Cornering Speed Calculator

Reviewed By: Patrick Myers (BSME)

Enter the tire friction coefficient, gravitational acceleration, corner radius, vehicle height, and track width into the calculator to determine the cornering speed.

Main

Banked Turn

Lateral g

Enter any 5 values to calculate the missing variable

Tire/Surface Preset (sets μ) Cornering Speed

Tire Friction Coefficient Gravitational Acceleration

Corner Radius

Vehicle Class Preset (sets H & W) Vehicle Height

Track Width

Cornering Speed Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the cornering speed for a given set of parameters.

v = \sqrt{\frac{\mu \cdot g \cdot r}{1 - \left(\mu \cdot \frac{h}{w}\right)}}

Variables:

v is the cornering speed
μ is the tire friction coefficient
g is the gravitational acceleration (approximately 9.81 m/s²)
r is the corner radius
h is the vehicle height
w is the track width

To calculate the cornering speed, use the formula above by plugging in the tire friction coefficient, gravitational acceleration, corner radius, vehicle height, and track width. The result will give you the cornering speed in meters per second.

What is Cornering Speed?

Cornering speed refers to the maximum speed at which a vehicle can safely navigate a turn or corner without losing traction. This speed is influenced by several factors, including the tire friction coefficient, gravitational acceleration, corner radius, vehicle height, and track width. Understanding and calculating cornering speed is crucial for vehicle dynamics and safety, especially in high-performance and racing scenarios.

How to Calculate Cornering Speed?

The following steps outline how to calculate the cornering speed.

First, determine the tire friction coefficient (μ).
Next, determine the gravitational acceleration (g), which is approximately 9.81 m/s².
Next, determine the corner radius (r).
Next, determine the vehicle height (h).
Next, determine the track width (w).
Finally, calculate the cornering speed using the formula v = √((μ * g * r) / (1 – (μ * (h / w)))).
After inserting the values and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem :

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

Tire Friction Coefficient (μ) = 0.8

Gravitational Acceleration (g) = 9.81 m/s²

Corner Radius (r) = 50 m

Vehicle Height (h) = 1.5 m

Track Width (w) = 1.8 m

Follow-Up Calculations

If your cornering-speed result says a 3,200-pound car can hold a 50 mph line through a 150-foot-radius bend, that works out to roughly 0.9 g of lateral load, or about 2,880 pounds of tire force. You can use the available tire force in pounds to compare that grip limit with what the drivetrain can actually put down, which is especially helpful when traction is the real bottleneck.

If your car can carry 60 mph through a corner and it wears 25-inch tires, the wheels are spinning about 806 rpm before gear reduction. The wheel rpm at that speed helps you estimate engine speed in each gear, so you can see whether the car will stay in its power band through the turn.

A cornering-speed result of 45 mph still matters on the braking side, because entering the same turn at 65 mph means the brakes have to shed a lot more energy before turn-in. You can check how hard the calipers squeeze to see whether your braking system can generate enough force to scrub off speed before the apex, not just survive the corner itself.