I've just found an animated, web tool for showing the effects:-
http://www.compgoparts.com/TechnicalResources/AckermanSteering.asp
Find the blue panel, click anytwhere on the white 'bar' (about halfway down the blue panel) and then move your mouse left and right within the bar.
The graphic shows the difference between a setup with some 'ackerman' and with no ackerman.
What you'll note is that the effect is cuased by the amount by which the distance between the king pins is DIFFERENT than between track rod mounting holes on stub axle.
That is the REAL Ackereman Effect. The one MISNAMED by karters as 'Ackerman steering' (created by having more than on mounting hole on the steering 'spade') is only another way of promoting the effect. Despite what peop[le will tell you: ALL karts have 'ackerman steering' even if they DON'T hyave two holes in the 'spade'!
In strict answer to your actual questions..... we can't tell you! The 'height' that the track rods are mounted on the steering column only affects the Ackerman effect if the trackrods do not remain parallel to the ground. To give you an answer, we'd have to know if your track rods are pointing down or UP before you move them and if the amount of 'non parallel' increases or decreases once you move them.
Assuming that they hardly change, then moving them up or down the column will have very little effect.
On the secopnd part. The LESS you make the distance between the two mounting holes on your two stub axles, the GREATER the 'ackerman effect'. However, you CAN have TOO MUCH 'Ackerman effect' so don't assume that 'more is better', it may well be WORSE!
Ian
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