is there a ride height you guys aim for?? looking for more traction
06-30-2011, 05:56 PM
#1
is there a ride height you guys aim for?? looking for more traction i am about to start trying to find ways to get my car to hook better on the street (in essence this should help at the track also) and was wondering what if any you guys aim for ride height wise? i know each car is different but im sure any serious chassis set up has a baseline to start from. my car is fairly low and was wondering if raising it a bit would aide in this.
07-01-2011, 01:59 PM
#5
just from a ride height stand point you should try to have the front and back close to even. If your front is a lot lower than the back then it is harder for the car to transfer the weight. There is a tipping point for every car where it becomes easier for the car to begin weight transfer. That is where the car should be.
07-01-2011, 02:06 PM
#6
I write checks with my mouth that my ass can't cash
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 948
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
JL told me about 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch of rake...which is what im doing with my car about 1 inch....you have to think that theres a point where its traction you are trying to get and then the big end also...my buddy's car was jacked up in the front from all the weight reduction and he slammed it in the front...probably 2 inches of rake probably lowered it a total of 3 or 4 inches and he gained almost 2 mph from aerodynamics....but the crazy thing we couldnt understand was his 60 dropped dramatically...he went from a 1.50 to a 1.42 1.43 consistent ! and all he did was chop the front springs and he still has stock shocks...kinda blew my mind lol
07-01-2011, 03:02 PM
#7
He gained a bunch of traction, because the car's travel was maxed out as it was sitting, not allowing any transfer. By giving the car a bunch of downtravel from ride height the car was allowed to transfer the weight alot better therefore improving traction... I'd guess that was as much of not more of the reason for the MPH gain then the aerodynamics was.
Dan, pinion angle is NOT what gives these cars traction. It actually has very little to do with anything. The only thing you are doing with pinion angle is introducing a mechanical bind into the driveline and actually costing you some power at the wheels. You need just enough to keep the rear in line with the engine, and that's it. And, with rod ended suspension, you don't need hardly any at all, because there's little to no deflection.
I read "pinion angle helps traction" all the time.. we don't have leaf springs on these cars and the rear isn't "wrapping" up in the car... pinion angle is not helping you.
Adjusting weight bias, adjusting suspension travel limits, adjusting spring and dampening rates, changing tires and air pressure in said tires, eliminating body roll, all help with traction. Adding a mechanical bind to the driveline isn't giving you any added traciton I'm sorry.
Dan, pinion angle is NOT what gives these cars traction. It actually has very little to do with anything. The only thing you are doing with pinion angle is introducing a mechanical bind into the driveline and actually costing you some power at the wheels. You need just enough to keep the rear in line with the engine, and that's it. And, with rod ended suspension, you don't need hardly any at all, because there's little to no deflection.
I read "pinion angle helps traction" all the time.. we don't have leaf springs on these cars and the rear isn't "wrapping" up in the car... pinion angle is not helping you.
Adjusting weight bias, adjusting suspension travel limits, adjusting spring and dampening rates, changing tires and air pressure in said tires, eliminating body roll, all help with traction. Adding a mechanical bind to the driveline isn't giving you any added traciton I'm sorry.
Trending Topics
07-01-2011, 04:44 PM
#8
I read "pinion angle helps traction" all the time.. we don't have leaf springs on these cars and the rear isn't "wrapping" up in the car... pinion angle is not helping you.
Adjusting weight bias, adjusting suspension travel limits, adjusting spring and dampening rates, changing tires and air pressure in said tires, eliminating body roll, all help with traction. Adding a mechanical bind to the driveline isn't giving you any added traciton I'm sorry.
Adjusting weight bias, adjusting suspension travel limits, adjusting spring and dampening rates, changing tires and air pressure in said tires, eliminating body roll, all help with traction. Adding a mechanical bind to the driveline isn't giving you any added traciton I'm sorry.
I wondered... 
07-03-2011, 03:17 AM
#10
I tend to agree with what JL posted above... I haven't had my car on scales, but it's pretty much slammed up front, and as low as I can go on a 28x10.5 in back with a stock wheelwell. I don't like the idea of raising the front of the car, I'd rather lower the rear instead and drop the center mass of the car.
07-03-2011, 06:30 AM
#11
Lowering the car also helps prevent it from wanting to stand up... so no foul there. But, you may need to limit, and will need to limit it at some point to get the most out of the car once it's lowered.
Only down side to lowering, is that it's easier to bottom out when it does come up. other then that, as long as the geometry is right it doesn't really hurt the car. Too much rake, that will screw with the weight balance, so that's no good.
I just had to kill that pinion angle statement. It's one of the worst rumor's that flies around... old leaf spring thing, that absolutely does not apply to the ls cars in any way.
Only down side to lowering, is that it's easier to bottom out when it does come up. other then that, as long as the geometry is right it doesn't really hurt the car. Too much rake, that will screw with the weight balance, so that's no good.
I just had to kill that pinion angle statement. It's one of the worst rumor's that flies around... old leaf spring thing, that absolutely does not apply to the ls cars in any way.
