A Novice's Question

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jan 28, 08 8:09 am

Last night I was flicking through the old pictures in Dave McBride's 2007 Calendar. I noticed something which to me, seemed odd.

When launching off the start line, Bob Brown's Daytona lifts its RHS (as you look out through the screen) front wheel. When Kev launches, he lifts the LHS front wheel. Why dont both cars try and lift the wheel on the same side?

Post by **TyreFryer** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:03 am

Is it the weight of the driver? Kev's car is righthand drive.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:10 am

The short answer is chassis set up. Direction of engine rotation means the car will naturally want to roll anticlockwise and lift the NSF wheel first. To counter act that roll, you have more spring leaves on the OSR, and you could also stiffen up that side shock. Front to rear weight distribution, corner weight and the cars ability to transfer that weight all contribute to what exactly happens when you launch the car. An ideal launch would be both front wheels up a few inches and the car remaining level.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:11 am

Can't be, surely?????

I thought the wheel that lifted was dependent on rotational torque of engine. Engine pulling body up on one corner. Sitting on that side would only dampen the effect, not assist the opposite side cos thats being dug down I would have thought?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:25 am

Blue. You should know by now that using offside and nearside terms throws 50% of the users here into confusion.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:30 am

Clivey wrote:Can't be, surely?????

I thought the wheel that lifted was dependent on rotational torque of engine. Engine pulling body up on one corner. Sitting on that side would only dampen the effect, not assist the opposite side cos thats being dug down I would have thought?

Quite right Clivey. The car body tries to rotate clockwise (from in the car) so the left (nearside) front wheel lifts and the rear left (offside) drops lower (in effect the same as the left rear tyre rising up so you loose traction on that side).

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:34 am

That being the case, why is it that Bob Brown's Daytona lifts the OSF wheel??

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:37 am

Maybe his engine runs backwards.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:50 am

What's yer explanation here, Dave?

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Mon Jan 28, 08 9:52 am

If Bob has compensated to eliminate torque roll, and the OSF is lighter and/or higher, that wheel will come up first.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jan 28, 08 10:01 am

Blue wrote:If Bob has compensated to eliminate torque roll, and the OSF is lighter and/or higher, that wheel will come up first.

Cheers fella.

I was standing by the back door last night quaffing some tea, and for some reason the question sprang to mind

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Mon Jan 28, 08 10:02 am

Kev, I think you could call that excessive weight transfer!

SteveCase · Post by **SteveCase** » Wed Jan 30, 08 7:16 am

How do they get THAT much power thru those little wheelie bar wheels then?!

andyrob · Post by **andyrob** » Wed Jan 30, 08 9:01 am

clivey maybe the photos been reveresed just to confuse you

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Jan 30, 08 9:05 am