Suspension
Adjustments for Handling
Written
and conceived by Susquehanna MotorSports
Near
neutral handling characteristics are usually required to provide
high performance cars with the ability to win in competition. While
most event sanctioning organizations and clubs limit the degree of
modification allowed to your suspension, it is still possible to
adjust the basic handling characteristics of your vehicle and still
be legal for your class of competition.
Usually
the tire and road wheel's modifications offer the greatest
improvement and are the easiest to perform. Your tires are the most
important performance components on your car. The traction which
they provide allow your engine's horsepower to be turned into
acceleration, your suspension's springs, shock absorbers and
anti-sway bars to be turned into cornering force, and your brake
system's calipers, pads and rotors to be turned into stopping power.
Therefore, any modifications that allow the vehicle to exceed the
abilities of your tires will not necessarily provide the faster lap
times you desire.
Any
changes made to the vehicle's suspension and braking systems must be
done with care and understanding. Some of the recommended
adjustments will affect the vehicle's cornering capability, while
others will primarily affect the vehicle as it transitions from
straight-line acceleration to braking and cornering; and others,
such as spoilers and ground-effects, will only affect its high speed
handling.
Change
only one component at a time.
If more than one component is changed at a time, you won't be able
to determine which change caused the resulting effect. Plan to
follow a series of deliberate planned changes. Measure the test
results as accurately as possible. Keep records of each
modification's test results.
Take
your time to test-drive the modifications made to your car and
evaluate its new handling characteristics. Begin with test speeds
well below your vehicle's known safety levels - work up to its new
limits carefully!
Any
time you make additional modifications you should retest your car.
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