ShamrockGT
(Banned)
- 38
- Ireland
Grip & Handling
Steady State Grip & Handling Grip balance are different. It's important to distinguish the difference between grip in a steady state corner and handling grip balance. Steady State Grip is objective and easy to measure. You need a test circle, G meter and speedometer.
Handling Grip Balance is about real driving, not driving around in a circle at a constant speed. It's about accelerating, braking, response to steering and pedal inputs. Importantly how the car responds when the limit of grip is reached. Predictable and controllable being very important.
When Race Car drivers set up the car they do not drive in a circle at a constant speed to dial in Steady State Grip balance. This has to be done driving the track tuning in the grip balance as the car is speeding up, slowing down, responding to different steering angles, and how the car responds to reaching the limit of grip on the track being raced.
To achieve ideal balance, if grip on one axle is incapable of getting up to the ability the other axle, grip on the other axle has to come down. Setting up the car is skill in achieving this balance of handling grip equal front to rear providing equal understeer and oversteer. A car will find gains on each track if the balance of Handling Grip is tuned to the track, and how the car is driven.
How the car responds when reaching the limit of grip is where much of tuning is focused. A RWD car can have a power oversteer effect reaching the limit of grip, while FWD will have a power understeer effect. We can tune how the car responds in these situations, but not if the tuning is focused on simply steady state grip in a circle at sub 100mph. The balance on the Track is what's important setting up a race car.
Steady State Grip & Handling Grip balance are different. It's important to distinguish the difference between grip in a steady state corner and handling grip balance. Steady State Grip is objective and easy to measure. You need a test circle, G meter and speedometer.
Handling Grip Balance is about real driving, not driving around in a circle at a constant speed. It's about accelerating, braking, response to steering and pedal inputs. Importantly how the car responds when the limit of grip is reached. Predictable and controllable being very important.
When Race Car drivers set up the car they do not drive in a circle at a constant speed to dial in Steady State Grip balance. This has to be done driving the track tuning in the grip balance as the car is speeding up, slowing down, responding to different steering angles, and how the car responds to reaching the limit of grip on the track being raced.
To achieve ideal balance, if grip on one axle is incapable of getting up to the ability the other axle, grip on the other axle has to come down. Setting up the car is skill in achieving this balance of handling grip equal front to rear providing equal understeer and oversteer. A car will find gains on each track if the balance of Handling Grip is tuned to the track, and how the car is driven.
How the car responds when reaching the limit of grip is where much of tuning is focused. A RWD car can have a power oversteer effect reaching the limit of grip, while FWD will have a power understeer effect. We can tune how the car responds in these situations, but not if the tuning is focused on simply steady state grip in a circle at sub 100mph. The balance on the Track is what's important setting up a race car.
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