nwaimports.com
Dec-21st-03, 3:06 am
This is a simple guide to increasing car handling performance. This is for people that may be new to modifying vehicles, what may seem to be common sense may not be so obvious to others.
Anti-Roll Bars and Handling
Many of us are not happy with the way that our car handles. One solution to this problem is to upgrade the anti-roll bars that come with the car. An anti-roll bar is basically a vehicle stiffening device in the suspension, and can help to limit body roll and excessive weight transfer in corners. By limiting the car’s tendency to roll, you will be allowing the tires to work more efficiently and gain more vehicle control. However, when installing anti-roll bars, a balance must be achieved, and there are a few important rules to remember. The stiffer the bar is in front, the more the car will understeer (see my tip “Understeer” for more information), and the stiffer the bar is out back, the more it will oversteer (see my tip “Oversteer” for more details). You do not want your car to have more understeer then oversteer, or vice versa, but you need a certain amount of stiffness at both ends of the car to balance it out. If you have a front wheel drive car, which tends to understeer, you might want to try a stiffer rear anti-roll bar to give more oversteer. If your car has a rear wheel drive layout, which usually tends toward oversteer in corners, you might want to try a stiffer front anti-roll bar if you find the oversteer undesirable. Again, see my tips “Understeer” and “Oversteer” to better understand these concepts of handling, and also see my tips “Performance Shocks and Springs,” “Lowering Your Car” and all my wheel and tire tips for more information on better handling.
Less Weight Means Better Performance
Although it may seem fairly obvious to most, weight plays a huge part in how your car performs in all situations. A car that is lighter in weight has the ability to accelerate faster, stop more quickly, handle better and get increased gas mileage. How is this possible? The basic concept behind this fact of automotive engineering is that less weight means less work for the engine and other parts of the car. If the engine has less weight to push around, then it can do its job more effectively and make better use of the available power. The brakes will respond in the same way, as less weight allows less of a load to be placed on them while stopping. The car’s handling will benefit from weight reduction because less weight allows the suspension to be tuned more softly while achieving similar results as if it we set more stiffly. Also, less weight means that there is less body roll in corners, and that the suspension, like the engine and brakes, has to do less work in general. Fuel economy benefits in the same manor as engine performance, as if there is less weight to be pushed around, then the engine can perform more efficiently.
Lowering Your Car
Many people want to lower their car by replacing the stock springs with shorter, aftermarket ones to improve looks and handling (NEVER cut coils off springs to lower your car!). However, there are many important points to remember when doing so. The lower the car is, the lower it´s center of gravity is, which will help handling. However, this is only true to a point! If your car is too low, it can actually hurt handling, as it was not designed to run as low as a racecar. When a car has been lowered excessively, it can easily bottom out under cornering loads, and the ride can become far too stiff. Also, going too low can cause bumpsteer, where the tie rods and control arms are traveling different arcs, resulting in the wheels steering themselves with no steering wheel input. Another problem that can arise is the tires rubbing against the top of the fender walls, causing increased wear and decreased handing performance. The general rule of thumb is to never lower you car more than 2 inches. Also, if you do lower your car, it is always a good idea to have a proper alignment done afterwards.
Oversteer
Oversteer is a very basic element of your car’s handling dynamics. Oversteer, which can also be called “loose,” is characterized by the rear end of the car sliding before the front. This is usually experienced in rear wheel drive cars more so then in front wheel drive cars, and can be caused by some performance upgrades. If stiffer springs and shocks are installed at the rear (see my tip “Performance Springs and Shocks”), then the car will generally tend to oversteer. Most manufacturers generally avoid this condition, as it can lead to a car prematurely spinning out. However, it is good for a car to have a slight amount of oversteer, as this will help you to maneuver your car more accurately around the race track. To decrease oversteer, you can soften the rear suspension within reason, or add more negative camber to the rear wheels. For more information about camber, see my tip “Camber and Handling.”
Performance Shocks and Springs
Installing higher performance springs and shocks is a common upgrade to get better handling out of your car. However, there are a number of important rules to remember when doing so. “Performance” springs are almost always shorter then stock, which lowers the car. As a very general rule, the lower the car is, the lower the center of gravity is, which makes for better handling. However, this is a VERY general rule, and is almost never applicable to street-driven cars! Please see my tip “Lowering Your Car” for further information! Higher performance springs will also be more stiff than the stock ones, and the higher spring rate will reduce body roll and improve handling. However, you should always make sure to consult your dealer or the manufacturer before buying springs, as too high a spring rate can leave you with an overly harsh ride. Performance shocks work in much the same way. They are often more stiff then the stock units, and will limit body roll (again, make sure that they will not be too stiff for your application). If there is one important point to remember out of all of this, it is to always properly match the shocks with the springs! Stiffer springs with soft stock shocks can lead to very unstable handling, and vice versa. So always wait until you can afford both before buying anything. Having adjustability on your shocks is always good, as this will allow you to tune them to your springs and your personal taste. See my tips “Understeer” and “Oversteer” for more information.
Understeer
Understeer is a very basic element of a car’s handling dynamics. Understeer, which can also be called “push,” is characterized by the car’s nose resisting turn in and plowing straight ahead. Obviously, the car doesn’t always plow straight ahead, as varying degrees of understeer can be experienced (you can often regain control by letting off the gas). Understeer is generally common on front wheel drive cars, and can be caused by some performance upgrades. If you install stiffer front springs and shocks (see my tip “Performance Springs and Shocks”), you car will generally want to understeer. If your suspension is stiffer in the rear, it will generally want to oversteer (see my tip “Oversteer”). Understeer is not the fastest way around the race track, and doesn’t lend itself towards maneuverability either. So in order to reduce understeer in your car, you can decrease the suspension’s stiffness in the front within reason, or you can add more negative camber. For more information on camber, see my tip “Camber and Handling.”
