Managing lateral weight transfer
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,856
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From: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
Managing lateral weight transfer
I think we all have weight transfer for braking and acceleration figured out.
Transfer weight to the front and the brakes grip a lot better, which is why you squeeze the breaks.
Same for the gas, squeeze until you start transferring the weight, and you get more grip.
But what about lateral?
Are you guys trying to maximize it or minimize it?
How about quick transitions where you're bouncing back and forth, like a slalom?
How are you including tire slip angle into the mix?
Transfer weight to the front and the brakes grip a lot better, which is why you squeeze the breaks.
Same for the gas, squeeze until you start transferring the weight, and you get more grip.
But what about lateral?
Are you guys trying to maximize it or minimize it?
How about quick transitions where you're bouncing back and forth, like a slalom?
How are you including tire slip angle into the mix?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,856
Likes: 293
From: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,856
Likes: 293
From: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
I've read all the books
Looking for different perspectives
I know FWD cars go faster with 3 wheels on the ground.
Most RWD & AWD cars try to keep all 4 on the ground.
Though BMW's go faster pulling the inside FRONT tire off the ground.
Looking for different perspectives
I know FWD cars go faster with 3 wheels on the ground.
Most RWD & AWD cars try to keep all 4 on the ground.
Though BMW's go faster pulling the inside FRONT tire off the ground.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
I don't think "a car goes faster by lifting a tire". I think there are particular cars, the due to engineering short falls lift a tire when they are performing at their peak. The tire lift is a by - product of a shortcoming...not a contributor to performance.
The BEST performance is to have all 4 tires square to the ground, with equal weight on all 4 tires. Of course the CG being above the ground makes that scenario impossible, but that would be the goal.
The BEST performance is to have all 4 tires square to the ground, with equal weight on all 4 tires. Of course the CG being above the ground makes that scenario impossible, but that would be the goal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Iowa
I would agree, you want to maintain your contact patch as much as possible. The race cars that lift the tire off the ground are generally suffering from limitations in the chassis and suspension design. You will never see a F1 car with a wheel off the ground unless things have gone pear shaped on them....just my .02
