Finally took the car to Santa Pod!

Fatman

Member +
What bushes are you running in the A arms? I take it you weren't preloading off the line? Running the big or small CV's? Engine mounts? Front swaybar? Rear suspension?

There are loads of things to tweak, you can run 100% stock shafts/CV's (assuming they're in good condition) without breakages if you can avoid shock loading them (e.g wheel hop)
 

spuddy

Ulster Area Rep.
Cheers lad, the cars been improved apon so I'm confident the next time out I'll get a nice wee time :)


@Fatman The only thing that the car didn't have out of the things you mentioned was the front bushes in the A arms where standard, they've been swapped out now for poly bushes. The rear ones where already poly due to the anti lift kit.

The engine mounts are solid. Both large and small CVs where tried on the day and both lasted about 40ft, think one made it 60ft lol. I was preloading the car for the launch.

The launch wasn't the problem it was the wheel hop that quickly followed. Unfortunatly on the day I went about things the wrong way in terms of damping levels and tire pressures. Having never raced on a prepped track before I had no experience in how to combat wheel hop so ended up doing the wrong thing.

Bare in mind its not the power that killed the shafts cause I only run 0.7bar of the line which is only 314 hp and we all know they can take that, it was the hopping that killed them.
 

Fatman

Member +
Another thing you could look into is a traction bar style setup running an additional rose jointed arm from the front crossmember back to the a arm. This gives the Wheel some lateral stability as it moves trough it's compression arc and won't let hop get started. For the power levels you're running and the goals of the car, I would look at getting some A arm bushes machines out of delrin. Zero unwanted tow on accel/decel and will also assist with wheel hop.
 

spuddy

Ulster Area Rep.
Hmm I'll have to read up on delrin.

I have a traction bar fitted to the car now, yet to test it out but I think it will be a big help. Also changing the front springs in the coilovers to a slightly heavier spring and will get the damping increased the next day out.
 

Rory

Lifer
If you put a heavier spring in it will only make it worse.
Think of a pogo stick...

Hmm I'll have to read up on delrin.

I have a traction bar fitted to the car now, yet to test it out but I think it will be a big help. Also changing the front springs in the coilovers to a slightly heavier spring and will get the damping increased the next day out.
 

spuddy

Ulster Area Rep.
If you put a heavier spring in it will only make it worse.
Think of a pogo stick...

Would it not make more resistance for it to bounce up in the first place?

I do see your point though. Perhaps heavy damping alone is the way to go.
 

Rory

Lifer
The suspension needs to work, so a stiffer spring will only resist that.
Its a fine balance between damping and spring weight. There is no direct answer obviously as every car and driver is diffirent.
IIRC are you not sponsered by Meister R?

Would it not make more resistance for it to bounce up in the first place?

I do see your point though. Perhaps heavy damping alone is the way to go.
 

weeJohn

Lifer
Would it not make more resistance for it to bounce up in the first place?

I do see your point though. Perhaps heavy damping alone is the way to go.

Give Gary McDonagh a wee call and ask him about that, its worth the call costs for the laugh lol.
 

buckets

Member +
Mybe lower the car and get some better smaller wheels to stop bunny hoping , a lot of starlet ran the pod with just coilovers and never got wheel hop surpose its Down to driving the car right also ,as in launching more practice mybe
 

Rory

Lifer
Not all starlets run 500 hp....
Big difference between 250 to 500hp in terms of driving the thing ;)

Mybe lower the car and get some better smaller wheels to stop bunny hoping , a lot of starlet ran the pod with just coilovers and never got wheel hop surpose its Down to driving the car right also ,as in launching more practice mybe
 

danb87

South East England Area Rep
i had this issue at pod also, the hopping, caused my cv joints too shit them selfs. i was running 240hp then. was told it was down too the surface, too polybush all the front end an get better cv joints lol. never happens on the road tho :)

dont think the power can be too blame nor the driver.
 

Rory

Lifer
Poly bushes will help but not alot as made out. Most wheel hop is due to the suspension setup.
Suspension setup will need looked at from 250hp to 500, infact it will need changed alot, especially with big fat slicks. :)

i had this issue at pod also, the hopping, caused my cv joints too shit them selfs. i was running 240hp then. was told it was down too the surface, too polybush all the front end an get better cv joints lol. never happens on the road tho :)

dont think the power can be too blame nor the driver.
 
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