2011 Mustang GT track log

[zquez]

This one, purchased from the amazon

If you use GoPros, you need a dongle too (I did for the Hero 3).

Got the dongle, lack the mic. Not a bad price at all. Looks like I'll finally have some audio for my vids rather than wind noise.

 

[ArizonaGT]

I think I'm finally starting to understand this. It's only taken a few years. I'm a little hard-headed. Are you still planning on heading up to California for your summer tour??

Yes, it's all fallen nicely into place.

June 7-8 at Thunderhill with HOD
then the next weekend,
June 14-15 at Sonoma w/ NASA

then end of July

July 26-27 at Laguna w/ NASA

See you there???

 

[FR500GT]

Looks like you're ready for a fixed seat!

 

[ArizonaGT]

Looks like you're ready for a fixed seat!

I agree. Bouncing all over the place in the stock seat.

Fixed seat, Watson or MM rollbar, harnesses

 

[claudermilk]

Have you got enough feel for the JRis to say how you feel about their damping vs the KWs?

I'm curious about this, too. There's not much info out about these yet.

 

[neema]

I'm curious about this, too. There's not much info out about these yet.

They're worked fine, but I was worrying about too many other things (like my control arm coming loose, CEL, being tired, etc) to really spend time trying to adjust them. Right off the bat, things weren't super different from the KWs, except that I was able to get on the throttle sooner. This is most likely due to the softer spring (250 vs 340 in lb) and me reinstalling the OEM rear sway bar vs the 27mm ST sway bar. There was one choppy area (cotton corners) that always unsettled the car with KWs, even with compression softened and a few different rebound settings to compensate. I didn't notice the issue last weekend, but for all I know, they may have patched that area of the course.

I don't know how technical I can really get on the coilovers without giving subjective observations, but what I'd like to be able to do is adjust the car to a point where it does too much of a desired effect. Ideally, I would find a balance and then make small adjustments for tires/courses/my mood.

 

[neema]

Footage couple weekends ago from a friend's car. The black Vette (C6 with 18's and NT01s) was well equipped and piloted, so I asked to follow. I couldn't match his pace, so that only lasted so long.

Fun sections: hot laps start at 2:20; I drift back to lead/follow my friend at 13:30; hooning at 21:50

 

[neema]

Test splitter number one

 

[barbaro]

Nice build Neema. To the torque arm doubters also known as the people without a torque arm. I challenge you to find anyplace on this grand internet a person with a torque arm on their S197 that did not like it. Torque arm is the bomb.

 

[sheizasosay]

Nice build Neema. To the torque arm doubters also known as the people without a torque arm. I challenge you to find anyplace on this grand internet a person with a torque arm on their S197 that did not like it. Torque arm is the bomb.

Will it supercharge my suspension? If so, I want two.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Nice build Neema. To the torque arm doubters also known as the people without a torque arm. I challenge you to find anyplace on this grand internet a person with a torque arm on their S197 that did not like it.

Um, confirmation bias? you could ask the same question (and get the same response) about S197 headlight splitters. And it would be just about as ridiculous.

Torque arm is the bomb.

As in "my rear suspension will now blow up with brake hop?" That kind of bomb? Or is it the F-bomb you drop when you shatter yet another gear in your trans with the driveline shock? Which one is it? We like to be pretty specific and accurate around here. Oh, wait, you WERE specific and accurate. "I like it. Despite having no racing, driving, or engineering credentials, and despite having absolutely zero quantifiable evidence to support my opinions, everybody who disagrees with me is an idiot."

Stop beating a dead horse, Barbaro. Bring some hard data or just let it go. "Because I said so" hasn't been a valid response since any of us were five years old, and it certainly isn't going to fly in the face of overwhelming evidence and reasoning to the contrary. So far, the best you can do is "Because I said so." You've been singularly unable to express the hows or whys, all you say is "It's the bomb. It's like a supercharger for your suspension." According to you, a T/A also improves ride quality, and makes the car roll less. It's like that old Saturday Night Live skit with the infomercial on a product that is not only a desert topping, but is also a floor wax. "MMMMMM!! Tastes great, and look at that shine!" So, either bring some hard tech or STFU!


Mmmm'kay? Thankyougoodbye.

Love,

The Nattering Nabob of Negativity

 

[DevGittinJr]

So, if one were to own a bomb-ass, supercharged suspension, how would they articulate such? Would one refer to it as a blown suspension?

 

[Whiskey11]

Nice build Neema. To the torque arm doubters also known as the people without a torque arm. I challenge you to find anyplace on this grand internet a person with a torque arm on their S197 that did not like it. Torque arm is the bomb.

The only reason I "like" my torque arm is because it does what I wasn't able to do within the rules and framework of the SCCA's SP and ST rule sets. Besides that, it's a means to an end, not the end all be all of suspension.

