Rear stability / downforce

This forum is for technical discussions on anything that will make your car handle better or go faster.

Moderators: IMC, Club Staff

Post Reply
oodLes
Mechanic
Posts: 661
jedwabna poszewka promocja
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:00 pm

Rear stability / downforce

Post by oodLes »

After experiencing the FTO's pretty goddamn shocking weight distribution first hand I'm wondering what I can do to combat the lack of rear traction at speed. I can feel it lifting in what would be normal cornering for most other sports cars.

It's getting lowered by 30mm all round in a couple weeks (after the paint and panels) and I'm wondering what else aside from a bag of concrete mix in the boot I can do about it. Would there be any benefit with something like a gt wing as well?
User avatar
Bennoz
National President
Posts: 23668
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 6:00 pm
Location: Sydney
Contact:

Post by Bennoz »

A thicker rear sway bar will keep the rear flatter during cornering & aid it to not feel like its a dog cocking its leg. A rear strut brace would also help. Adjustable shocks (all round) would ultimately enable you to fine tine a better setup & couple that with some fiddling on tyre pressures & you'll be able to find a good medium.

You can also adjust a couple of degree of negative camber into the rear wheels too.
oodLes
Mechanic
Posts: 661
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:00 pm

Post by oodLes »

Yeah someone I was talking to just mentioned a stiffer rear swaybar.

That feeling of one tyre not being on the ground was the last thing I felt before.. yeah.
User avatar
mr-charisma
Oldtimer
Posts: 4020
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:00 pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Post by mr-charisma »

oodLes wrote:Yeah someone I was talking to just mentioned a stiffer rear swaybar.

That feeling of one tyre not being on the ground was the last thing I felt before.. yeah.
before what exactly?

I've never really noticed a problem with the rear not sticking to the road.. hell - some people might consider that to be a good thing ;)

What speeds are we talking about here? :? :P
User avatar
SG
Veteran Mechanic
Posts: 833
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:00 pm
Location: Perth

Post by SG »

stiffer sway bars increase the "dog leg" AFAIK... they lock the suspension arms together on both sides of teh car to the chassis, car leans one way more force (downwards) on one wheel and more force (upwards) on the other wheel...

fto's come standard with 16/18mm which is the max you can upgrade a lancer to with whiteline equipment, and the fto only weights a little bit more so they're already kinda stiff as standard i reckon

best way to fix weight distribution (that i know of) besides moving the actual weight is to lower the car on the end which you want more weight on (more grip). only prob though is it causes less grip on the other end of the car because its now lighter... if you have understeer raise the back end, oversteer then lower the back end

*lix coilovers* :)
User avatar
I8A4RE
QLD Coordinator
Posts: 9594
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:00 pm
Location: BOOSTIN in front of you
Contact:

Post by I8A4RE »

SG wrote: best way to fix weight distribution (that i know of) besides moving the actual weight is to lower the car on the end which you want more weight on (more grip). only prob though is it causes less grip on the other end of the car because its now lighter... if you have understeer raise the back end, oversteer then lower the back end

*lix coilovers* :)
Mate i agree totally, oodles i have g4 coilovers and my car handles unbelievably. I have it pretty much as low as i can go with the front bar i have on and have them on the stiffest setting. The spring rate is around the 5 mark and its insane even with sh*t tyres on. There is no dog lifting the car just stays flat. The car is hobbly as sh*t just driving on normal roads but i love that and even if i didnt i could change that within 3 minutes

I then fitted front sway bar and that has caused a little bit of understeer but as for weight disrtibution its like a frickan go kart
CHRISTIANITY: The belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree...
oodLes
Mechanic
Posts: 661
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:00 pm

Post by oodLes »

mr-charisma wrote:before what exactly?

What speeds are we talking about here? :? :P
Before this: http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... highlight=

And I was doing 130.

Ive got a set of springs going in within the next few weeks but I'll look into better and adjustable setups during that time. Thanks guys.
Post Reply