Ackerman Geometry in 1/10 Touring: Practical Guide with Xpress Steering Bars

The Ackerman geometry is an essential steering adjustment in 1/10 RC Touring. The Xpress Ackerman steering bars offer three interchangeable plates (9.0 mm, 8.5 mm, 8.0 mm) that bring the steering ball joints closer together or further apart to precisely fine-tune the Ackerman effect and cornering behaviour.

How the Ackerman Plates Work

• 9.0 mm plate: widest spacing between the ball joints.
• 8.5 mm plate: medium spacing.
• 8.0 mm plate: narrowest spacing between the ball joints.

Changing the distance between the ball joints directly affects the angle difference between the inner and outer front wheels: this is the Ackerman effect.

On-Track Effects

Narrow spacing — 8.0 mm plate

The Ackerman effect decreases: both wheels steer at more similar angles. Result: quicker steering response, tighter turning radius in hairpins, increased agility and maximum steering angle more easily achieved in tight turns.

Wide spacing — 9.0 mm plate

The Ackerman effect increases: the difference in steering angle between inner and outer wheels becomes more pronounced. The car feels calmer and more stable at high speed, corner entry is more predictable, but the turning radius increases in hairpins (less sharp steering in very tight corners).

Balanced — 8.5 mm plate

An intermediate setting: good compromise between agility and stability for mixed layouts, useful as a base before fine-tuning according to grip levels.

Summary Table

Tuning Tips

• 8.0 mm: prioritise maximum agility for layouts with many hairpins.
• 9.0 mm: aim for stability and precision on fast tracks.
• 8.5 mm: neutral base to fine-tune later depending on grip.

This setting also interacts with toe, camber and droop. Adjust one parameter at a time and validate over several laps to isolate its effect.

© Original article The Hobbies Gate – reproduction prohibited. 08/08/2025