Heavy Left Front Components

[missile07]

Stumbled across some parts the other day from a well known chassis builder and the LF upper, lower, and LF spindle had been filled with lead & increased the weight of each substantially. Is this in attempt to keeping the LF corner down? Couldnt find much about this on the tech section.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Stumbled across some parts the other day from a well known chassis builder and the LF upper, lower, and LF spindle had been filled with lead & increased the weight of each substantially. Is this in attempt to keeping the LF corner down? Couldnt find much about this on the tech section.

It increases the effect of going from LF unsprung to sprung mass. Keeping the LF down is part of it.

[7uptruckracer]

We use to fill the lower control arms on asphalt cars with concrete back in the day

[missile07]

Is this common? I don't see any options as far as buying heavy LF parts, so was this something they tried and went away from or is this still relevant?

Just my thinking....wouldn't this keep weight from transferring as easy therefore loosen the car on entry. Might be a good thing on hammer down tracks or possibly with a crate.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Is this common? I don't see any options as far as buying heavy LF parts, so was this something they tried and went away from or is this still relevant?

Just my thinking....wouldn't this keep weight from transferring as easy therefore loosen the car on entry. Might be a good thing on hammer down tracks or possibly with a crate.

Once you start lifting that weight, lateral roll is reduced. It has been happening for a while. Is it still? Not sure.

[Kromulous]

Billet commented awhile back about how limiting the LF makes for a narrower window, and that when you begin to pick up on the LF the LR can make crazy drive and really mess the attitude of car up. Seems this heavy LF stuff would expound that problem or make crazy drive?

I was noticing some of the cars at Wild West were really having this issue, sometimes the LR would really dig and wash the front end out, and sometimes it would not, Pierce was having trouble with this alot.

[Matt49]

Krom, I was seeing the same thing in Wild West videos but I attributed it to the track taking a lot of rubber. But this got me thinking...
Back to basics, a car with more left side weight is going to have more drive. I think we're going to see a trend in increased left side weight as the dirt cars start to adopt setup stuff common on pavement. Low left side used to be a sure way to get side bite but we're sure finding other ways to do that now like with the pre-loaded RR deal. So if more static can go back in the left side to increase forward bite, that would be a good thing, right?

[Mr.Kennedy777]

I think with the way things are going you will likely see longer bars make a come back, on the left rears especially, using those softer rates and higher travel shocks, because indexing really becomes more of a problem for travel than helping with wheel loading, plus an increase in left side weight and lowering of weight in the car itself, and probably some really crazy stuff on the right rear corners.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I think with the way things are going you will likely see longer bars make a come back, on the left rears especially, using those softer rates and higher travel shocks, because indexing really becomes more of a problem for travel than helping with wheel loading, plus an increase in left side weight and lowering of weight in the car itself, and probably some really crazy stuff on the right rear corners.

Indexing helps travel on the rear mounted coilover.

[Kromulous]

At the Wild West i thought Marler's car was the best overall, but he still would shove the nose across the track if he wasn't careful. Sheppard was better that last night, but he would bob the LF alot if he was the slighest bit off with the throttle it appeared. Sounds like to me these guys are subscribing to this theory, heavy left side business, and limiting LF and RR travel.

I am excited to try alot of things this coming season i know that, probably just winter blahs, but at least a drafting pen and paper and the tech section keeps me going and thinking about stuff.

[billetbirdcage]

Billet commented awhile back about how limiting the LF makes for a narrower window, and that when you begin to pick up on the LF the LR can make crazy drive and really mess the attitude of car up. Seems this heavy LF stuff would expound that problem or make crazy drive?

It's more about controlling when some weight transfer stops and keeps the LF carrying as long a distance when it does lift. The heavier the components are, typically it will slow/stop that transfer more when the LF reaches the tether or limit.

Keep in mind that the LF rebound is sort of a temp tether in a way. If you adjust your LF rebound and can't seem to tell much difference: That should tell you something about the components you chose to have on your car.

[Mr.Kennedy777]

Indexing helps travel on the rear mounted coilover.

Yes it does, absolutely, to a degree though, much softer stacked rates and longer stroke shocks with mounts moved to increase travel, it becomes less critical to have indexing for that reason, and you can focus on making more stable hike, steer and drive angle curves while incorporating birdcage indexing to assist that dynamic rather than gaining shock and spring available travel. And the other thing with using indexing to gain downward wheel travel is the upward wheel movement and reverse indexing and how it unloads the spring too. If you can keep the table more level for the spring relatively, and get better configurations without having to work around indexing to keep travel in the shock and the spring seated, you’re going to find that keeping that optimum balance is easier and that falling down effect off gas is less drastic. I personally think using indexing to assist in getting more travel really effects the dynamics of the force from the tire into the chassis through the links and this becomes more noticeable as the upper link gains angle progressively as opposed to the lower. That’s just my opinion I don’t know if that idea has been thrown out there in the past by anyone, but let’s talk maximum droop travel of varying lengths or angles for a 4 bar suspension. With any length or angle of links, indexing to try and get more shock travel is going to decrease the far upper limit travel sooner by having the upper bar pass 45 degrees too soon or over center the birdcage sooner in its travel than having a configuration that will hold the table level under the spring. You can get more from the shock, but not the links.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

What it gives you on hike, it takes on hike down. Absolutely.

[sidewinder69]

so what common effect should you see out of more or less rebound on your left front, while on and off gas, trying to grasp the whole concept a little better

[Punisher88]

Depends on track configuration. Momentum tracks it helps with drive in the car. But tracks that you have to turn the car more or pitch it you need to loosen up rebound on.lf for more transfer.