mom'sZ Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Jon: I was reading an old post and came across a comment you had made about varying front track width. I recall others commenting that Zcars like a wider track in the front. Here is a link to that thread http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=103719&highlight=bolt+circle your comments of interest were post #30 and #34 (I think). What effect does varying the front track on a S30 have? Is it just a tool to use to balance the car (understeer vs oversteer) or does increasing the front track have other benifits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 IME widening the track reduces understeer. I learned about it from my ex-roommate, who was redoing his front suspension and gained about 6 inches in total track width in the front, then started KICKING MY *** at autox! I didn't go as far as he did, I just lengthened the lower control arms, but I also noticed a big difference. I'm looking forward to adding some more front track width and seeing what difference this makes. I just read Tune to Win, and even though it is 30 years old, Carroll Smith addresses the track width issue. From "Tune to Win": "The situation becomes more complex when we consider the relative width of the front and rear track dimensions. I believe that the front track should be considerably wider than the rear track. More heresy! My reasons have to do with turning the car into corners and jumping on the power coming out. The wider the front track the more resistance there is going to be to diagonal load transfer and the lesser will be the tendency for the car to "trip over itself" on corner entry and/or to push into the wall from the effect of the drive on the inside rear wheel when power is applied. I believe most of our present road racing cars, with roughly equal front and rear tracks, would benefit from and increase in the front track width. The slower the corners to be negotiated, the more important this relative track width becomes." You also have to consider that Cary directly contradicted me in that thread you linked to, and although I haven't autoxed with him (yet) I know that he's a lot faster than the guys that are a lot faster than me. I think if you have understeer and long studs, its an easy thing to try out and see what the difference is. All the really fast guys I used to autox with ran a wider front track, whether they were driving Mustangs, Rabbits, Fiestas, 510s, or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Interesting Jon, thank you. My limit would be the tires can't stick out past the stock fenders rule, but I believe I have some room to work with. Carroll Smith's tune to win... got it, haven't look at it in a few years, great series of books. Might have to go dig it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 http://www.swracecars.com is where I bought mine... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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