Squirming under braking
Discussion
Firstly, I'm not an officianado when it comes to these things...
Generally speaking, the balance of a car is usually towards the front of the car, engine, gearbox etc and therefore when you brake, the car will tend to nose dive making the rear a little light and consequently loose a bit of grip resulting in the squirming,
Racing cars, on the other hand pretty much have a neutral balance at the centre of the car.
Brake bias is also a consideration as road cars will tend to have the brake distribution more to the front, increasing the problem encountered with the weight distribution.
I'm probably talking a whole load of b
ks but this is my 2-pennith....
Generally speaking, the balance of a car is usually towards the front of the car, engine, gearbox etc and therefore when you brake, the car will tend to nose dive making the rear a little light and consequently loose a bit of grip resulting in the squirming,
Racing cars, on the other hand pretty much have a neutral balance at the centre of the car.
Brake bias is also a consideration as road cars will tend to have the brake distribution more to the front, increasing the problem encountered with the weight distribution.
I'm probably talking a whole load of b
ks but this is my 2-pennith....I know a lot has been said about the Monaro having bad brakes but I have to say, as hard as I have driven the car and as hard as I like to drive it, I have yet to experience the brakes failing on me in any way shape or form. The moment this ever arises, I will opt for the upgrade. I've been in more than a few situations where I have had to literally slam the anchors on, but they hvent failed me yet.
BO55VXR - I would say you are right on the money. After a day at Bedford where 'brake diving' caused me a bit of concern until you learn how to handle it i.e stomp on the power as early as possible to move balance back to the rear; I had the good fortune to drive an HSV for a few days and the difference was quite amazing in terms of handling and especially balance.
As a result I obtained 05 VXR suspension (thanks MalcN)and it has made a major difference. I have to say still not as good as the HSV, there was something about the way that car was just planted right on the road (steering and chassis set up I guess).
I will also be going for a set of lower springs very soon just to tighten things up a bit more once I have more power - which is on the cards!!
As a result I obtained 05 VXR suspension (thanks MalcN)and it has made a major difference. I have to say still not as good as the HSV, there was something about the way that car was just planted right on the road (steering and chassis set up I guess).
I will also be going for a set of lower springs very soon just to tighten things up a bit more once I have more power - which is on the cards!!
P47ThBolt said:
I will also be going for a set of lower springs very soon just to tighten things up a bit more once I have more power - which is on the cards!!
Yeah, the suspension's the next thing on my list, but not the full AP kit as I think that's over-kill for my needs, I just want a lower it, stiffen it up and adjust the camber to give a bit more positive feel, a setup like caspy's but without the full adjustability (and the cost)
I know Roger and Doug both have stuff to accomplish this but I'm happy to wait for HSV (UK) to arrive and see what they bring in before jumping in.
You may find its related to the wheel alignment, tyre pressure, tyre tread, road camber - all these things could have an effect. When the front suspension compresses, you might find that its causing some "toe out" on the front wheels, which will tend to make it dart in different directions slightly. Wouldnt it also be increasing the negative camber on the fronts when you compress suspension? That might put alot of force onto a narrow section of the tyre.
If you have particulalry low profiles and aggressive tread, the tread will sometimes track along the bitumen oddly and the road surface will pull it in different directions. Camber will also pull it left or right. Of course suspension is the major one, more effective/possibly firmer damping on the front and rear will help it be more nuetral but it will always dive. Dont worry too much about brake bias I wouldnt have thought. With ABS and if youre hard on it, it wont make much odds. Just stamp on them hard, turn in and let bosch sort the rest. Or remove the fuse and try it again just for the excercise. Better for burnouts, bad for flat-spots on expensive rubber.
My 2c worth
PB
PB
If you have particulalry low profiles and aggressive tread, the tread will sometimes track along the bitumen oddly and the road surface will pull it in different directions. Camber will also pull it left or right. Of course suspension is the major one, more effective/possibly firmer damping on the front and rear will help it be more nuetral but it will always dive. Dont worry too much about brake bias I wouldnt have thought. With ABS and if youre hard on it, it wont make much odds. Just stamp on them hard, turn in and let bosch sort the rest. Or remove the fuse and try it again just for the excercise. Better for burnouts, bad for flat-spots on expensive rubber.
My 2c worth
PB
PB
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