AGood2.8

The best way to know if you are getting your money's worth on your new improvements is to test you cars g's yourself. Here's how-

First off- please do this in a wide open(abandond if possible) well paved even-surface parking lot. And do this at you own risk to injury or arrest. I don't want any responsiblity to what harm you unknowingly cause yourself or others.

Get yourself a long piece of rope (90 ft will be used for my example but you can use what you want depending on what space you have access to), Alot of chalk, a Stopwatch, a Calculator, and a pad-and-pencil.

Formula for a skidpad:

1.22 x circle radius/ (lap time)*= Lateral Acceleration (or "g's")

[Note: the symbol * stands for Squared - or (lap time x lap time)]

Here's my example:

I took a piece of 90' rope (90' being my radius) and chalked of a circle. Then marked a timer mark(Star/finish line) out of chalk on the circle. HERE'S AN IMPORTANT NOTE: the car must stay centered to the best of your ability over the line. not inside the line and not ouside of the line but centered over the line keeping the chalk circle between the front wheels at all times.

Now driving at my fastest constant speed around the circle (while always keeping my tires centered on the line) and not accelerating or decelerating( important to be fast but constant) with someone else timing me as I cross the start/finish line repetively I averaged circuferance times of 10.1 seconds on numerous lap times.

Now with the 90' radius and the 10.1 lap time we go to the formula:

1.22 x 90/ 10.1 x 10.1 = 1.076 g's of lateral acceleration.

Boys and girls do try this at home. This will also help you know if your car has any oversteer or understeer while trying to stay centered on the line. The front could stay centered but the *** end may hang out (oversteer- like a sprint car) or the steering wheel is turned but the front end plows outsie the line when I increase my speed (example of understeer) You want your car balanced with no over or understeer ( except for guys like Revlimit and the CrazyHawaiian- they thrive on oversteer with their drift driving )and this will help you fine tune your suspension

smurfmobile

only problem with that is the fine you'll get after your local police will show up :-D lol

nice in theory and I've been planning to do that , but I don't think it can realistically be done unless you rent the parking lot for a day or something like the SCCA Events do and have bunch of people do it to make up for the cost.

remember , just because a parking lot is empty and nobody is around doesn't mean it's "public" , SOMEONE had to pay for that pavement and that someone might not like you using it :-D

lol

AGood2.8

In case you missed my 2nd paragraph on getting arressted.

RegaPlanet

AGood2.8 what handling mods have you done to your car?

AGood2.8

The only thing that is stock is the front A-arms and k-member.

Everything mostly Spohn, all adjustable where availible( mostly rodends) and his new SFC's- except for BMR brackets, GW st.brace, Edelbrock 3-pt STB, HMS strut mounts, Baer bumps...-tires are Firestone Firehawk SZ50EP's on 16"Iroc rims and most importantly its a lightweight V6 that has a better weight bais than the V8's.

RegaPlanet

thx for the reply.. I"M actually looking at those exact same tires right now to put on this summer possibly. But on a bigger 17x9.5in rim I imagine your front end is like 50lbs lighter than mine tho at least.

AGood2.8

I'm thinking more like 200Lbs less- I can pick up a 60*v6 longblock by myself. Try that with a V8 shortblock.

RegaPlanet

Damn... that's ridiculous. How much does that V6 longblock weigh approx?

AGood2.8

Its in the neighborhood of 300lbs. A v8 crate motor weights about 500+ with aluminum heads.

The V8 engine not only being heavier, but it also sits more forward in the car. They both mount to the tranny at the same spot but the V8 is of course longer towards the front of the car making the V6 car alot more close to the 50/50 bias than the V8 car. This is why I've opted to build a V6 Camaro, plus I already own a 540 HP '68 Vette that will pull over 1g on R-compound autocross tires. I wanted to build a car with a smaller HP motor that will hold its speed in corners- this way you don't work as hard driving it- ( You don't have to get as hard on the binders into the corners- carry fast speed through the corner- comeout of corner and not have to excelerate up as much to top speed before the next corner)- This allows the chassis to always remain more settled than a car that slows down more then has to speed back up.

Example:
V8 car: 80 straight- down to 35 in the corner- back up to 80 on next straight= 45mph down and back up to speed

V6 car: 75 straight- down to 40 in the corner- back up to 75 on next straight.= 35 mph variance in speed. (this car might not reach the straightaway speed of the V8 but it makes up for carring speed through the corner, & driver will be less strained & fatigued thus less likely to error.) Lighter weight car also save tires and brakes, but you are not going to pass on any straight- you have to get "creative" with your driving skills