Suspension setting for track use

[90quattrocoupe]

Hi,
For those of you who run your cars at the occasional track event, what kind of settings are you running for camber, caster, and front and rear toe? What would be good for a street/occasional track setup?

Greg

[A1QSHIP]

Hi,
For those of you who run your cars at the occasional track event, what kind of settings are you running for camber, caster, and front and rear toe? What would be good for a street/occasional track setup?

Greg

As I look outside and see the snow falling I am reminded of another variable as to suspension settings. This question is not as easy to answer as it might first seem. There are many variables to consider. Based on my experiences I wokuld suggest the factory settings as a good starting point. This will give you a baseline from which to start from. Then as you change the vehicle you can make adjustments and see how this affects the handling characteristics.
Afew things to consider.
1) How much time will the car see on the street? I can align a car to handle on the racetrack but will wear out the tires quickly, will not track straight and will be "twitchy" in a straight line.
2) What suspension modifications have been made to the vehicle? A vehicle that has been lowered and has stiffer springs and damper settings will allow you to use less static camber settings. Also anti-roll bar settings will have to be considered. Too heavy an anti-roll bar will tend to lift the inner tire during cornering. To much static caster will cause you to have more wheelspin on "corner out" than you get with a tire that a flatter contact with the road.
3) What kind of driver are you? If you are starting out you will not be as smooth as someone that is experienced. Less steering wheel input will allow different types of settings because you will have less sudden steering wheel input and hence, less camber change.
4) What type of racetrack are you on? An autocross course that has slower top speeds, takes place on mostly flat surfaces requires vastly different setup than say Sears Point which has elevation changes and turns that differ in angle. When I was autocrossing I would set the front & rear toe outward to make the vehicle "rotate" in a corner. This as well as
other "unconventional" items were done because I was running in a "stock" class which limited the changes that were allowed.
5) What type of tires are you running? Different tires require different setups to maximize performance.
To accurately enhance the suspension settings will require some specialized tools. I would recommend a tire pyrometer to measure the tire temperature difference between the outer,center & inner tread surface. A good tire pressure gauge to accurately measure the changes in tire pressure consistently as the pressure changes as the tire gets hotter. A good driver to give consistent input and laptimes is indespensible.
There are many good reference books about suspension tuning that are a great source of information and a "must read" before attempting to set a car up properly. I hope I have at least given you a starting point

[RS2 CQ]

TECH48

Can you recommend some good reference books about suspension tuning as you mentioned in this thread?

[A1QSHIP]

TECH48

Can you recommend some good reference books about suspension tuning as you mentioned in this thread?

Yes I can. First off you could start with the series of books by Carroll Smith.
The "Tune to Win, Prepare to Win, Engineer to Win" are very informative.
The book "The Front Wheel Drive High Performance Advantage" co-authored by Carroll Shelby is also a good reference source. Also, the "Bible" of suspension design is "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics" written by William Milliken.
These books served as the foundation of my knowlege when I was racing in the Firestone Firehawk and Escort Endurance series for seven years.