i just can't figure out why?

[mnwildpunk]

Ok guys remember the high in the sky rear ends usually with air shocks. I personal like the look of a little rake but when it looks like an ostrich with its head in the sand it looks goofy. What about mod tops and shag carpets

Talking about rough rides and dangerous I had a neighbor friend who wanted his car to ride lower so he first cut a coil out then proceeded to heat the spring with oxy/ acetylene torch til it was red hot and I watched the car drop about three inches. Talk about unsafe at any speed.

[DonW]

We lowered my first racer by cutting the same amount out of each of the coil springs - but took them off the car first, then we did paint them before refitting so they'd last more than 10 minutes in the English rain! Cost about tuppence and worked fine although we had to use straps to stop the suspension dropping too far if the car lifted a wheel off a kerb or something, otherwise the springs would fall out of the pan. That gave useful extra negative camber on the back (trailing arms), not excessive though!

[Ace-Garageguy]

There's nothing wrong in principle with cutting a coil spring to lower a car (and it has the additional effect of raising the spring rate) as long as it's done intelligently and in moderation. Limiting straps were a very common solution to too much axle droop and springs becoming unseated when I was building slalom cars. My one swing-axle car still has straps to prevent axle "tuck-under".

There's nothing wrong with a little negative camber either, but few people seem to actually understand why it works and how much is enough.

Introducing negative camber to a production car to improve handling is done primarily to compensate for a deficiency that strut-type (and some others) suspension systems have in their ability to maintain optimum camber angles (zero) under cornering weight-transfer.

Tires make their maximum traction when they're perpendicular to the pavement and the entire tread is IN CONTACT with the pavement. As a strut-suspended car rolls during hard cornering (not rolls over, but rolls about it's own axis as a result of weight-transfer) the geometry of most strut suspensions is inadequate to keep the outer, heavily loaded tire treads in full contact with the pavement. Negative static camber is introduced so that camber on the outer wheels becomes ZERO at full roll during cornering weight transfer, delivering full traction when it's needed most by keeping the outer tires flat on the pavement.

Introducing more camber than the suspension requires for cornering optimization is counterproductive from a handling standpoint and rapidly wears tires, bearings, etc.

I'm really trying to quit being annoyed by "car guys" who look at me like I'm speaking Swahili when I mention things like camber patterns, un-sprung weight, spring rates, roll resistance, rotating mass, etc., and all the folks who build rolling jokes with no clue as to how things really work, and who have no interest in knowing.

But I think my internal artist will always be trumped by my internal engineer.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Custom Hearse]

Why does this remind me of the cartoons I used to watch as a kid back in the '70s? You know... The cartoon car that was so tired it collapsed? All the guy needs to add is a large tongue hanging out of the grill...

[Greg Myers]

Just look through here https://www.google.com/search?q=custom+mini+trucks&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=l3EPU7PsNcWergHn4IDgCw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1208&bih=751#imgdii=_ for some great ideas ?

[DonW]

Bill - Spot on! Along with the cut down coils we also fitted a set of stiffer Koni shockers because the now stiffer springs needed better control. And the cornering was improved because as you say the loaded wheels were square to the track. Don't stop the tech stuff!

-Don.