Coilover and Adjustable Damping set-up

[kes_vtec]

i am looking for some info how to set these up the "right" way.

[kes_vtec]

SETTING CORNERWEIGHTS:
This step is optional, but provides the optimum handling for the car by making sure all 4 tires are doing equal share of the work. Weigh the car at all 4 corners after jettisoning unnecessary items for racing, disconnect the sway bar end links, and with you sitting in the car.
1.Add all weights together to find the total weight of the car.
2.Figure the percentage of weight front to rear:
Front %= Total weight on both front tires divided by the total weight of the car X 100.
Rear %= Total weight on both rear tires divided by the total weight of the car X 100.
These should add up to 100% of course.
3.Now you can figure the ideal weight for each wheel:
LF ideal weight= % on front tires X total weight on both left tires, divide by 100.
RF ideal weight= % on front tires X total weight on both right tires, divide by 100.
LR ideal weight= % on rear tires X total weight on both left tires, divide by 100.
RR ideal weight= % on rear tires X total weight on both right tires, divide by 100.
4.Now compare this to your actual readings and adjust accordingly. Note that they should all be off an equal amount. You may not want to bother with a 10 pound difference, but 50 pounds is excessive and should be adjusted. Do this by raising/lowering ride height at the proper corner. Adjusting the corner weight at one corner of the car effects the weights at ALL FOUR TIRES. Weigh the car again and check your work.
5.Reconnect your sway bars. When you do, if the endlinks don't contact equally on both left and right sides of the car, you will need to shim an endlink with washer(s). An unbalanced sway bar will throw off cornerweights.

[kes_vtec]

http://www.grmotorsports.com/news/01200 ... eights.php
^^^ lots more info there


One of the most important aspects of car setup is the static weight distribution and the cross-weight percentage. Why? Picture the following:


Your car is really fast in right-hand turns, but understeers in left turns. If you get the car neutral in left turns, it oversteers in right turns. The situation is frustrating. You’ve tried springs, shocks, different bars, neutralizing the anti-roll bar, and nothing seems to work. Even on a track with mostly right-hand turns, the problem in the left-hand turns cost a lot of time.

While several different setup parameters could have caused this situation, a likely cause is excessive cross-weight.
Static Weight Distribution


Static weight distribution is the weight resting on each tire contact patch with the car at rest, exactly the way it will be raced. This means the driver should be in the car, all fluids topped up, and the fuel load should be such that the car makes your minimum weight rule at the designated time-usually after a race. The car should be at minimum weight, using ballast as needed to make the proper weight.

When working with static weight distribution, we use two percentages to analyze the car’s corner weights: Left weight percentage and rear weight percentage. These tell us all we need to know about the setup relative to the weight distribution. The left weight percentage is found by adding the LF weight to the LR weight and dividing the sum by the total weight.

The rear weight percentage is found in a similar manner: Add the LR and the RR weight together and divide the sum by the total weight. Many electronic scales will perform the calculations for you.

For road racing and autocrossing, the ideal left weight percentage is 50 percent. This makes the cornering force balanced from left to right and offers the best performance overall. However, many cars cannot make the 50 percent left-side weight percentage due to driver offset. Still, it is a worthwhile goal to strive for 50 percent left-side weight.

Rear weight percentage for road racing and autocrossing is less definite. The more power a car has, the more that static weight over the drive wheels helps acceleration off the corners. Additionally, it is much more difficult to change rear percentage much, since rear weight is mostly a design function. It still pays to be thoughtful about weight placement fore and aft in your car.

The only way to change the static weight distribution percentages is to physically move weight around in the car. Jacking weight will not alter the left side or the rear percentages.

[kes_vtec]

Weight Distribution and Cross Weight

Weight distribution and cross weight (a.k.a. preload) are helpful tools for tuning your suspension. Sadly, many racers misunderstand these properties. The following kitchen science example demonstrates how chassis weights and preload work.

WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
Imagine that you take your kitchen table and place a bathroom scale under each leg. Now, stand exactly in the center of the kitchen table. If you are exactly in the center of the table, then all four scales will register the same weight.

Now, take half a step to the left. The left side scales will now show more weight than the right side scales. In this example the weight is distributed to the left. This is obvious because of your position on the table. But it is also evident from rea ding the scales.

