charlie_pank Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Still learning how to drive Kermit's new incarnation. The gear indicator helps a lot, so now that I'm in a low enough gear to feed the power in properly around the corner, I'm getting a big weight- transfer to the rear, right when I want the fronts to grip. I guess I should be getting on the power earlier to let it settle before the apex, but is there also a suspension tweak to help? I have no arb on the front, so was thinking about raising the rear platforms a bit to give more rake. Is this the right thing to do, and if so, how much should I raise it by in the first instance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Hi Charlie - I have about 25mm difference front to rear, and run a front ARB in very soft setting. Shpuld work for you - worth a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 I'm genuinely surprised that the gear indicator helps you given that you're a biker. I'd never ridden anything more than an auto moped when I got the Spookybird - and it doesn't have a gear indicator - if it doesn't pull in the gear you're in, bang it down a couple and try again 😬. But then I've probably got a much wider torque band with the blackbird than with yours. Anyway, that aside! Is there a reason for not having a front arb? Something in the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 Hi Myles, I realised I lied, I don't have a REAR arb, but I do have a front one. I'm going to try adjusting the rake anyway as a first step... You're right, I don't need the gear indicator in the middle of the box, but at the ends it is handy. There's only about 800rpm between 5th and 6th and at those speeds I'm in the 'small' bit of the tacho, so it's difficult to tell anyway, so the indicator stops me trying for 7th. At the other extreme, I can do 80 in first, so by the time I come to a corner, I can have a lot of gears to shift down through. It's really good to know exactly how many to knock it down by to get to the gear I want (normally 2nd or 1st) without trying for -1! C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivaan Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I think going for -1 was the cause of my gearbox problems, and I quiet often still go for 7th. Th gear indicator on the Mychron dash is accurate, but hidden by the steering wheel. I have a seperate indicator driven by the flatshift, but that misses gear changes and gets out of sinc. Do you have a nuetral light? Do you have a LSD? Edited by - Ivaan on 27 May 2012 19:59:57 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 no neutral light but wiring one would be easy, neutral switch currently feeds into gear indicator. Don't think it would stop you going for -1 though as it doesn't drop into neutral on the way down the box unless you do it very slowly and carefully. I recommend the digi gear indicator I just installed, it really works well now the rpm feed is off the ecu instead of the LT side of the ignition. Gives you a big red number so you always know where you are. Only gets confused if you feather the clutch or sit for a long time in 1st with the clutch down. Displays the right number again as soon as clutch is released again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 yes, I have a quaife ATB, I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Wilson Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Charlie, Since you've identified it to be weight transfer, I'd leave the ARB alone for the minute. If your shocks are adjustable, you could try increasing the rebound damping at the front to help keep the front of the car down as you feed the power in. If they're single adjustable only, you can still try going stiffer — we valve ours soft on bump and stiff on rebound, so any adjustment has a bigger affect on the rebound damping. If they're not adjustable, raising the ride height at the rear will help by putting more weight over the front of the car in the first place. Or you could try loosening your harnesses and leaning forward when you get on the gas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Thanks Laurence. The shocks are standard bilsteins so not adjustable. I'll go for raising the rear (the front height looks good as the lower wishbones are horizontal with me sitting in the car) I was thinking about starting with 1 cm up on both sides at the rear. Does this sound like a reasonable starting point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Wilson Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Hello Charlie, 10mm sounds like a lot to me — about the most I would try in one go. I would suggest 5mm at a time. Be mindful of the changes you make: go too high and the back will fall over as you turn in, and it'll over-steer 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Perfect, I'll go with 5mm as a starting point then. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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