Suspension Stats
One thing I have learned over the years of racing, is that horsepower isn't everything! I have raced against many cars in the past that had much less horsepower, but were much faster around the circuit, due to a well set up suspension package. With this current car I have opted to sort out the suspension package first and then add some more horsepower down the track.
As this is a competitive car, I can not divulge all of our secrets, but hopefully this overview will be of interest to some people.
A special thanks goes to Greg and David Nolan from Noltec Suspension systems in Sydney for their help with the suspension set up so far.
|
Adjustable Strut Tops
We have manufactured an adjustable strut top which allows adjustment of both camber and castor. Essentially we can place top of the strut anywhere in the opening of the strut tower. This allows us to achieve up to 4.5 degrees negative camber on each front wheel. Castor is currently set at 5.5 degrees positive, achieved through a combination of the strut tops and adjustable castor rods.
This shot also shows the top of the adjustable Koni shock inserts. These shocks have been custom made to suit the diameter and length of the strut tubes, plus the various spring rates that we use. We also utilise a height adjustable coil over spring set up in the front of the car, with Eibach Springs.
|
Height adjustable front struts
We started off with Datsun Stanza struts which have been chopped and extensively modified. The coil over spring conversion allows for simple height adjustment of the front end by using adjusting the spring platforms.
We use Eibach springs and Koni adjustable shocks with different spring rates and shock settings being used at different tracks and in different weather conditions.
This picture also shows how the strut tops work. The centre plate (Gold Colour) is sandwiched between two outer plates (Blue Colour). The Outer plates are pulled together by the bolts which locate the struts at the top of each strut tower. This makes for easy adjustment - simply loosen the bolts and move the strut into the position you require, then re-tighten the strut tops.
Also built into the struts are bump stops to protect the shocks (see picture below - they are the blue things inside the springs at the top). After paying so much for custom built Koni's, the last thing we want to do is damage them by bottoming out.
|
This set up has worked very well to date, and with the latest modifications (to allow more camber and castor) the car should really turn in well.
Not forgetting the rear end, we again use Koni adjustable shocks with king springs. Height adjustment is achieved using spacers of different thicknesses at the top of the spring. Camber and toe are also adjustable through the use of a modified rear crossmember.
When we first put the new suspension package in the car, we had trouble with clearing the guards, now that the guards have been flared we no longer have this problem.
|
