Racing setup
Encyclopedia
In auto racing
, the racing setup or car setup is the set of adjustments made to the vehicle in order to optimize its behaviour (performance, handling
, reliability, etc.). Adjustments can occur in suspensions
, brake
s, transmission
, and many others.
Aftermarket
The following trends will apply in most cases, but there can be exceptions to some of these. Generally changes should be made one at a time, in small steps.
In addition, lowering the centre of gravity will always help the handling (as well as reduce the chance of roll-over). This can be done to some extent by using plastic windows (or none) and light roof, hood (bonnet) and boot (trunk) lid materials, by reducing the ground clearance, etc. Increasing the track with "reversed" wheels will have a similar effect, but remember that the wider the car the less spare room it has on the road and the farther you may have to swerve to miss an obstacle. Stiffer springs and/or shocks, both front and rear, will generally improve handling, at the expense of comfort on small bumps. Performance suspension kits are available. Light alloy (mostly aluminium or magnesium) wheels improve handling and ride as well as appearance.
The car's roll centre is the other fundamental piece of the equation. Care must be taken to avoid lowering the centre of gravity past the car's roll centre. The distance between the car's centre of gravity and its roll centre is known as the roll couple, or the length that the car rolls around. Ideally, if the roll centre and the centre of gravity occupy the same space, the car should exhibit zero body roll.
Moment of inertia can be reduced by reducing weight, usually results from using lighter bumpers and wings (fenders), or none at all.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
, the racing setup or car setup is the set of adjustments made to the vehicle in order to optimize its behaviour (performance, handling
Car handling
Automobile handling and vehicle handling are descriptions of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during cornering and swerving. It also includes their stability when moving at rest. Handling and braking are the major components of a vehicle's...
, reliability, etc.). Adjustments can occur in suspensions
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
, brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s, transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, and many others.
AftermarketAftermarket (automotive)The automotive aftermarket is the secondary market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after the sale of the...
modifications and adjustments to affect handling
The following trends will apply in most cases, but there can be exceptions to some of these. Generally changes should be made one at a time, in small steps.| Component | Reduce Under-steer | Reduce Over-steer |
|---|---|---|
| Weight distribution | centre of gravity towards front | centre of gravity Center of gravity In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity... towards rear |
| Front shock absorber Shock absorber A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:... |
softer | stiffer |
| Rear shock absorber | stiffer | softer |
| Front sway bar Sway bar A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring... |
softer | stiffer |
| Rear sway bar | stiffer | softer |
| Front tire Tire A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground... selection1 |
larger contact area Contact patch Contact patch is the portion of a vehicle's tire that is in actual contact with the road surface. It is most commonly used in the discussion of pneumatic tires, , where the term is strictly used to describe the portion of the tire’s tread that touches the road surface... ² |
smaller contact area |
| Rear tire selection | smaller contact area | larger contact area² |
| Front wheel rim width or diameter | larger² | smaller |
| Rear wheel rim width or diameter | smaller | larger² |
| Front tire pressure* | higher pressure | lower pressure |
| Rear tire pressure* | lower pressure | higher pressure |
| Front wheel camber Camber angle thumb|100px|From the front of the car, a right wheel with a negative camber angleCamber angle is the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheels used for steering and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or... |
increase negative camber | reduce negative camber |
| Rear wheel camber | reduce negative camber | increase negative camber |
| Rear spoiler Spoiler (automotive) A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air... |
smaller | larger |
| Front height (because these usually affect camber and roll resistance) |
lower front end | raise front end |
| Rear height | raise rear end | lower rear end |
| Front toe Toe (automotive) In automotive engineering, toe, also known as tracking, is the symmetric angle that each wheel makes with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as a function of static geometry, and kinematic and compliant effects. This can be contrasted with steer, which is the antisymmetric angle, i.e. both... in |
decrease | increase |
| Rear toe in | decrease | increase |
| 1) tire contact area can be increased by using wider tires, or tires with fewer grooves in the tread pattern. Of course fewer grooves has the opposite effect in wet weather or other poor road conditions. 2) These also improve road holding, under most conditions. |
||
In addition, lowering the centre of gravity will always help the handling (as well as reduce the chance of roll-over). This can be done to some extent by using plastic windows (or none) and light roof, hood (bonnet) and boot (trunk) lid materials, by reducing the ground clearance, etc. Increasing the track with "reversed" wheels will have a similar effect, but remember that the wider the car the less spare room it has on the road and the farther you may have to swerve to miss an obstacle. Stiffer springs and/or shocks, both front and rear, will generally improve handling, at the expense of comfort on small bumps. Performance suspension kits are available. Light alloy (mostly aluminium or magnesium) wheels improve handling and ride as well as appearance.
The car's roll centre is the other fundamental piece of the equation. Care must be taken to avoid lowering the centre of gravity past the car's roll centre. The distance between the car's centre of gravity and its roll centre is known as the roll couple, or the length that the car rolls around. Ideally, if the roll centre and the centre of gravity occupy the same space, the car should exhibit zero body roll.
Moment of inertia can be reduced by reducing weight, usually results from using lighter bumpers and wings (fenders), or none at all.
See also
- Car handlingCar handlingAutomobile handling and vehicle handling are descriptions of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during cornering and swerving. It also includes their stability when moving at rest. Handling and braking are the major components of a vehicle's...
- Car tuningCar tuningCar tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
, the hobby of modifying a car - Coil bindCoil bindCoil bind is a style of setup used in various levels of NASCAR racing. Coil bind setups utilize very soft front springs and very stiff rear springs to control the pitch attitude of the body. This is in contrast with conventional setups which place the stiffer springs at the front of the car for...
- Oversteer
- UndersteerUndersteerUndersteer and oversteer are vehicle dynamics terms used to describe the sensitivity of a vehicle to steering. Simply put, oversteer is what occurs when a car turns by more than the amount commanded by the driver...
- Vehicle dynamicsVehicle dynamicsVehicle dynamics refers to the dynamics of vehicles, here assumed to be ground vehicles. Vehicle dynamics is a part of engineering primarily based on classical mechanics but it may also involve chemistry, solid state physics, electrical engineering, communications, psychology, control theory,...