- Joined
- 24 September 2012
- Messages
- 60
Yes and I said: "Springs don't physically take traction away at the tire like a sway bar (maybe if you go to 1000lb.s or something?) they simply change the body roll characteristics which is a product of the weight distribution of the car - where is most of the weight and what effect will that have under braking, turning, and accelerating?"
So I think we are on the same page but I will clarify my understanding of springs: they effect braking (dive), turning (pitch and roll), and accelerating (squat).
As far as dampers, I have a friend who holds the TTC lap record at Putnam (the track I was on in the video I posted yesterday) and I went for a ride with him for some 9/10ths laps in his AP1 S2000 - its apples to oranges to compare the handling characteristics to an NSX as the S2000 is 50/50 weight dist. from the factory but his setup consisted of OEM sway bars, Ohlins re-valved to take a very high spring rate (about what your front rate is but on both axles with a slight bias), and a large rear wing with hardtop-no splitter. That car handled absolutely incredible with him driving and I was amazed at the balance of that car. There you had a very high spring rate on both axles coiled over a very high quality damper, so I can see what you mean...perhaps I will end up re-valving the V3's? One last thing on dampers, is it true that damper adjustments are akin to tire pressure adjustments, as in they are not making a huge impact on handling like say, adding a 1" sway bar? I experimented with damper adjustments on the V3's at two different tracks and really could not pick up much difference in handling - barely noticeable. Rake on the other hand IS something I have felt have a major influence on my cars handling and I currently have 1/8" front rake. At Autobahn I started at a 1/4" and the car felt good but the rear would breakaway under momentum on corner entry on two specific turns. I consulted Coz on the phone and he recommended playing with the rake, so, I took the rear down an 1/8" and the it was like magic - more difficult to duplicate the oversteer on turn-in and if I did it was because I was simply carrying more speed into the corners now. Then I thought, lets go zero rake? That ended up making the car loose at the apex of higher speed corners so I took it back up to 1/8" and thats were it sits. I add the wing, change springs, strip more weight (I'm 3060 with me in it and 1/2 tank) and I might revisit the rake setting.
As far as sway bars, after that ride he said he likes the feel of stock sway bars on almost everything he drives. I thought about it, and decided used 91 sway bars were cheap and easy to put in, so I did it and so far I really do think its one of the best changes I've made to the car - there is more compliance and much more steering feedback up front and breakaway doesn't happen on-power out of low speed corners nearly as dramatically as with the 7/8" bar back there. Sorry if this is all starting to sound like conjecture but I am still learning and this helps me to talk with you guys.