Anti-Roll Bars and Handling
Many of us are not happy with the way that our car handles. One solution to this problem is to upgrade the anti-roll bars that come with the car. An anti-roll bar is basically a vehicle stiffening device in the suspension, and can help to limit body roll and excessive weight transfer in corners. By limiting the car’s tendency to roll, you will be allowing the tires to work more efficiently and gain more vehicle control. However, when installing anti-roll bars, a balance must be achieved, and there are a few important rules to remember. The stiffer the bar is in front, the more the car will understeer (see my tip “Understeer” for more information), and the stiffer the bar is out back, the more it will oversteer (see my tip “Oversteer” for more details). You do not want your car to have more understeer then oversteer, or vice versa, but you need a certain amount of stiffness at both ends of the car to balance it out. If you have a front wheel drive car, which tends to understeer, you might want to try a stiffer rear anti-roll bar to give more oversteer. If your car has a rear wheel drive layout, which usually tends toward oversteer in corners, you might want to try a stiffer front anti-roll bar if you find the oversteer undesirable. Again, see my tips “Understeer” and “Oversteer” to better understand these concepts of handling, and also see my tips “Performance Shocks and Springs,” “Lowering Your Car” and all my wheel and tire tips for more information on better handling.
Less Weight Means Better Performance
Although it may seem fairly obvious to most, weight plays a huge part in how your car performs in all situations. A car that is lighter in weight has the ability to accelerate faster, stop more quickly, handle better and get increased gas mileage. How is this possible? The basic concept behind this fact of automotive engineering is that less weight means less work for the engine and other parts of the car. If the engine has less weight to push around, then it can do its job more effectively and make better use of the available power. The brakes will respond in the same way, as less weight allows less of a load to be placed on them while stopping. The car’s handling will benefit from weight reduction because less weight allows the suspension to be tuned more softly while achieving similar results as if it we set more stiffly. Also, less weight means that there is less body roll in corners, and that the suspension, like the engine and brakes, has to do less work in general. Fuel economy benefits in the same manor as engine performance, as if there is less weight to be pushed around, then the engine can perform more efficiently.
Lowering Your Car
Many people want to lower their car by replacing the stock springs with shorter, aftermarket ones to improve looks and handling (NEVER cut coils off springs to lower your car!). However, there are many important points to remember when doing so. The lower the car is, the lower it´s center of gravity is, which will help handling. However, this is only true to a point! If your car is too low, it can actually hurt handling, as it was not designed to run as low as a racecar. When a car has been lowered excessively, it can easily bottom out under cornering loads, and the ride can become far too stiff. Also, going too low can cause bumpsteer, where the tie rods and control arms are traveling different arcs, resulting in the wheels steering themselves with no steering wheel input. Another problem that can arise is the tires rubbing against the top of the fender walls, causing increased wear and decreased handing performance. The general rule of thumb is to never lower you car more than 2 inches. Also, if you do lower your car, it is always a good idea to have a proper alignment done afterwards.
Oversteer
Oversteer is a very basic element of your car’s handling dynamics. Oversteer, which can also be called “loose,” is characterized by the rear end of the car sliding before the front. This is usually experienced in rear wheel drive cars more so then in front wheel drive cars, and can be caused by some performance upgrades. If stiffer springs and shocks are installed at the rear (see my tip “Performance Springs and Shocks”), then the car will generally tend to oversteer. Most manufacturers generally avoid this condition, as it can lead to a car prematurely spinning out. However, it is good for a car to have a slight amount of oversteer, as this will help you to maneuver your car more accurately around the race track. To decrease oversteer, you can soften the rear suspension within reason, or add more negative camber to the rear wheels. For more information about camber, see my tip “Camber and Handling.”
Performance Shocks and Springs
Installing higher performance springs and shocks is a common upgrade to get better handling out of your car. However, there are a number of important rules to remember when doing so. “Performance” springs are almost always shorter then stock, which lowers the car. As a very general rule, the lower the car is, the lower the center of gravity is, which makes for better handling. However, this is a VERY general rule, and is almost never applicable to street-driven cars! Please see my tip “Lowering Your Car” for further information! Higher performance springs will also be more stiff than the stock ones, and the higher spring rate will reduce body roll and improve handling. However, you should always make sure to consult your dealer or the manufacturer before buying springs, as too high a spring rate can leave you with an overly harsh ride. Performance shocks work in much the same way. They are often more stiff then the stock units, and will limit body roll (again, make sure that they will not be too stiff for your application). If there is one important point to remember out of all of this, it is to always properly match the shocks with the springs! Stiffer springs with soft stock shocks can lead to very unstable handling, and vice versa. So always wait until you can afford both before buying anything. Having adjustability on your shocks is always good, as this will allow you to tune them to your springs and your personal taste. See my tips “Understeer” and “Oversteer” for more information.
Understeer
Understeer is a very basic element of a car’s handling dynamics. Understeer, which can also be called “push,” is characterized by the car’s nose resisting turn in and plowing straight ahead. Obviously, the car doesn’t always plow straight ahead, as varying degrees of understeer can be experienced (you can often regain control by letting off the gas). Understeer is generally common on front wheel drive cars, and can be caused by some performance upgrades. If you install stiffer front springs and shocks (see my tip “Performance Springs and Shocks”), you car will generally want to understeer. If your suspension is stiffer in the rear, it will generally want to oversteer (see my tip “Oversteer”). Understeer is not the fastest way around the race track, and doesn’t lend itself towards maneuverability either. So in order to reduce understeer in your car, you can decrease the suspension’s stiffness in the front within reason, or you can add more negative camber. For more information on camber, see my tip “Camber and Handling.”