flat flooring - really worth it??

[Paul Drawmer]

This is a search for knowledge - I do not even know what flat flooring is - but I _think_ it is adjusting the spring platforms to give an equal weight on the wheels left & right.

 

If so, I assume that the car gets loaded for the driver's correct weight.

 

My question are:

Would one notice the difference on the road? If so - how far out would the car have to be to be noticable. For instance, if the car was set up flat empty, would a 17st driver notice the difference when driving?

 

Do you really have to weigh the corners? Can't you measure ride heights each side when suitable loaded? (I said I was ignorant)

 

Also - as most tracks are right handed - surely a bit more weight in the right hand side helps? Notice I've assumed that one wouldn't notice the difference on the road.

[Mike C.]

I'm just about to have mine done.

 

However, it's always going to be slightly compromised depending on how many people are in the car, and what they weigh. I think the normal system is to allow for the weight of the driver and half weight (say 6 stone) for the passenger.

 

Mad Manx

[Lawrence_Z]

In my perhaps over simplistic view of Se7en life smile.gif

First find a flat bit floor (or use Peter's method)

 

Then there are 2 ways to set a car up, and both should be done with the car loaded, as it will be driven, including driver weight, fuel etc.

 

1 Is to corner weight the car for equal weights both front and both rear.

unfortunatley to do this involves adjusting the ride height, as this is the only means we have, other than moving bits of the car about ( battery etc) and if carried to exteme, will result in a lop sided car. If it was possible as some bikes have, to increase the spring preload without changing the ride height then things would be much better. smile.gif

 

2 Is to set the front level on the flat floor, adjusting the ride height to the designers preference and then it is possible to set rear height, front camber and tracking to the desired settings.

 

Lawrence

 

 

Lawrence Hoy

Scottish AO smile.gif

[Peter Carmichael]

You should be aiming for equal diagonals. You can't get equal side to side unless the CoG is in the middle.

 

You can have very uneven corner weighting and even ride heights. What you want is even corner weighting and even ride heights.

 

Think of it as wedging a knife under the leg of a wobbly restaurant table.

[Lawrence_Z]

Peter quote

 

You can have very uneven corner weighting and even ride heights.

 

Peter

 

Could you give me an example of this? as I can't quite envisage it.

surely if the car is level,then the diagonals will be matched?

 

Lawrence

 

In the retaraunt,

 

Is the floor flat and level?

Are the table legs uniform length?

At which leg is the knife edge best placed?

Or should 2 knifes be used?

Can the table be rotated to allow a no rocking position?

Is the desired effect a level table or simply to stop it rocking?

Would repositioning of the soup acheive equilibrium?

 

 

[Peter Carmichael]

Lawrence,

 

Start straight and level and with even diagonal corner weights. Slacken the front left platform. Car dips to front left. Slacken rear right platform. Car levels up again, but the front left to rear right diagonal is lighter loaded than the front right to rear left.

 

Equally, you can have even corner weights on the diagonals and uneven ride heights.

 

Well we are flat flooring, so it must be the table legs that are uneven. Level and not rocking using two knives I suppose gives the best analogy - the above situation doesn't work because knives aren't springymode>

[robmar]

as to the question is it worth it, well I think it is

 

I got mine done recently and the difference on the 1 occasion I have had to drive it in the dry since then on the road is amazing, the car seems to be a lot better balanced and mor econfidence inspiring

 

previous to the FF setup my car was setup as I had built it (ie not setup much at all) and it was sometimes a bit of a pig, loads of understeer, constantly hitting the sump etc.

 

I have yet to put it on a track (March 16th Llandow) and it would be interesting to see what the difference is there.

 

I got mine done at caterham at the same time as its first 3000 mile service

 

rob