Cabling the Left Front

[mark1971]

Why am I noticing some people putting a cable limiter on the left front suspension so it picks the suspension off the ground? What is this accomplishing?

[CCHIEF]

Making it easier to put the shock on. If your setup is the old school (lf up) variety you really shouldn't use one. The theory of limiting LF travel I'm sure you will find if you search this forum, I have found no validity in it.

[Matt49]

Limiting LF travel has a huge impact on roll center migration. Kind of important...

[CCHIEF]

http://www.4m.net/showthread.php?356982-LF-Droop-limiter&highlight=cable I have ours adjusted so the coilover slips in with shock fully extended. Adjusted it so the lf spring had no slop from coilover nut to spring. No difference in handling over a few weeks, our LF is bolted down to the track.That's with our car FWIW. I just haven't found or lost much there, blue nosed Rocket and a real soft RF, YMMMV.....

[Lizardracing]

...and yet roll center and roll center migration is just a theory with swiss cheese holes in in it. Kinda important too.

[7uptruckracer]

It can allow you to do different things with shocking. I use the heck outta it on asphalt, the LMSC even have a droop rule now because of it. Google Zero Droop Setups.

[CCHIEF]

Is their some reason not to use the LF tire to turn the car? It made no noticeable difference on our car, with the attitude that our car has, as I stated YMMV. I'm just giving my experience with it, obviously others have found it advantageous. I''m curious to hear how others are using it advantageously, and running faster laps with it. And the direct effect of it on cars pulling on the LF while cornering. How can the LF TIRE do any work in cornering if it is not in contact with the track or spring not supporting any weight? We worked to get the LF down, RF way down,LR up high and rr down. Nose and right side sealed to the track.

[grt74]

Limiting LF travel has a huge impact on roll center migration. Kind of important...

not trying to high jack here,but I'm going say say some thing here that not many are going to agree with,if you have an independent suspension front end,(this is from an engineers stand point)the right side doesn't care what the left is doing,i could go on for days on this but camber gains and loading forces are more important,while some will talk about roll centers, they are mostly just away to measure for consistency,now the height of the weight over these mounting points, that is a pretty big factor too,cabling the lf is nothing more than a leverage tool

[Dirt_Buster]

I cable it to where I still have spring tension. If I'm picking up the left front I'm making other changes. Just what I do.

[zeroracing]

How are you guys limiting yours? Building your own cables, chain, etc...

[Austin34471]

Limiting LF travel has a huge impact on roll center migration. Kind of important...
Couldn't have said it any better my self. Kind of important! but not really

[Mr.Kennedy777]

Limiting LF travel has a huge impact on roll center migration. Kind of important...If you build the upper control arms to the right lengths, with right spindle design and have ample angle in the lowers, then you can keep your ideal camber curves, your jacking forces and reduce MC migration considerably under dive and roll without needing to tie down the LF. Just saying. It's really easy too.

[Stede Bonnet]

Another fad I think... If you cable the LF and it isn't touching the track during cornering, its hokum'. Lots of snake oil salesman lurking about I see.

[AndyB]

Ive found if its slow i can tie it up about 1/4" down from ride height and it doesn't have to compress that spring so the nose sets down more and will turn better. I let it out when its faster and rocking over more so that the car still has turn with the LF tire. I make my own cables and I currently have 4 lengths that correspond with track conditions/speed. I'm pretty new to working on dirt cars after years on pavement so I may be missing something somewhere.

[Matt49]

It isn't a fad. Contrary to what some people think (myself included until I fully understood what was going on) it helps keep the LF down, NOT lift it sooner. It will TRY to lift it sooner but there is more to overcome because as soon as the tether is tight, all of the LF suspension just became sprung mass. So it will come back down much faster sometimes making it appear as though it never completely unloaded. Watch slow motion video from the infield (of about any touring car) and pay close attention to how the LF moves. You'd be surprised.

[Stede Bonnet]

It isn't a fad. Contrary to what some people think (myself included until I fully understood what was going on) it helps keep the LF down, NOT lift it sooner. It will TRY to lift it sooner but there is more to overcome because as soon as the tether is tight, all of the LF suspension just became sprung mass. So it will come back down much faster sometimes making it appear as though it never completely unloaded. Watch slow motion video from the infield (of about any touring car) and pay close attention to how the LF moves. You'd be surprised.

I guess I can see that, as soon as it stops traveling the RF is forced to compress from taking up the load. I guess then the RF is more likely to stay down too. Seems like it would be very sensitive to tune with the LF just touching the track like that.