More power, or better weight distribution?

[Dell'Orto]

Not much point having 50% more power if you've got stock brakes

[Lith]

Not much point having 50% more power if you've got stock brakes

No point having better balance either That was my point.....

[Dell'Orto]

Well I dont know, things with massive power and lots of rear weight bias tend to do really cool top impersonations!

[Lith]

Well I dont know, things with massive power and lots of rear weight bias tend to do really cool top impersonations!

Thats a good thing, right?

[RomanV]

Well, i said power.

Says the guy with the engine half way through the firewall?

I had to add 60kg of lead to my car to achieve minimun weight for my class and guess how much difference it makes.

didn't even notice it.

Yeah but there's a difference between a fairly well prepped race car getting some ballast put low down in the rear of the car (Which is where I'd imagine you'd put it?) And putting a big V8 in the front of a car, fairly far foward in the engine bay.

but the fact that i'm 1600 turbo, and all the cars around me are 1800T or 2000T ( or one's 2600TT), makes a shitload of difference in a straight line.

and a 60/40 weight split doesn't mean RWD front engined car can't handle either.

Matt

Yep I agree, you can tune any cars suspension to suit the weight etc, and there's a lot more to a cars setup than just static weight distribution.
However there seem to be examples of cars that do better with a better balance, more than more power.

I suppose '50% more power' is a bit high for the question really, or maybe 65/35 split would have been better, but I was trying to think along the lines of having a tuned small engine vs. dumping a dirty big V8 or something in the front of a car, that makes more HP but adds a lot of weight.

[matt dunn]

Says the guy with the engine half way through the firewall?

lol, My car use standard AE86 engin mounts and cross member so I dont think so.

And I actually put 30kg of the weight in front on the rear axel,
1/2 of that right up front on the LF floor.

Matt

[Adamal]

I think he was referring to the Focus

[matt dunn]

I think he was referring to the Focus

well unless you put it in there transverse like normal,
it's gunna have to stick out the front or the back?

[RomanV]

Says the guy with the engine half way through the firewall?

lol, My car use standard AE86 engin mounts and cross member so I dont think so.

And I actually put 30kg of the weight in front on the rear axel,
1/2 of that right up front on the LF floor.

Matt

Woops sorry Matt, perhaps I was thinking of the levin or focus...

[UZZ30]

Mmm well I do realise the soarer from factory doesnt have the best handling around but that I was getting at was really how its considerably better than how my old Honda handled...

Regarding front and rear weight distribution how is it actually measured? Is there some kind of car sized scale with a split down the middle, so front and rear wheels go on there own platform?

(Sorry if this an other lost UZZ30 question/comment)

[Lith]

Mmm well I do realise the soarer from factory doesnt have the best handling around but that I was getting at was really how its considerably better than how my old Honda handled...

Must have been a real special Honda to handle THAT badly, even Honda City boostirific death traps handle on rails compared to Soarers

[Mr.Phreak]

Have any of you actually driven a Soarer with new suspension??

[Snoozin]

I'm in favour of a well balanced car.

Even so, weight distribution doesn't have to be 50:50 to handle well, personally I would rather have a car that has too much chassis for the power, rather than the other way around.

[Lith]

Even so, weight distribution doesn't have to be 50:50 to handle well, personally I would rather have a car that has too much chassis for the power, rather than the other way around.

Yeah - the question never mentioned how developed the chassis is though. Seriously, given an infinite budget - one is allowed 50:50 chassis, but is restricted to 66.67% of the power of the other - which has to have 60:40 weight distribution but has no other restrictions. Everything else is completely free to do. There seems to be an assumption that people who are going for 50% more power are considering that as all you'd need.

I'm sure while you won't be able to completely fix it - tuning the dynamics of the suspension, aeros etc has to be worth something.

[Snoozin]

Stupid one sided question.

60:40 really isn't an overly problematic weight distribution in reality, I know the Alfa is even more nose heavy than that and it's still able to be punted around corners faster than it really has any right to.

[Lith]

Yeah. I'd definitely lean more for balance the power in the general sense...

[UZZ30]

Mmm well I do realise the soarer from factory doesnt have the best handling around but that I was getting at was really how its considerably better than how my old Honda handled...

Must have been a real special Honda to handle THAT badly, even Honda City boostirific death traps handle on rails compared to Soarers

It was a Honda Rafaga. Even if you disagree Im still very pleased with out my soarer handles in comparison. Far better response and less body roll.

Also my soarer according to documents the past owners gave me stated all shocks were repaced which may help the handling...

[Lith]

LOL, nah I won't argue with you there. They handle horribly. Honda engineers on Saki that day.

[UZZ30]

Honda engineers on Saki that day.

Yep, Have to agree with you there.. At least I have a proper car now.

[UTERUS]

I have bilstein dampers and some unknown springs in my z30 soarer.

I can confidently come into a corner and know what it will do, when it will step out, what it is going to do when the weight shifts etc... and that is with a open diff and dirty slushbox.

I don't know what the weight balance is but it doesn't feel like it is trying to push the front out, i have to be trying really hard to get understeer once the tyres warm up.

But holy crap it was horrible with the standard suspension in it, bugger that luxury crap i want to be able to turn a corner.




My 35 cents