Home  
Site Partners: SpotterGuides Veloce Books  
Related Sites: Your Link Here  

Go Back   TenTenths Motorsport Forum > Racing Talk > Racing Technology

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12 Nov 2023, 19:44 (Ref:4185621)   #1
Frustratedracer
Rookie
 
Join Date: Nov 2023
Scotland
Bonnie Scotland
Posts: 3
Frustratedracer should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
How does the side to side weight balance affect a race car?

Can someone who knows their onions or who has previous experience help me with this please?

Scenario: FWD car racing in one make championship on a variety of UK clockwise circuits.
Regs allow for either RHD or LHD cars and within those regs it is impossible to get perfect weight distribution where both sides of the car weigh the same.
So, both cars are corner weighted to be equal across the front axle and the rears are different.
LHD car is 20kg heavier on the left (left rear)
RHD car is 40kg heavier on the right (right rear)

Leaving aside any pros or cons as to getting used to driving a LHD car, which one makes the better race car?

Last edited by Frustratedracer; 12 Nov 2023 at 20:14. Reason: Title doesn't make sense
Frustratedracer is offline  
Quote
Old 13 Nov 2023, 12:34 (Ref:4185676)   #2
morninggents
Veteran
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
England
Up north, near York.
Posts: 2,876
morninggents should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
As an ex-racer of RWD cars in special saloons in the 60s/70s and historic touring cars in the 90s/noughties I would say that the 20kg differential in the LHD car would be the most competitive. The front is more important than the back on all cars but particularly so in FWD cars.
Is it not possible to equalize the rear? Without knowing what the Tech Regs state it is difficult to advise.
From a personal safety point of view I would always want to drive a RHD car on clockwise circuits.
morninggents is offline  
Quote
Old 13 Nov 2023, 13:39 (Ref:4185685)   #3
Frustratedracer
Rookie
 
Join Date: Nov 2023
Scotland
Bonnie Scotland
Posts: 3
Frustratedracer should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Thanks for the reply.
There is a minimum weight and the regs state that any additional lead to bring up to the mimimum has to be added with a prescribed kit in a specified location.
Given free reign with the placement of the lead i require, it would be very close to being able to equalize on the LHD car but still be out by approx 20kg on the RHD car.
From a logical point of view, on clockwise circuits with mostly right hand corners, i would have thought 40kg extra (RHD) to the inside of the corner would be more beneficial than 20kg (LHD) to the outside of the corner, but in reality is it just the mass of the car as a whole that affects the cornering ability?

Last edited by Frustratedracer; 13 Nov 2023 at 13:44.
Frustratedracer is offline  
Quote
Old 15 Nov 2023, 08:44 (Ref:4185947)   #4
Robin Marriott
Veteran
 
Robin Marriott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 750
Robin Marriott should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
40kg isn’t a lot of lead physically, I reckon you could hide that in a void inside the car somewhere and nobody would have any reason to suspect it.

Depending on the car, there might be a chassis rail you could use, for example.
Robin Marriott is offline  
Quote
Old 16 Nov 2023, 22:02 (Ref:4186151)   #5
Frustratedracer
Rookie
 
Join Date: Nov 2023
Scotland
Bonnie Scotland
Posts: 3
Frustratedracer should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
I would rather keep it legal.
As i already use lead it might look odd that all of a sudden it disappears from view.
Frustratedracer is offline  
Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Cross weight balance of a car Ferrarist75 Racing Technology 6 9 Sep 2017 08:39
How to maintain similar weight transfer after altering weight distribution? Zico Racing Technology 4 4 May 2008 18:28
Does the car make the man or does the man make the car? neilap Formula One 42 1 Mar 2002 01:54
Changine gear while cornering (weight balance question) Sodemo2 Formula One 18 21 Nov 2001 22:08
Does the Man make the Car? OR does the Car make the Man? PoweredByHonda Formula One 22 6 Nov 2001 07:47


All times are GMT. The time now is 00:30.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Original Website Copyright © 1998-2003 Craig Antil. All Rights Reserved.
Ten-Tenths Motorsport Forums Copyright © 2004-2021 Royalridge Computing. All Rights Reserved.
Ten-Tenths Motorsport Forums Copyright © 2021-2022 Grant MacDonald. All Rights Reserved.