GRM Nerdage, Edjikate me on Suspension...: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Jan. 26, 2012 4:53 p.m. Conquest351 HalfDork

OK, I'm a car nerd, self proclaimed. I understand engines, compression ratios, camshaft design, gearing, tires, and brakes. I have copius amounts of lightness knowledge. Boost is my friend and we understand each other pretty well, although I forgot how to read a compressor map.

I do not understand suspension and alignment. I have basic knowledge as far as what caster, camber, and toe IS, but no real knowledge on the real effects of each (other than tire wear). How does one set up suspension on a car? Please explain as much as possible, lamen terms preferable. I'm not a n00b to cars at all, but suspension just confuses the Brian.
Jan. 26, 2012 5:19 p.m. Keith SuperDork

Try reading this: http://flyinmiata.com/pdf/HPMM_sample_chapter.pdf

If you like it, grab the book it came from Sure, it's a Miata book. But the fundamentals are the same. And it's all about weight transfer.
Jan. 26, 2012 6:27 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

In reply to Keith:

i would argue that it's all about contact patch management, but i think we're on the same page, just different paragraphs.
Jan. 26, 2012 6:37 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Best primer out there IMHO: Fred Puhn's 'How To Make Your Car Handle'. The 1970s pictures alone are worth the price of the book. Herb Adam's 'Chassis Engineering' is good too, although again IMHO it's best if Puhn's book is read first.
Jan. 26, 2012 6:48 p.m. kevlarcorolla Reader

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Thats the book I started with and still go to from time to time for a little refresher of basics.
Jan. 26, 2012 6:54 p.m. Taiden SuperDork

I have Fred Puhn's 'How to Make Your Car Handle' but I've never opened it. It's staring me in the face right now... why hello there, let me have a look........................
Jan. 26, 2012 6:57 p.m. Keith SuperDork

AngryCorvair wrote:

In reply to Keith:

i would argue that it's all about contact patch management, but i think we're on the same page, just different paragraphs.

If you want to understand what's going on, you have to understand weight transfer! A great contact patch isn't much good if there's only 5% of the car's weight on it...

I've found that a lot of the books like Puhns and Adams and Shelby assume you're designing a car. Reading about sliding pillar suspension is fun, but if you're stuck with a Brand X car they're not going to help. Each one has some sections of gold that might take a bit of ferreting out, but none have everything.
Jan. 26, 2012 7:00 p.m. Taiden SuperDork

Keith's link is actually incredible. I almost called canoe as a joke but damn, I doubt you could fit more good info on 10 pages if you tried.