction from stagger on the front will depend on many things. So, it is not a simple answer, but here are a few thoughts to ponder. 

If you add front stagger and reset the ride heights and corner weights (with a set of scales), then the stagger primarily affects the brakes. The larger 
radius results in less braking force at the ground. Proportioning the brake forces in this manner will cause the car to pull to the left and yaw more 
readily in the counterclockwise direction during braking. The driver may also turn the steering wheel slightly more due to the reduced steering resistance in this direction. Either way this would be perceived by the driver as making the car looser on entry. However, if you race on a track where little to no braking is used in the turns, then the front stagger will not be a factor in this particular set-up. 

If you add front stagger and change nothing on the car, then the results may be different. Here the stagger will increase the preload (cross weight) on 
the right front and left rear. Depending on the static weights before this addition load, it is possible to have a significantly larger load on the right front in comparison to the left front. This can make the steering pull to the right all the time, not just during braking. This will necessitate a larger effort on the driver's part and the steering wheel may not get turned as quickly or as far a before. The drive may perceive this as being too tight. 

However, if you add front stagger and then increase the "caster split" so the steering forces center the steering wheel and you have an open differential and use a large amount of brake entering the corner, the extra weight on the left rear due to increased preload can result in more braking force on the left side of the car and again make the car seem looser. But, if you run a locked rear end the affect will be minimized and you may feel nothing but a heavier steering to the RF preload.

On the other hand, if you add front stagger and reset the ride heights and corner weights, the front suspension geometry is also changed. Depending on how much stagger you run, it many have no impact, improve or aggravate mid-corner handling depending on your static camber and the camber change (camber curves) generated by your suspension. 

You can see that the final result is dependent on many items. Personally, I think front stagger just adds to the confusion because you now have more 
tires to juggle. Also, the impact from front stagger is not an independent variable. If you want to chance your race car's handling, you can do it with other parameters rather than adding more relationships to the puzzle via front stagger. 

Do you have any questions?

Visit Stock Car Products website, and you can e-mail questions to them.

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Last modified: August 07, 2005