GPL car data (braking)

I've recently discovered Nunnini's excellent page including a datasheet summarising all the cars. However, there's one more bit of data I'd really like to get hold of so I can make more than a guess at what the brake split should be: Does anyone have centre of gravity height figures for any of the cars? Particularly Cooper, Ferrari and Eagle since those are my usual 'rides', but others would be interesting too... On a related note, how far back do those of you with single-axis pedals (i.e. no throttle manipulation of the brake balance) run the brakes? TIA, Jonny

[email hidden] (Jonny Hodgson) wrote in <DuC57.51652$[email hidden]>: >I've recently discovered Nunnini's excellent page including a >datasheet summarising all the cars. However, there's one more bit of >data I'd really like to get hold of so I can make more than a guess at >what the brake split should be: > >Does anyone have centre of gravity height figures for any of the cars? Gravity height figures? That's doing it the hard way Jonny. Just go into the F10 view and on a straight hammer the brakes, you can easily see from the skid marks which end is locking up first. But more importantly, experiment with how far rearward (the less front brake bias the stronger the braking) you can run the brake bias without the rearend coming around on you when braking into a corner. It's more a function of your driving style than any quantitative measurement. -- Don Scurlock Vancouver,B.C. GPLRank -14.06 MonsterRank 104.55 Come see how you rank, at the GPLRank site http://gplrank.ringlord.com/

Don Scurlock <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:90E3867ECdscurlock@news... > Gravity height figures? That's doing it the hard way Jonny. Just go Not really... it's about three lines of Matlab (I'm a recent Auto Eng graduate, so braking doesn't get complicated until we start dealing with artic trucks ;-) > into the F10 view and on a straight hammer the brakes, you caneasily > see from the skid marks which end is locking up first. But more > importantly, experiment with how far rearward (the less front brake > bias the stronger the braking) you can run the brake bias withoutthe > rearend coming around on you when braking into a corner. It's more a > function of your driving style than any quantitative measurement. I'm curious because I'm heading towards 58-59% with some cars, while I see figures like 51% being bandied around the ng. I sometimes wonder whether the back end's coming round because I've got the brakes *too* far forwards, such that easing off them suddenly restores lots of front lateral capacity - so I'd like to find a ballpark figure to give me a theoretical starting point. I'm also mildly concerned that I can't trailbrake at all, pretty much whatever brake balance I use, but I suspect this says more about my general setup style (lots of front end; nice and pointy) than anything else. Setup seems to be a constant compromise between going round corners, and entering them while still facing forwards ;-) Jonny

"Jonny Hodgson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:S2J57.53614$[email hidden]... > > Don Scurlock <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:90E3867ECdscurlock@news... > > > Gravity height figures? That's doing it the hard way Jonny. Justgo > > Not really... it's about three lines of Matlab (I'm a recent AutoEng

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> graduate, so braking doesn't get complicated until we start dealing > with artic trucks ;-) > > > into the F10 view and on a straight hammer the brakes, you can > easily > > see from the skid marks which end is locking up first. But more > > importantly, experiment with how far rearward (the less front

brake > > bias the stronger the braking) you can run the brake bias without > the > > rearend coming around on you when braking into a corner. It's morea > > function of your driving style than any quantitative measurement. > > I'm curious because I'm heading towards 58-59% with some cars, whileI > see figures like 51% being bandied around the ng. I sometimeswonder > whether the back end's coming round because I've got the brakes*too* > far forwards, such that easing off them suddenly restores lots of > front lateral capacity - so I'd like to find a ballpark figure togive > me a theoretical starting point. > > I'm also mildly concerned that I can't trailbrake at all, prettymuch > whatever brake balance I use, but I suspect this says more about my > general setup style (lots of front end; nice and pointy) thananything > else. Setup seems to be a constant compromise between going round > corners, and entering them while still facing forwards ;-) > > Jonny Yes, that's my problem as well, but I didn't consider it a setup issue - I'm using all Alisons. Surely, as all wheels are loaded differently according to how well the car is balanced (or not, in my case) before you start braking, the most lightly loaded wheel will lock first if you brake too hard. So I reckoned I needed to 1) get the car as four-square as possible on its suspension before braking 2) don't brake so hard as to lock any tyres It is the latter that is my biggest problem - I cannot distinguish between a squeal and a screech whilst driving! -- Laurence Wilmer [email hidden] --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.265 / Virus Database: 137 - Release Date: 18/07/01