# What ranges of wheel rotation are used in racing? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 1, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707 "2012-12-01T21:55:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/1 "2012-12-01T21:55:59Z")
In road car you usually have 900 degrees from lock to lock. But it’s a bit slow so my question is - what angles do they use in professional track racing or rallying? Do drivers have their personal preferences or same settings are used for the same car? ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/2 "2012-12-02T08:44:38Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > In road car you usually have 900 degrees from lock to lock. But it’s a bit slow so my question is - what angles do they use in professional track racing or rallying? Do you mean the rotation of the steering wheel? > [@](#): > > Do drivers have their personal preferences or same settings are used for the same car? My [Atom](http://www.atomacrossamerica.org) is 1.6 turns from full left turn to full right turn. A 2.0 turn steering box was an option. Since the Atom doesn’t have power steering, some people find the 1.6 steering box to be too much effort. Note that this is just the number of turns between full left to full right - it doesn’t say anything about how sharp a turn (degrees off of “straight ahead”) the car can make. On the Atom, there are collar stops under the steering gaiters, which can be adjusted to individual preference, or left at the default to allow the tightest turning radius. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/3 "2012-12-02T08:57:25Z")
F1 cars go lock to lock without the driver having to take his hands off the wheel. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/4 "2012-12-02T09:24:45Z")
I’ve been wondering lately if I could get a steering box for my car with a different ratio. It’d take less effort to drive, though I can see why it wouldn’t be for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/5 "2012-12-02T09:46:53Z")
BTW. Is there any particular reason for 2.5 turns (900 degrees) to be chosen as “de facto” standard? ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/6 "2012-12-02T13:26:00Z")
In the days before power steering was standard, a slow steering ration required less effort to turn. Particularly at low speeds for parking. 900 degrees seems a bit excessive to me. I’ve never driven a car with more than about 540 (1.5 turns) and that was in the Sixties. I haven’t driven one that required more than 360 degrees since 1984, and my current car is about 300 degrees. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/7 "2012-12-02T19:14:35Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > 900 degrees seems a bit excessive to me. I’ve never driven a car with more than about 540 (1.5 turns) and that was in the Sixties. I haven’t driven one that required more than 360 degrees since 1984, and my current car is about 300 degrees. You do realize that a car with 360 degrees of steering would require only a half turn in either direction to max out the steering, right? I’m not trying to insult your intelligence or anything - and maybe you’ve only driven exotic sports cars or something - but I’ve never driven a car that was anywhere near that, much less 300. That sounds more like a go-kart. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/8 "2012-12-02T19:28:25Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > 900 degrees seems a bit excessive to me. I’ve never driven a car with more than about 540 (1.5 turns) and that was in the Sixties. I haven’t driven one that required more than 360 degrees since 1984, and my current car is about 300 degrees. Perhaps you’re confusing turning from straight-ahead center to lock on one side (what you seem to be describing) with lock-to-lock turning (what everyone else in this thread has been referring to). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ranges-of-wheel-rotation-are-used-in-racing/642707/9 "2012-12-03T03:51:02Z")
Moved to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator