Ask the Car People.SM


The Art and Science of Handling

8 messages,  Last post on Jun 25, 2006 at 9:43 PM

You are in the Speed Shop Tuning and Modification Forum.

What is this discussion about? Performance Mods

Messages Page 2 of 2

#4 of 8 oh the pain of rememberance by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Apr 12, 2005 (11:15 am)

Biggest mistakes I've made and have seen others make is that we forgot that a car's suspension is really "all of a piece".
 
You don't alter one thing without altering other things, sometimes not for the best.

#5 of 8 Vibration Mechanics by shiphro

May 16, 2005 (11:43 am)

At the Mechanical Engineering college at Temple University in Philadelphia, there is a senior-level class called "Vibration Mechanics".
 
This class dealt with all sorts of vibration and damping. Everything from a door-check (that thing at the top that keeps it from slamming) to the harmonic frequencies of a high-rpm motor and it's mount.
 
After a few months of over / under and critically-dampened systems, response times and harmonic frequencies I came to realize two important pieces of information.
 
1 - I now had more knowledge of how a car handles than 95% of the population.
2 - I was horribly underqualified when it came to suspension design.
 
Once you take suspension into account, the basic formulae governing a car in motion are insanely complex. Four individual springs and dampers all moving while the car accelerates (two expand and two contract), brakes (same, but reversed), turns (same, but side-to-side), goes over bumps and potholes (one to all springs traversing the input).
 
If you can't comprehend those forumlae, you probably should be flipping thru the catalog looking for the highest spring constant.

#6 of 8 Thanks to Edmunds for by starrow68

Oct 10, 2005 (9:37 pm)

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=107485?mktcat=insideline&kw=HTML&m- ktid=NL990467&DARTmail
 
Hope the link works. Good article about GT40 in expert and less than expert hands at Laguna Seca. Now, what made me feel good was the 1.50.6 that I turned last January, but it was my third day on that track in a 2 month period. I'm sure they all would do better given the time. But a stock engine, 2002 Corvette coupe on street tires was a kick at that speed, and I understand his reluctance to hold the throttle under the bridge, took me most of two days to keep it down going into turn 2. Topped out around mid teens as I remember on that third day.
Randy

#7 of 8 Question re: traction & handling by genepep

Jun 22, 2006 (9:27 am)

Can anyone give me a website which would compare automobiles and rate them on the basis of their handling and traction? I realize that this is a subjective matter, but that is still better than nothing.

#8 of 8 Re: Question re: traction & handling [genepep] by accel

Jun 25, 2006 (9:43 pm)

Replying to: genepep (Jun 22, 2006 9:27 am)
I would advice you visit local SCCA events, especially autocross (aka Solo2). People are racing their own cars in safe environment. You'll see with your own eyes how stock cars behave when pushed to the limit. You could see BMW, Corvettes, MR2, Rx7, Miatas, Civics, Integras, etc. in stock and modified forms.
 
Usually people get involved in those events at their stock cars, spend some time improving themselves as drivers, understanding vehicle dynamics, etc. After that one could modify the car. There's a lot of suspension products on the market.
 
I would doubt you can find a website you asked for.

Messages Page 2 of 2

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