Mower Racing Parts - Steering Adjustments

If your idea of fun and excitement is racing your mower at speeds of 40 or 50MPH, then you will need to upgrade your mower’s steering. Factory mower racing parts, especially steering, are not made for high speeds. They are built for tearing across your lawn at blistering speeds of 5MPH and the hair pin turn to get around your favorite apple tree, not lawn racing mower tracks.

Some of the steering factors that you’ll want to take a look at are the caster settings, loose-fitting rods, and gear driven steering systems. Now, if you are a “DIY” guy, you can always work on these parts and get them ready for racing. If not, a visit to your nearest garage that offers mower racing parts and work is advisable.

Two things that you’ll want to master are the toe-in and toe-out settings of the front wheels, and tuning the camber. These two will greatly improve the handling and speed of your racing mower.

For the caster settings, you’d want to achieve a positive caster, meaning the top of the spindle will lean back towards the rear of the racer. This minor mower racing parts adjustment will make you feel more in control of your mower while on the tracks.

If you’re having trouble imagining what I just said, visit a local grocery store and start pushing a shopping cart, notice that the front wheels are always pointing towards the direction that you’re going. That is if you get the one cart properly aligned and in good working order.

A simple mower racing parts adjustment that is being done by enthusiasts to make their racing mower turn almost effortlessly includes playing with the caster settings at each race.

Specific setting will be determined by specific track routes. Add a stagger to make your racing mower quick on the turns. A stagger means that the mower has different settings on the right and left wheel. Setting the right-side stagger, 1 or 2 degrees more than the left will make your mower naturally turn left, and vice versa.

It is very common for stock mowers to have a gear-driven steering system. Again, that is good for mowing your lawn but not for a racing mower. You’ll want to replace the gear-driven steering system with direct drive mower racing parts. You can either do this yourself or visit a garage and have it done for you.

“Toe-in” is the term used if the front tires of your racing mower are pointing in, and “toe-out” if they are pointing out. I’m sure you’ve seen cars that either have toe-ins or toe-outs. For mower racing, your setting should be zero toe-in or a small amount of toe-out.

One of the more complex mower racing parts settings is the Ackerman. As you know, the inside tires are turning on a smaller radius as you tackle turns. Meaning your left tire will be turning more than the right when you’re turning left.

Reducing the length of the steering arm on the left spindle increases the Ackerman effect.

To take care of the loose-fitting rods, you can use small tubing from you local racing garage. These rods are usually ready for spherical rod eyes. This also makes it easier for you to adjust the toe-in setting of your mower racing parts.

It is advisable to seek the help of a professional when working on your racing mower so they can give you tips when it comes to safety. This is important for you as well as the other racers.