Setting Nitrons for Track day
Discussion
Having just had nitron shocks and uprated springs fitted to my 4.3 griff. I am going to Silvertone on Monday to put them to the ultimate test!
They are currently set up for road use. I therefore expect to have to make a few adjustments by trial and error whilst I'm there to stiffen them slightly. If anyone can give me some suggested starting settings I would be very grateful as this is likely to save me valuable track time.
They are currently set up for road use. I therefore expect to have to make a few adjustments by trial and error whilst I'm there to stiffen them slightly. If anyone can give me some suggested starting settings I would be very grateful as this is likely to save me valuable track time.
Can't recommend any particular settings, but suggest you start by recording what they're set to currently, and think about going a click or too harder rather than stiffening them right up. You might be tempted to stiffen the dampers too far to compensate for the rest of the suspension being too soft, it doesn't work.
what you've got to understand is that dampers only affect the handling whilstever the damper piston rod is moving, and the effect that has depends on whether the rod is moving quickly or slowly. If you stiffen the dampers you increase momentarily the loading on the outer wheel on corner entry and exit, thereby reducing the load sharing of the pairs of tyres across the car, ie you change only the transient handling characteristics, changing damper settings can't change the physical make up of the car ie it's weight distribution and suspension geometry.
Whenever the car is in steady state load transfer the handling is governed by the total roll stiffness of the springs and roll bars plus the geometry changes of the suspension system, if the corner is bumpy and there is damper piston rod movement then the dampers come into play also.
Just like on the road, you're after the minimum damping required to get the job done, but because you're using more of the car's capability than on the road you can usefully stiffen the settings to eliminate some of the underdamping you normally associate with good ride comfort.
You're just about to find one of the most intresting things about having adjustable suspension, the playing with it!!
Whenever the car is in steady state load transfer the handling is governed by the total roll stiffness of the springs and roll bars plus the geometry changes of the suspension system, if the corner is bumpy and there is damper piston rod movement then the dampers come into play also.
Just like on the road, you're after the minimum damping required to get the job done, but because you're using more of the car's capability than on the road you can usefully stiffen the settings to eliminate some of the underdamping you normally associate with good ride comfort.
You're just about to find one of the most intresting things about having adjustable suspension, the playing with it!!
Thanks guys for the advice. Heliox, can't find out the spring rate at the moment I'm afraid. However the dampers are currently set to 13 clicks from soft all round.
I spoke with Peninsular and they recommended leaving the front where they are to start with and uping the rears by 2 clicks. Roll on Monday and Siverstone - finally I've got something to do between sessions!
I spoke with Peninsular and they recommended leaving the front where they are to start with and uping the rears by 2 clicks. Roll on Monday and Siverstone - finally I've got something to do between sessions!
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