Suspension Recommendations

[Tim]

If you want less understeer raise the car a little bit

[kaanage]

I have no LSD, no rear sway, no toe adjustments. just the Bilstein cup kit, some poly bushes in the rear, and some added castor in the front.

It just takes time and practice, and usually less right foot.

You heretic!!

Actually, Troy & I had a decent chat in the sweltering heat of the Dub-stitute and he is only looking at marginal changes after we discussed which points of Winton were causing understeer and how his car responded in the fastest corner. Basically, his car is very traction limited out of the tight turns (ie most of them) and the camber tops are the #1 item to allow for some -ve camber to be dialled in - an LSD would be very useful on his car at Winton due to the tight nature of the track and the amount of power his modified engine produces but at a more flowing, high speed circuit, it wouldn't be as much of an issue.

The toe correction would only be needed if he found the car still understeering on high speed corners with the camber tops at max -ve camber and castor (and after dialling back the rear anti roll bar or removing it entirely). Full on semi-slicks would help too - the Federal 595s are a very good high performance tyre but don't quite measure up to a full on semi-slick. That said jasonC23's times at Winton (1:46's) on these shows the 595s are probably better than most of us are capable using to the utmost.

[vwthunder]

Think I will wait till after i have done more track work to see what it needs.

I just have the urge to buy things lol, maybe some more underbody bracing

[Stuwey]

I just have the urge to buy things lol

The truth comes out! Haha

[noone]

Unless you have enough body roll to cause serious camber issues, an anti roll bar does the opposite - you lose grip with the extra roll stiffness as weight gets transferred from the inside wheel to the outer one.
Unless I've misinterpreted your comment and you are talking about using an aftermarket front antiroll bar that has lower stiffness than stock.

What greater roll stiffness does give you is better steering response.

You have clearly expressed your views on anti roll bars or stability bars a number of times and we disagree. You have a technical methodology, I have played and practised.

The best I can explain is to say that with a stiffer swaybar, I can get more power down when coming out of the corner. There may be better apex speed without the swaybar, but all in all, they exist in sports and racing cars, not just road racer land, so they have some technical gain on the track...

[vwthunder]

The truth comes out! Haha

Think most people know that anyway, well if they have seen my car

Everyone keeps telling me that i should invest in some KW V3's if i want to track the car a bit. They are $$$$, hmmmmmm

[PeterHBne]

You!

10+ years in hot Minis has certainly taught me how to drive a FWD car fast, and without being all over the shop. I don't scrub/squeal/understeer/run out of brakes or anything like that.

I have no LSD, no rear sway, no toe adjustments. just the Bilstein cup kit, some poly bushes in the rear, and some added castor in the front.

It just takes time and practice, and usually less right foot.

Have you got some added castor in the front of yours?

A mate of mine had a 1.6 Detomaso Daihatsu Charade to which he had only changed suspension geometry and this this thing was FAST around Lakeside. He was a good driver but as Stuwey says small changes make such big differences.