Re: Milano: Understeer/Oversteer

[Nathan Wong <alfacors@domain.elided>]

>Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 23:06:51 -0400
>From: Dana Loomis <dloomis@domain.elided>
>Subject: re: Milano: Understeer/oversteer 
>
>Long-distance diagnosis is risky, but most of this sounds backwards.
>Normally, it's the stiffest end of the car that breaks away first.
>Understeer, by definition, means that the front tends to break away first.
>If you want less of this condition, you'd normally think about softer front
>settings or stiffer rear settings. Your mileage may vary.
>
Softer front settings decrease front end grip. Understeer is a lack of
front end grip. It sounds like his front swaybar (anti-roll bar,whichever
you prefer), is too big and is preventing the front end from rolling, and
working the suspension.
To illustrate my point, we went to bigger front torsion bars on our racecar
from 27mm to 30mm. The front end is MUCH stiffer than before, BUT grip
INcreased and understeer DEcreased. Why? The swaybar has not changed. it's
relatively softer now, and allows the car to roll and work the suspension.
By stiffening the front end, we have increased the grip and reduced
understeer. So to say that the car understeers because the front suspension
is too stiff is a bit of a misnomer.

- --
Nathan Wong             http://www.nectar.com.au/~alfacors
                      Super Touring - Club Cars - Alfa Romeo
AlfaCors@domain.elided       V8Supercars - Formula One - CART

                            http://fullspeed.to/astc
                   Australian Super Touring News and Information

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