Shane Bawa said:
Guys could you please share your findings here.. this is such a great post, and the suspense is killing me..
thanks
Suspense? You mean suspension?
DISCLAIMER - My 'findings' are based on driving a car with an oil leak for 2-3 hours figuring out how I want it to handle. The notes are "as best as I can recollect". Although some of the numbers I know are dead on correct.
The "tester" car (my V1.0 car):
It weighed 1857 on that day, plus 200 pounds of me. 57% rear weight, 43% front, and corner weights were an atrocious 53/47, when I was in the car. (I have a picture somewhere of the scale read out) I never measured the ride height.
Suspension set up: 600F/Koni Yellows, 450R/Koni RACE. I had about 2-2.5-3 (?) degrees of camber front, about 1.5 in the rear, and toe was 1/8th out in the front and 1/8th in for the rear. (I would say that is way too much camber/toe for the front) The test "course" was rectangular block (4 - 90 degree turns) about 1/10 mile in total length, with well worn but "sharp" asphalt, with large aggregate (pebbles/rocks).
I had talked with Gordon Benson at Koni, and he recommended a couple of tests to set rebound damping using these. I will also state that "testing" a car to set it up can be tedious. Ideally you'd have a data logger that told you what was actually going on, because the butt-dyno is not that good.
The Protocol:
Drive the car at a set speed a couple times around your test course (closed site/street) in both directions. Then do it at full soft and full firm to notice the difference at the end you are setting. Make sure you are using inputs like you would on an autocross course.
For the fronts: Start at full soft (counter clockwise) and add damping in 1/4 turn increments until the car pushes transitionally (Turn-in/apex off). Then soften it about 1/8-1/4 turn and retest.
For the rears: Start at full firm (clockwise) and reduce damping in 1/4 turn increments until the car until the car pushes transitionally (Turn-in/apex off).
Repeat again for front and rear. (I stopped here due to my lil oil problem/church starting across the street)
Repeat process slowing into turns and accelerating out. Then repeat process driving at 90-100% concentration.
My Impressions:
My car had some mild bumpsteer in the front and probably the rear. That is #1 on my to-do list after the car actually survives an event.
Obviously, the yellows are a little over matched for the 600 springs on a bumpy surface. I had to go a little firmer (1 full turn) than I expected based (1/4-1/2 turn) on my email conversation with Gordon.
I liked the rear spring rate for the steady state turns of my "course". But it may make the car oversteer too much in slaloms, I don't know.
Once I actually get to an event, and get the car aligned the way I think I like, I'll go back and reset the rebound damping (only thing controllable with the single adjustable shocks)