Dave - I don't think the Cortex Torque Arm is short enough to brake hop with stock brake pads. I ran last winter with the torque arm and stock springs. Something like 80% anti-squat at stock ride height and had ZERO wheel hop. I actually attempted this to see if it would do it so I knew not to do it again (glutton for punishment I suppose ) and I could not get it to go. I went all the way to ABS engagement on my 245/45/18 Star Specs and couldn't get it to hop.

What driveline shock would you be referring to that would be worse than with the 3 link setup? All of the force of you clutch dumping is transmitted through the torque arm to the chassis, not the drive line. This is no different than the 3 link setup which does the same thing but over all 3 control arms. Unlike the 3 link you do get a net "planting" effect (equal and opposite reactions).

 

[Norm Peterson]

The 3-link "plants", just via different force directions at the axle housing, and the overall anti-squat/tire planting effect is a little harder to visualize. You still have a SVSA, that is somewhat more "virtual" than what a torque arm has (which incidentally is not necessarily at the front of the TA at the chassis pickup - generally it isn't there and even if it is under one condition it doesn't quite stay put as the suspension moves either).


Norm

 

[Whiskey11]

The 3-link "plants", just via different force directions at the axle housing, and the overall anti-squat/tire planting effect is a little harder to visualize. You still have a SVSA, that is somewhat more "virtual" than what a torque arm has (which incidentally is not necessarily at the front of the TA at the chassis pickup - generally it isn't there and even if it is under one condition it doesn't quite stay put as the suspension moves either).


Norm

You mean like that? Does the force of the pinion gear trying to climb the ring gear really translate into a downward force like it does on a torque arm? Ignoring %AS of course.

Also, don't we usually conceptualize %AS from a static point? Sure it would be useful to know what my %AS is during max cornering but can't we kind of sort of infer the behavior in roll from a number at static?

Finally, the torque arm's IC location is the intersection between a line perpendicular to the torque arm's angle at the chassis mount and the lines drawn through the bolts on the LCA's right?

 

[Norm Peterson]

You won't see it when the lowers and upper(s) are both drawn horizontal - which is consistent with the A-S for that case which works out to zero %. Side view axle geometry doesn't care how many links are at the top or at the bottom as long as you have at least one of each, so the A-S construction for a 3-link (S197) is the same as for a Fox/SN95 (triangulated 4-link).

Line up your lowers and upper such that they intersect somewhere near the middle of the wheelbase and a few inches above the ground. You will then get vertical components of link forces at either the upper or the lowers or perhaps both. Those forces combine algebraically to give you the force that's "planting" the tires.

Another way to visualize it is to construct the SVIC and then forget about links and torque arms altogether. The side view virtual swing arm runs between the SVIC and the contact patch, for any axle attachment configuration, and its slope will define the net vertical axle load due to geometry for acceleration.

All it takes to at least roughly determine A-S% during cornering is knowing the inclinations of the LCAs and UCA under such conditions. Don't let the concept that the RR and the LR can have different A-S values bother you; I think that only means that one tire gets more geometric load transfer than the other one does.

That is basically the correct SVIC construction for a TA. The torque arm's angle is defined by the center of the axle and the chassis side pickup point.


Norm

 

[neema]

It's been a while since I've chimed in. Next event is with NASA at Laguna Seca (July 27th). Thank goodness for no sound restriction. Here's what I've been up to


BMR UCA

Installed 250lb hyper coil springs. Got lazy and reused KW spring mounts, but needed 60mm to 2.5" adapters. Oddly, the KW springs needed a lot of preload on one side to maintain level ride height in the back, while the hypercoils do not.

The point of keeping the spring on the axle is to fit the rear wheels. Currently the wheel contacts the spring perch but only when one side is completely compressed. Don't know if it can be removed from the shock, or replaced if I grind it down and want to install a new one. I'm using 3/8th spacers to keep the wheel clear here. No issues during vertical bump movement.

The culprit

Watson racing roll bar and sparcos are half way installed. I'm going to try and tackle the moroso pan, prothane bushings, 302R rack, and reinstall the brembos to run the new wheels if I can.

 

[DevGittinJr]

Carbon fiber road frame, Fizik saddle, Look pedals, training wheels on - with the race wheels in the rack, no ridonk looking cables jetting out of the hoods so probably a Campy or Sram groupo, mtb for the off-season, floor pump with gauge...

Best I can tell from the pics, anyway. I ride too.

 

[neema]

Carbon fiber road frame, Fizik saddle, Look pedals, training wheels on - with the race wheels in the rack, no ridonk looking cables jetting out of the hoods so probably a Campy or Sram groupo, mtb for the off-season, floor pump with gauge...

Best I can tell from the pics, anyway. I ride too.

Not too far off. Shimano pedals and Dura Ace (7900) group set.

 

[ArizonaGT]

What did you tighten the in-body bolt down to on the UCA? Did you use a giant cheater bar?