corner weights

going to have a play with the corner weights this weekend on the mx5 ive got the jist on the basics but need to know if you set them up useing full amount of race fuel or on the min weight the car needs to be to race or doesent it matter?

 

Being precise about it, I'd say you need to mimic race conditions ie half race fuel, so that the car starts above the corner weighted condition, moves to the corner weighted condition, and then below it.

Anything else and the car will be less-than-optimally set up, more of the time.

 

cheers will give it a go,its a pity the rules wont let us move the ballast about as the car is under weight,all ballast has to be in the passenger footwell

 

Make sure you take drivers weight into consideration.

 

yep got that coverd,was just the fuel weight ime not sure about

 

Presume you can ballast with surplus fuel, depending on how advantageous the tank position is?

 

when corner weighting (something I have yet to do on mine) do you set the car for exact even diaganol weights.... what effect does this usually have on corner ride heights?

bill

 

depends how even the weight is distributed in the car

 

will have to see where it is as an even ride height (with me in it) I spose and take it from there.

 

I think Chris has hit the nail on the head with ballast - by altering the ballast in the passenger footwell against raising the min fuel that gives you quite a bit of scope to move weight rearwards while still keeping it low down

 

I thought that the ride height was the means to adjust the corner weight, rather than being a function in it's own right.

 

Recently had the Mk1 done - set for hillclimbs / sprints.

60 / 40 F - R split and even across the axles

1.5` neg camber - 5` castor - Toe 0`

I thought that the ride height was the means to adjust the corner weight, rather than being a function in it's own right. ...me too ! ?

 

ride height has to have an effect as the geometry will surely change during the adjustments..

Just wondering as I have only ever adjusted mine for level (side to side) ride height.
Need to do it properly next time, cornerweighting it, but also adjusting the geo afterwards I guess.

 

yep the spring preload (which has the effect on ride height) gives you the corner weighting - you then get the geometry checked to make it correct

 

dropped the back end on mine and had a quick test blat earlier.
feels nicer

front end feels odd tho still

 

the only situation where level ride height becomes more critical than corner weighting is when you are running an aero package so that you get the same effect evenly.

 

Bill,

What tyres / tyre pressures you running then ?

 

assorted tyres... and sizes at the mo... (which prolly does'nt help)

List 1a restriction.

Currently.
Front: Bridgestone Potenza RE070, 225-45-17
Rear: Falken 452, 245-35-17
Also have run Bridgestone S03's in 235-40-17 on front.
Got some Yoko AD07 also in 225-45-17

Fitting such balloons on rear & front of the car is tricky... modded rear arches now so the cars low as a low thing again at th rear on the falkens. Feels better already.
Now to try and see what the front can accomodate with the big balloons on there.

RE070's are probably "the tyre of choice" in list 1a I thinkAD07 yoko's aint too shabby either but not as full on as the bridgestones.

started 28psi front, 30psi rears last race. Ended up 40psi front, 37psi rears hot

 

did`nt get chance to try the scales out the weekend as somebody forgot to load the laser level,was watching the guys with the ledgends set theres up and picked up a few more pointers

 

Bill,

Interesting mix there.

What helps me in the Mk1 & Mk2 Golfs` is running the rears at 40psi cold; this was recommended by Yokohama Motorsport.

( I use Yoko A520`s / AO32R`s / Dunlop Formula R`s )

Good luck.