cms-35z

iTrader: (2)

Ane their any handling guru's here that can answer this?

I plan on keeping my track wheels for a while, but concidered adding spacers to make them look better.
I was curious how changing the Z's track width affects the handling.
It seems 15mm front and 20mm rear is common.

From what I have learned from adjusting my other cars track width is that increasing the rear more than the front induces understeer, while increasing front track will increase oversteer.
I am unsure if the Z's front track is allready conciderably overcompensated for the rears track width as far as handling goes.

I am also concerned about changing the front scrub radius. I don't want to reduce the steering input.

Any suggestions or comments?

Auto RnD

iTrader: (9)

Here is what a smart man once said =)

When you think about it, adding the spacers does a couple things, most of them are supposed to be positive. Directly, it increases the front track and increases your scrub radius. Increasing the front track, should increase stability and decrease understeer. Widening the track will decrease load transfer allowing the wheels to stay more evenly loaded and have a higher cornering capacity. Increasing scrub radius shouldn't matter too much. It hurts rough road ability and increases steering kickback because of the way bumps load the tire, but if the roads somewhat smooth it won't make too much of a difference.

If you increase your track, your roll stiffness will increase. This is the same as running slightly stiffer springs. The equation for roll stiffness is (12 x ride rate x track^2)/2. Your ride rate is a function of your spring rate. So increaseing that would have the same effect as increasing the track. Increasing the track reduces load transfer because equation for load transfer is (acceleration x axle weight x cg height)/track width. Technically running a bigger sway bar will also increase your roll stiffness, but it will also increase your lateral load transfer. So here's where the confusing part starts, if you increase your track which will increase your roll stiffness, you will decrease load transfer keeping the tires more evenly loaded and allowing the pair to generate more force. But if you run a bigger sway bar, you'll also increase your roll stiffness, and increase load transfer which will decrease the total force generated by the pair of tires. Stiffening one anti-roll bar stiffens that end and increase the lateral load capacity of the other pair.

So now with the front track widened, the front should be able to take more load before sliding. A wider front track is usually a good way to get rid of understeer.