Jump to content

springs


postell69

Recommended Posts

allright been thinking about this for few days so im going to ask i heard some drivers talking about putting a softer spring on the right rear for better bite coming off the corners on the dirt since i really dont know much about this topic im going to ask has anybody heard of this thank you all for not laughing to hard at me but was just wondering and i did hear spring not shocks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

allright been thinking about this for few days so im going to ask i heard some drivers talking about putting a softer spring on the right rear for better bite coming off the corners on the dirt since i really dont know much about this topic im going to ask has anybody heard of this thank you all for not laughing to hard at me but was just wondering and i did hear spring not shocks

Yes, a softer spring on the RR than on the LR will help with bite coming off the turn. BUT it will also add dynamic cross weight to the RF/LR diagonal which will also tighten the car somewhat through the entire turn. Like everything else in suspension, what you gain somewhere, you lose somewhere else...

 

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so NICK,what if you ran softer on the r.r. and the right front?we are talking on dirt.......frank t

 

Softer right side springs will add more body roll which is great for generating side bite if the if the track is tacky (or unless it's too soft and the chassis bottoms out). But by softening the RF will remove some of the bite you achieved by softening the RR.

 

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nick, while we are on the subject of springs. I am going to give you a spring set up and see what you think

 

LF 750 RF 650

LR 350 RR 200

 

I have a 1.5" Sway bar and run about 2 inches of stagger. The car is a tad tight in the turns, which I like, but I am getting loose when I get back on the gas. I know that I need to ease in on the throttle more, but what can I do to get more bite. This is in a metric chassis, with no tricks on the rear suspension. I have a set of chevelle upper trailing arms, will putting them on and getting more pinion angle help?

 

ride heights are

 

LF 6 RF 6.25

LR 8 RR 8.25

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arthur,

 

First off, one possbile reason you're a bit loose coming off the turn (this car runs on asphalt, right?) is due to the slight push in the middle. Fix the slight push in the middle and you should have more than enough bite coming off the turns expecially with that big LR spring.

 

Without knowing any of the wheel rates, motion ratios, moment arm lengths, weight distribution, and a host of other very critical variables, perhaps part of the slight push in the middle would be eliminated by reducing the strength of the LR spring.

 

You say the car is a metric chassis. Has the natural binding in the rear trailing arms been eliminated or reduced?

 

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most asphalt metric chassis that have the stock rear trailing arm setup are pretty much loose in the center (where the body roll produces the most suspension bind), so having a metric that is a bit tight in the center probably means your rear suspension bind has been reduced to an acceptable level. OR.. you have front suspension bind (or horrible front suspension geometry) which more or less negates (or matches) the rear bind. I hope this is not the case.

 

Yes, I have some ideas about how to reduce the metric rear suspension bind, but I don't discuss those sorts of things in public... Some tech official might be listenting LOL..

 

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If its a metric chassis the first thing you must do is correct the stock upper control arms mount location so your geometry in the frontend will be consistant as you are turning. Metrics sucks really bad. The only person I recommend in your area is Fast 1 Fabricating Phil Dixon. He will put the camber caster gauge on it an show you first how bad it is and then you will want to fix it. He has a jig ready to go. Again all metric frames have this problem from the get go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My cross weight was 49.4, I am going to try to get it up to 51-51.5.

 

I'm not sure if that would be a step in the right direction. If the increase in cross adds to your tight in the center condition, the loose off will still most likely be present. If you can make the car neutral at entry and in the center, the loose off condition will probably go away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arthur,

 

First off, one possbile reason you're a bit loose coming off the turn (this car runs on asphalt, right?) is due to the slight push in the middle. Fix the slight push in the middle and you should have more than enough bite coming off the turns expecially with that big LR spring...

 

Nick

 

I'm not sure if that would be a step in the right direction. If the increase in cross adds to your tight in the center condition, the loose off will still most likely be present. If you can make the car neutral at entry and in the center, the loose off condition will probably go away.

 

Is there an echo in here? LOL..

 

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So what you are saying is take a little cross weight out. That is also what my book says and what I think of, but everyone keeps telling me that I need to be at over 50%. I am going to put it on the scales on Sunday and see where it is at on my scales and make some changes. Nick, can you come to HMP on the 22nd and help with my car, I will pay double your TXSZ salary to help out. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So what you are saying is take a little cross weight out. That is also what my book says and what I think of, but everyone keeps telling me that I need to be at over 50%. I am going to put it on the scales on Sunday and see where it is at on my scales and make some changes. Nick, can you come to HMP on the 22nd and help with my car, I will pay double your TXSZ salary to help out. :D

 

Arthur, I have first-hand experience that a car running below 50% cross can be fast and fast on the long run. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what effect do your shocks play in all this?do you go softer for no bite and stiffer for bite?or are you restricted by the rules?just wondering about the crossover of straightliners to circle tracking,dealing with vector forces and what not.I help alot of guys hook up alot of HP and shocks are overlooked alot of times in our racing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...