What is "crab walking"?

Question

What is "crab walking"?

Answer 1

Crab walking is the term they started using when they noticed the cars coming down the straightaway and looked like they were sideways.  The teams were taking the rear axle and moving the right side forward 2 degrees which was giving the car more side down force.  To explain it a little better if you have ever been behind a semi and notice that you can see more of the left or right side of the trailer that is called off tracking and is basically the same thing except in our case it is not something done on purpose.  They are actually not doing anything to the body or the chassis as NASCAR has said don't mess with the body or chassis they are messing with the suspension of the car.  NASCAR has since made a rule stating that they can move the axle no more than 1 degree.

Answer 2

the way the COT cars looked last week in qualifying that were sideways when going straight---and cheating! Ha!

Answer 3

TOYOTA DRIVERS

Answer 4

Buddy Baker described it best as "dog tracking".The car is running somewhat side ways.The 4 tires do not  track in line.When you see the car running down a straight away it looks like it is side ways.

Answer 5

go to beach, catch crab....put on lease and walk it.........

now that is crab walking...lol

Answer 6

(feel free to correct the details if i'm wrong - i don't understand them all)

crab walking is what the cars do when they are put in serious yaw, "twisting" their bodies on top of the chassis.  when you see a car, like hornish's or newman's for the past few weeks, that looks like it's turning left while it's wheels are going straight, that's crab walking.

everybody does it to some extent, but some had taken it way too far, and the cars looked like they were scooting down the track sideways - thus "crab walking"

Answer 7

uncle hank told me when he got the crabs they made him itch so much it made him walk sideways. it is like fleas that dogs get, i think.

my uncle hank says that is why he is so fussy and grouchy. i guess people like that are "crabby?"

Answer 8

walk on your hands and feet with your belly towards the sky

Answer 9

It's when they drive down the straightaway with the body on the frame crooked. The front end is about two or three inches further over towards the driver side than the rear end.

Answer 10

A nasty / S****y hooker..., walking her pets down the road

Answer 11

it's the same thing as "dog tracking"

Answer 12

Crabbing is an old term, I first learned in flying.  It is based on the way actual crabs (as in sea creatures) often move wherein the look like their bodies are at an angle when they are going straight.  An airplane "crabs" into a wind much the same way as you always have to fly slightly into the wind to go straight so you are going at an angle all the time.

With the COT's the crabbing is simply just setting the body on at an angle to get some side bite in the corners.  They are also messing with the angles of the rear end housing to achieve this with the chassis somewhat too. They are moving one side ahead and/or one back. NASCAR is about to limit it greatly I suspect...

WHY IS THIS GETTING SO MANY THUMBS DOWN????  I TRIED TO GIVE A DECENT ANSWER...