Is a more rigid suspension always better?
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Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 206
From: Milpitas, CA
Car Info: Aspen White GDA
Is a more rigid suspension always better?
I've been to this cart racing place and heard one of guys there said, "since these cars have no springs and struts, it's not going to have any give when cornering so they are easier to slide than your road cars"
I'm not a mechanical engineer but from what I understand, this is true.
So this leads me to wonder, if a stiffer suspension has less give when cornering (thus easier to slide), then why is everybody spending so much money to upgrade (in other words to stiffen) their suspension system?
I'm not a mechanical engineer but from what I understand, this is true.
So this leads me to wonder, if a stiffer suspension has less give when cornering (thus easier to slide), then why is everybody spending so much money to upgrade (in other words to stiffen) their suspension system?
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 88
From: MI
Car Info: 2002 WRX
Stiffer= better? No. Not always...depends upon weights and distribution of it and a whole lot more than can be fit into this post 
No is the short answer...most guys don't want bodyroll and already have upgraded other aspects to prevent "tire screaching" around sharp corners...and yes the rear will give out faster if you only stiffen up the rear as far as I understand in any application.
WRX34
No is the short answer...most guys don't want bodyroll and already have upgraded other aspects to prevent "tire screaching" around sharp corners...and yes the rear will give out faster if you only stiffen up the rear as far as I understand in any application.WRX34
what aspects can you adjust to avoid tire screeching? i have 20mm rear swaybar tein flex coilovers, 215/35/18 yokohama parada's and when i take a corner hard and fast they screech like little babies
yeah i have an alignment, and the tires are pretty good, it seems to me that no matter what you have done to your suspension, the tires are going to screech if you push it to the limits. am i wrong?
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 88
From: MI
Car Info: 2002 WRX
Yeah they'll always screach if you take them beyond their limits...better tires, swaybars, weight reduction, springs, struts, strut/frame bars or braces, tophats, bushings, antilift kit all might help go faster and turn sharper before breaking the tires loose though. That's the point of doing stuff like that...to be able to take them faster/quicker B4 they break loose and screach/sqwak.
WRX34
WRX34
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Posts: n/a
You have to choose your application (street/autoX/road race/rally) and find the right wheel frequency to figure out how stiff a spring you want to use.
F = [Sqrt(385.5*WR/SM)]/(2pi)
We will assume your car has a 1:1 motion ratio, so WR (wheel rate) will equal the spring rate of the springs you choose.
SM = SPRUNG mass on that strut only.
So you plug in your WR and SM and find out what f equals to. Each type of racing has it's optimal F value (wheel frequency) so you just have to choose your spring rate to fall into that optimal range. For example, autocrossers should have an F value between 2 and 3.
F = [Sqrt(385.5*WR/SM)]/(2pi)
We will assume your car has a 1:1 motion ratio, so WR (wheel rate) will equal the spring rate of the springs you choose.
SM = SPRUNG mass on that strut only.
So you plug in your WR and SM and find out what f equals to. Each type of racing has it's optimal F value (wheel frequency) so you just have to choose your spring rate to fall into that optimal range. For example, autocrossers should have an F value between 2 and 3.
Guest
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well i upgraded my wrx sus because it was horrible out of the
box. i even kept my 98 prelude cause i wasnt sure how well
the wrx would finish off with the mods i had in mind...but
at the end it's very good to a point it brings a smile to my
face when i corner it hard.
stiffer does not necessarily mean better.. as mentioned above
you need to set it up to the kind of driving and driving condition
you are intending to use it on. my kind of driving is mild, mostly
street and dressup...but did spend over $4000 on sus parts
alone.
somewhere in the sus the g during a corner will try to
give away, whether it be in the roll of the car or tiresidewall,
etc. it all works together so you cant just change one thing
and hope that it'll all fall into play. you have to know the limits
of the part and know how much of that part you are going to
stress before it gives away.
box. i even kept my 98 prelude cause i wasnt sure how well
the wrx would finish off with the mods i had in mind...but
at the end it's very good to a point it brings a smile to my
face when i corner it hard.
stiffer does not necessarily mean better.. as mentioned above
you need to set it up to the kind of driving and driving condition
you are intending to use it on. my kind of driving is mild, mostly
street and dressup...but did spend over $4000 on sus parts
alone.
somewhere in the sus the g during a corner will try to
give away, whether it be in the roll of the car or tiresidewall,
etc. it all works together so you cant just change one thing
and hope that it'll all fall into play. you have to know the limits
of the part and know how much of that part you are going to
stress before it gives away.
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