Coil-overs & Corner Balancing Options

[RvA944]

Coil-overs & Corner Balancing

Hello All,

ok I've got a set of Megan coilovers on order. Just waiting for the boat to arrive. Now I've been doing allot of reading on these little pups and besides giving us the ability to drop our rides down to ridiculous lows they have a side benefit of giving us the ability of tuning our suspensions for better handling.

Here is one of the pages I found on the subject........... Tech-Tip... Corner Balance

From what I've been able to read up on so far, it seams as if getting the car to a 50/50 Left/Right weight distribution with the driver on-board will give us neutral handling. Sounds just like what I need for AutoX. But with our rides being FWD the front to rear is going to be no where near 50/50. So I'm wondering have any of the members of this board ever played with weight distribution with their coilovers? And if so what did you find out. Also I'm wondering if anyone has a set of corner scales they might be willing to rent out when I get my coilovers in?

Best,

Roger

[Tigawoods]

a proper corner balancing should be done at a shop and it is $
it helps out substantially though.
it can be done at home but yes you would need corner scales. only ppl i know with them are the hard core autoxers
but ill let the machines do all the thinking for me

[RvA944]

Mike are you saying the average backyard mechinic (like myself) should be doing tuning????? awwwh the hell you say

Seems to me getting the balance right would be a real priority. More so then even the having the ablity of changing the ride hight. I really want to get this thing setup right from jump street.


I just wish the scales weren't so expensive compared to how offen they need to be used!!! Thats why i was looking to rent them.

Roger

[hatchy_gt-s]

My first question is this an AutoX car only or a DD an Ax car?

[RvA944]

hey hatchy,

It's going to be more of a sometime driver and and AutoX car. I don't have far to go to get to work..... I can walk, so all my vehicles are m mainly for pleasure driving.

Roger

[Tigawoods]

what he is probably getting at is that corner balancing the car isnt really nessecary for a dd/occasional track car.


especially for the cost of it

This post has been edited by Tigawoods: Jul 6, 2010 - 9:27 PM

[RvA944]

Could very well be, but I'm curious as to what he has to say none the least. I've been toying with the idea of moving my battery and few other items around to try and get the front to back weight a little better too. I know fix the driver first, but to be honest I've driven 944's for awhile, and sometimes over the edge of adhesion too and I'm use to a 50/50 weight distribution of those pups, and this car is definitely nose heavy. Feels much better with a full tank of gas and all the other junk I have in the trunk right now tool kit, books, remote pump and even a few spare parts. Just looking for the best I can get out of this little beast.

[hatchy_gt-s]

Thanks Tiga, yes I was making that statement.

The only way to really get 50/50 is to either make the celica into an mr or add more weight to the trunk (the second option you have the added weight issue). There is only so many thing you can shift to the back(battery, reservoirs, fuse boxes) and only so much added necessary weight (roll cage, rear under suports, wider back wheels). After everything done an said your still not going to be at 50/50 just because its FWD and all its main weight is still in the front.

[Hanyo]

Thanks Tiga, yes I was making that statement.

The only way to really get 50/50 is to either make the celica into an mr or add more weight to the trunk (the second option you have the added weight issue). There is only so many thing you can shift to the back(battery, reservoirs, fuse boxes) and only so much added necessary weight (roll cage, rear under suports, wider back wheels). After everything done an said your still not going to be at 50/50 just because its FWD and all its main weight is still in the front.

50/50 is not the perfect weight distribution.


The weight distribution depends on the driver's style and what platform it is (fwd/rwd awd).

[hatchy_gt-s]

No 50/50 means 50% of the weight is on the front tires and the other 50% is on the rear tires.

[Tigawoods]

they can also throw some sacks of sand in the driver seat to match your weight so that the car will be balanced when your in it.

[RvA944]

well these little cars where running are FWD so I know I'll never get 50/50 Front/Rear but what I'm really wanting to do is get the Left/Right weight as close as possible with my butt in the seat. I've already seen where my car plows more in right hand turns as opposed to lefts as she is sitting now.... bone stock. So once i get my coilovers i'll use my shops floor scale (it can read to 1000lbs) and try to get close on the spring settings..... thought it will be a major PITA as opposed to using a set of cornerscales. And no I don't have any shops around here that do this kind of stuff either.

This post has been edited by RvA944: Jul 10, 2010 - 5:48 PM

[hatchy_gt-s]

Left to right should be pretty easy. Remember that the gas tank sits more to the left side, so anything you put in the trunk ie battery you will need on the right. I would like to see pics of this when you do it or a write up would be better.

[RvA944]

Will do Hatchy, just as soon as my coilovers come in.........

[Tigawoods]

when are the coilovers coming in? maybe you can have them for next sunday at the auto-x!
i finally convinced art (lagos) and joe to come on out with their celis. hopefully they keep their end up and still come out

[RvA944]

I just read on the Megan GB thread they woun't be in untill the 26 or 27 of this month........ UGH well one more run on the stock stuff.