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It all depends on the width of the tire, stiffness of the tire, all the other suspension angles working together create the final handling characteristics of the vehicle. There are no universal rules around what KPI is supposed to do. At high speeds, the self-centering effect is more caster-dominant. This lifting force has a self-centering effect on the steering wheel at slow speeds which adds to straight-line stability. So when the wheels turn, they dig into the ground and actually lift the car up slightly. The reason why KPI produces a lifting force is that this angle makes the wheel axle trajectory travel in an upside-down arc, as opposed to traveling in a perfectly horizontal plane.
![07 kw king pins 07 kw king pins](http://cdn3.volusion.com/wxgst.wwrcu/v/vspfiles/photos/WDead-07-3.jpg)
Modern-day suspension systems have done away with real king pins and use dual ball joints instead. To visualize this, picture a line that passes through the two ball joints where your wheel mounts to your steering knuckle.įun fact: The term “king pin axis” gets its name from older cars that used to have an actual vertical physical pin about which the entire wheel would turn. The steering axis and king pin angle axis are exactly the same - it is an imaginary line about which your entire wheel pivots as it turns. The core principles remain the same when these concepts are applied to other suspension types like the McPherson strut.
![07 kw king pins 07 kw king pins](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/92/74/be/9274beff2a75858d28e8669ea96d7957.jpg)
Suspension concepts are easier to explain in the context of double-wishbone suspensions. Steering Axis ExplainedĪ quick note before we start we’ve used double wishbone or double A-arm suspension type as the main example throughout this guide. Why then do cars do this? And does it have any detrimental effects? Read on as we explain king pin inclination - what it is, what it does, and why you should know about it.
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We’ve explained this in our positive and negative wheel camber article.
#07 kw king pins full
You’ll notice that your wheels gain a slight amount of camber when you turn the steering wheel to full lock in either direction. To see this in action, park your car on a smooth surface, and have someone else operate the steering wheel while you watch your tires turn. This happens because of a suspension angle called king pin inclination. In simpler words, they are never perfectly straight when they turn - they’ll always tilt slightly. Have you ever noticed how the front wheels on your car turn? Look closely and you’ll see that they do not pivot around a vertical axis.