Suspension settings?

[Sumilidon]

Hello all,

I'm just after some advice as to how the different suspension setups affect the handling, specifically the angles of the suspension and stiffness of the springs.

I run on carpet and wondering what angle the suspension should be at and whether I'm better with a stiffer or softer suspension

[blue_pinky]

BIG subject, and depends on many variables!!! And many people are better qualified than me to answer!

There are a couple of good car setup guides online these days...try and use them to learn about what to do when and and why!

Try this one on www.burninrubber.co.uk for starters....

But carpet is normally pretty high grip, and indoor tends to be smooth...so you can run a little harder and lower than you would outdoors in theory.

[Steven Forster]

Try and find one of these..........

http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/62742/

[SlowOne]

As said, this is a complex area to write down in a single post. We can say however, that there is no single answer about what angles you have the the suspension, or how stiff it is.

Fundamentally, what suspension does is control the slip angle of the tyre - the angle between the contact patch on the track, and the beads on the wheel - that generates the side force needed to turn the car. The suspension tries to trade off the two requirements of all cars; handling and road-holding. What works for one compromises the other, so suspension settings are a constant compromise that can only be resolved by the lap time.

To start you off, learn about the friction circle, rolls centres, camber and castor. I've always used Elvo's great treatise on the subject, here. Then, learn how to adjust these things of your car. Find out how you do it, and what the limits are for each one.

Get a good set-up from a top racer, drive it for a few races and note down things like how the car feels, how the lap times are, and how consistent you are over a race. Do that by comparing your fastest lap time with your average lap time. If your fastest lap is (say) 15.0 secs, and your average lap is 15.7 secs, then your consistency is 0.7 secs. Compare that to the fastest guys at your track, and then to a top National driver. If you are consistent, then expect your consistency to be within 20% of a top driver - unless you are a top driver! This is important, because if you are not consistent, then all the changes you are about to make will not show up on the clock, so you will not be able to tell which changes work for you.

(As an aside, this is the problem with not having a slow enough Stock class - it isn't possible for new drivers to learn consistency and fast driving so they can see clearly which changes suit them best. I am talking 17.5 blinky here - something that gives new drivers time to think and understand how the car works. Can of worms, I know!!)

Now, armed with your consistent style and a basic understanding of what does what, go ahead and make changes. At first, make only one change at a time, and then check the clock. Gradually you will build up a store of knowledge about what does what, and how well you like each setting. Always check back every couple of months with the set-up of that top racer, to make sure that they are still working the same areas of the chassis, and haven't discovered some breakthrough improvement. As you go along, have a base setting for your car that you always go back to every so often to confirm that you are going faster.

It can be along, hard road to understanding suspension settings, but it is very rewarding because you will learn to have that subtle little change up your sleeve that gets you ahead of your pals. More than anything else, learn to drive consistently. HTH