Really Geekie suspension stuff
Posted: 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
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