From this position, move forward one half step. The left front scale will now register the most weight. This is logical due to your position on the table. Again, by reading the scales it's also possible to tell where you are standing on the table.

Just like positioning your weight on the table, your race car's weight will respond exactly the same. However, reading the scales to determine the weight location within the car is a little more complex than this kitchen table example.

PRELOAD
Up to this point, all four table legs have been rigid. Suppose now that you were to place a spring under each table leg. And, just to make it a little more fun, suppose the bottom of each leg had a threaded collar resting on the top of the spring.

In essence, the table now has weight jacks just like the race car. Now, imagine we place the scales under the springs. If all four springs were exactly identical and the threaded collars were adjusted to be the same height, and you stand in the middle of the table, then the scales would read no differently than prior to adding the springs (except for the additional weight of the springs and collars).

However, if you were to adjust the right front spring collar to slightly compress (preload) this spring, then the right front scale will register more weight. At the same time, the left rear scale will register slightly more weight. In this condition, t he right rear and left front scales will register less weight, too.

In this example, if you were to add the weights registered by the left side scales you would find they were 50% of the total. Even though the weight at each corner changed in this example, the weight distribution remained unchanged because you are still standing in the middle of the table.

About this time, many racers give up on trying to understand weight distribution and cross weight. Fortunately, the Computerized Chassis Weights software keeps things simple by providing the important end results of many complex relationships.

IN THE REAL WORLD
So far, our racy kitchen table has responded exactly the same way your race car would respond for these same changes. In reality, your race car has suspension parts (A frames etc.) making it slightly more complicated, but, the physics is the same for bot h cases.

With no preload, the weight distribution is clearly understood just by reading the scales. With uniform weight distribution the prelaod can also be understood by simply reading the scales. But, throw in a mix of preload (cross weight) and non uniform weight distribution and you have scale readings that are no longer clear indications of these kitchen table examples.

CROSS WEIGHT; RACING'S VOO DOO
Simply adding the scaled weights from diagonal corners of the car tells you little about the race car. By the time you factor in different spring rates, sway bar rates and motion ratio, different spring locations, different wheel offsets and rear axle offset, the cross weight is not much more than Voo Doo. Preload, however, is a real and scientific aspect of your race car.

Preload is also a good diagnostic tool for selecting springs on short track cars. This is where the Computerized Chassis Weights software is a major help in tuning your chassis.

INTERPRETING PRELOAD
When reviewing your Computerized Chassis Weights software, if you find a preload greater than 25 to 50 pounds, then you could benefit from a spring change. Some people have found preload in excess of 300 pounds.

If the software shows excessive preload in the right front and left rear, then you should interpret this as the car needing a larger front sway bar. If your car does not have a sway bar, without this software you would never know whether you could benefi t from a sway bar (even on dirt tracks).

Another benefit from using the Computerized Chassis Weights software is if you find excessive preload in the right rear and left front corners. In this situation your race car could be improved by using stiffer rear springs.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Historically, advantages in racing were hard to find. Now, you can find advantages in preload by simple using the Computerized Chassis Weights.

[plex]

interesting infor..

[villain]

cool.. thinkin about doin this just now

[Sanctifier]

Good info... helpful. Thanks.

[R. Mutt]

Where can i find corner scales in Trinidad?

[X2]

Ask Wes (Hondaho).

[Sully]

Where can i find corner scales in Trinidad?

I think a better question is, are there corner scales in Trinidad.

[Sanctifier]

^ ^ ^ If not... how do the rally boys setup their suspension accurately, without scales?

[Sully]

Now that's a question for the rally boys to answer.

[trauma]

interesting and useful stuff there kes...bless

[NickJr.]

The Michelin store on wrightson rd has corner scales, don't know the price of using them though

[Sanctifier]

^ ^ ^ Went there myself for alignment... Asked Supervisor... No scales...

Anywhere else???

[kes_vtec]

i had a talk with Clifford Abrahan fromScales & Weighing Servies, he has access to scales, if you guys reall what to do this let me know, i will try set-up a date for us, as it stands, OCT 7 the day before CIRCUIT RACING we may be able to use the scales.
PM me and let me know if you up for it...

[Sanctifier]

Thanks for the heads up.

[kes_vtec]

he still has them...
just need to call him and set-up ah date