Really Geekie suspension stuff

Wacky Racer · Post by **Wacky Racer** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:32 pm

I was taking to a guy competing at the kames sprint today in an s2 elise. He told me that he's changed his dampers to nitron's and that he's taken the spacers out of the top front wishbones to give him the ability to adjust the camber and to create more heat in the front tyres.

This has led me to ask a few questions. Firstly, by fitting nitrons how do you know what the valve rates should be and indeed what should the sprung corner weights be?
Secondly, does anyone know what spacers the guy was taking about and if you do take out these spacers will it have a negative effect on the handling?

With regards to the tyres, camber adjustment and more heat, I was under the understanding that by adjusting the negative camber setting your are creating a greater tyre contact area whilst cornering thus giving better grip. However I don't see how this creates more heat, just more tyre ware on the inner edge.
Surely if you want to get more tyre heat you would be better to adjust the rake angle and the caster angles and be prepared for the oversteer element.

My opinion is based on my experience with single seater race cars but I don't know much about the elise yet, so it would be good if anybody knows different about setting the cars up.

I do have to much time on my hands.

Rich

alicrozier · Post by **alicrozier** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:07 pm

Rich,
First of all good to see an Elise sprinting again, tut and I competed last year. Who was the driver?

Nitron do various kits for the Elise (I ran them on my Elise) with differing spring rates and valving to match.

Removing front camber adjustment shims gives more negative camber to reduce understeer. Taking all the shims out is usually about right for the S2 (depending on ride height) - other geo needs set also though...

Not sure it'd help generate heat in the tyres...

Cheers,
Ali

mac · Post by **mac** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:14 pm

Oversteer isn't a huge problem on the S2 - understeer is fairly terminal though.

I've got the previousl mentioned nitrons on my car now, along with A048 (you need different wheels) and finally an adjustable ARB.

Understeer is pretty minimal now.

Mac

Wacky Racer · Post by **Wacky Racer** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:50 pm

alicrozier wrote:Rich,
First of all good to see an Elise sprinting again, tut and I competed last year. Who was the driver?

Nitron do various kits for the Elise (I ran them on my Elise) with differing spring rates and valving to match.

Removing front camber adjustment shims gives more negative camber to reduce understeer. Taking all the shims out is usually about right for the S2 (depending on ride height) - other geo needs set also though...

Not sure it'd help generate heat in the tyres...

Cheers,
Ali

Hi Ali, I never caught the guys name however he was driving a standard bright yellow s2, meeting was arranged as part of the wigton car club so most of the entries were from the south. There was also a rather hot modded s1 with a 215bhp ptp engine and straight cut box etc. It was quick but still didnt match the westeys.

What were u racing with last year? I've probably seen u at a meet or 2?

Rich

alicrozier · Post by **alicrozier** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:33 pm

Rich,
Silver S2 111S (the one in the top banner in fact). ^

Some pics from Kames last year:
http://www.team-scottish-elises.co.uk/a ... album&id=9

Cheers,
Ali

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 7:36 am

I would have thought some toe-in at the front would get some heat into the fronts?

Post by **Shug** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:45 am

jamie wrote:I would have thought some toe-in at the front would get some heat into the fronts?

Toe-out on the Elise....

But yeah, that's a usual trick.