Reducing understeer
#21
Argonaut
Right now I am running -3/4 camber and 1/8 toe in. I am seriously considering going to your setup next spring but was worried about how it would handle on the street with the 285/40/18s front and rear. Do you find your car 'darty' or bad for 'tramlining'. Some of the roads around here have some pretty heavy wear grooves so I am a little concerned.
Right now I am running -3/4 camber and 1/8 toe in. I am seriously considering going to your setup next spring but was worried about how it would handle on the street with the 285/40/18s front and rear. Do you find your car 'darty' or bad for 'tramlining'. Some of the roads around here have some pretty heavy wear grooves so I am a little concerned.
#22
However there is one more thing that I realized after my original post. The car understeered the worst in the slower, flatter corners. On the two fastest corners, which have some banking, the car was neutral to me.
So now I need to figure out if I am driving closer to the limit in the slower corners or if the car really handles differently in the fast ones.
#23
I agree but it does depend on which track your on. So far I've spun once at Dunnville and once in the wet at the Mosport Driver Development Track (DDT). In both cases it was drive to the pits, quick visual inspection and back on. If that had been the Mosport GP circuit the results can be quite different as more than a few Porsche and Ferrari owners will confirm.
FWIW I figure that anyone who drives a bike on a race track has to be crazy
FWIW I figure that anyone who drives a bike on a race track has to be crazy
Now regarding the bike/track/crazy comment, yes!
#24
Argonaut
Right now I am running -3/4 camber and 1/8 toe in. I am seriously considering going to your setup next spring but was worried about how it would handle on the street with the 285/40/18s front and rear. Do you find your car 'darty' or bad for 'tramlining'. Some of the roads around here have some pretty heavy wear grooves so I am a little concerned.
Right now I am running -3/4 camber and 1/8 toe in. I am seriously considering going to your setup next spring but was worried about how it would handle on the street with the 285/40/18s front and rear. Do you find your car 'darty' or bad for 'tramlining'. Some of the roads around here have some pretty heavy wear grooves so I am a little concerned.
#26
Since I started the thread I guess I can continue the threadjack.
All a beginner needs in these cars is fresh brake fluid and make sure you have more than 50% of your brake pads. I did over 10 track days at TWS with stock brake pads and Pirelli all-seasons. However, with your experience, you might get into brake fade. Here's a good thread on track pads and fluid.
Interesting, the car times are similar: 2:00 is fast and 1:50 is really fast. I'm stuck up at around 2:10.
Unless you try to save it, going off track isn't so bad in a car. Both feet in and don't try to save it. Typically you'll just end up with a car full of dirt.
All a beginner needs in these cars is fresh brake fluid and make sure you have more than 50% of your brake pads. I did over 10 track days at TWS with stock brake pads and Pirelli all-seasons. However, with your experience, you might get into brake fade. Here's a good thread on track pads and fluid.
Interesting, the car times are similar: 2:00 is fast and 1:50 is really fast. I'm stuck up at around 2:10.
Unless you try to save it, going off track isn't so bad in a car. Both feet in and don't try to save it. Typically you'll just end up with a car full of dirt.
Are there any particular trackday organizations you'd recommend? And if you're car is your daily driver do folks just drive up, drive around and then drive home at the end of the day? For motorbike that's a no-no... we pretty much always trailer our bikes (prepped for the track) and then trailer them home.
BTW... riding a bike on the track is WAY safer than riding a bike on a street. I crashed at T6 at full lean around 85-90mph (I believe) and got up and walked away.
#27
I'm considering changing it before my next track day, at the Mosport GP circuit, as it now has about 9,000 KM on it and 8 hours on the track.
#28
Thanks for the info... I hope you don't mind if I continue the hijack for just one more post. :-)
Are there any particular trackday organizations you'd recommend? And if you're car is your daily driver do folks just drive up, drive around and then drive home at the end of the day? For motorbike that's a no-no... we pretty much always trailer our bikes (prepped for the track) and then trailer them home.
BTW... riding a bike on the track is WAY safer than riding a bike on a street. I crashed at T6 at full lean around 85-90mph (I believe) and got up and walked away.
Are there any particular trackday organizations you'd recommend? And if you're car is your daily driver do folks just drive up, drive around and then drive home at the end of the day? For motorbike that's a no-no... we pretty much always trailer our bikes (prepped for the track) and then trailer them home.
BTW... riding a bike on the track is WAY safer than riding a bike on a street. I crashed at T6 at full lean around 85-90mph (I believe) and got up and walked away.
1) change the D Specs to the track setting which right now is 1 front and rear
2) pump the tires up to 35 lbs cold (corrected Sep 25)
3) remove all the loose stuff
4) remove the license plates
5) check all fluids
6) torque all wheels
Go have fun.
Between sessions I first make sure the tires are at 40 lb hot then torque all of the wheels and check the fluids, including my fluids.
Going home I just put the shocks to 4 and set the tires back down to 32 cold, and put the plates back on.
Last edited by Sleeper_08; 09-25-2008 at 10:35 PM.
#29
Are there any particular trackday organizations you'd recommend? And if you're car is your daily driver do folks just drive up, drive around and then drive home at the end of the day? For motorbike that's a no-no... we pretty much always trailer our bikes (prepped for the track) and then trailer them home.
Both the TWS Motorsports Club and The Driver's Edge have events there. The Driver's Edge events fill up pretty quickly, especially for the Green or beginner's group, however I think that the Motorsports Club has gotten pretty close in terms of professionalism.
I do mostly Motorsports Club events because they let me do Saturday only, which works for my schedule a little better.
I just got an email from The Driver's Edge that they still have openings in the Green group for October 4-5. My next event is the Motorsports Club on November 8th.
(And one of the posters on C-C.com, who was involved with Ford in mod motor testing, said that he would not use 5-20W on the track. That's why I use Mobil 1 5-30W now!)
#30
Also, we run different tires but 42lbs on the KDWs seems very hard. Have you played around with lower settings. As long as you are not rolling the tire over you could probably squeeze out some more grip by lowering the pressure.
I drive to the track with a set of R-Comps in the back (seat down), tool box, chair, jack, chock blocks, cloths bag, etc. Tight fit but it all goes in.