Front/Rear Weight Distribution

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

Carroll Smith is another that favours a lot more weight on the rear. He mentions 35/65 to 40/65 in at least one of his many books.

40/65 might be a bit difficult.......!!

[Gammaboy]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

40/65 might be a bit difficult.......!!

Chaparral 2J "Sucker car" - Static downforce!

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

40/65 might be a bit difficult.......!!

Good to see someone is on the ball. Try 40/60.

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by Gammaboy

Chaparral 2J "Sucker car" - Static downforce!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XFjB...-8&sa=N&tab=iv

[CAT600]

Interesting point,

My TS50 was weighed yesterday. Front/rear was 56/44.

Compare this to the 54/46 with the Windsor engine in it.

I will attempt to get a manual B-series GT weighted for comparison.

Daniel

[Ghiadude]

VE commodores are quoted as 50/50. I think a little either way wont matter - im surprised the ts50 is that close!!! wow!!

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by tx3dude

VE commodores are quoted as 50/50. I think a little either way wont matter - im surprised the ts50 is that close!!! wow!!

That close to what?

[Rev28K]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

That close to what?

Close to the VE?

Were the quoted figures were an even playing field? Say both with a driver and no passengers and half a tank of fuel?

Lightish Windsor (alloy heads, light block compared to an earlier version) and a heavy IRS (compared to a live rear end) would help the TS50.

I can remember a video showing corner weighting for a Japanese spec Honda apparently they allowed for the weight of a typical 60kg Japanese driver (wonder if Ford/Tickford/FPV allow for a typical 100kg Auusie driver)

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by Rev28K

Close to the VE?

That would still be around 100kg extra over the the front axles, which is a lot of weight.

[xbgs351]

It looks like 50/50 is the most popular choice, although a hefty 70% of people believe that the ideal static weight distribution is with a minimum of 50% of the weight on the front wheels. A paltry 8% have chosen 40/60 and nobody has chosen 35/65.

It is now time to dispel some myths. 50/50 is not ideal and it is now accepted practice to place the majority of the vehicles weight (60-65%) on the rear wheels. The reasons for this include:

The more weight on the rear wheels, the greater the traction capacity of the rear wheels. Even the difference between 56/44 and 50/50 can be worth around 1/3 of a second over the 1/4 mile for cars with power and weights in the Falcon/Commodore range.

By placing more weight on the rear wheels, the rear wheels can do more braking and thus the braking is more evenly shared between the front and rear wheels. Remember that whilst braking load is transferred from the rear tyres to the front tyres by longitudinal weight transfer.

Reduced weight on the front tyres reduces the amount of power wasted to front tyre scrub whilst cornering.

When steady state cornering 50/50 should provide the highest cornering forces, but this is only if the front and rear tyres have the same width. If the rear tyres are wider, you would need more weight on the rear tyres. Even so steady state cornering is usually only a small percent of the time spent cornering as most cornering is transitional. When a car with 50/50 weight distribution enters a corner it is slowing down and weight is being transferred from the rear to the front, which will cause it to understeer. When a car with a 50/50 weight distribution is accelerating out of the corner it won't be able to generate as much traction compared to a car with more weight on the rear tyres.

[ohzone]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

It looks like 50/50 is the most popular choice, although a hefty 70% of people believe that the ideal static weight distribution is with a minimum of 50% of the weight on the front wheels. A paltry 8% have chosen 40/60 and nobody has chosen 35/65.

It is now time to dispel some myths. 50/50 is not ideal and it is now accepted practice to place the majority of the vehicles weight (60-65%) on the rear wheels. The reasons for this include:

The more weight on the rear wheels, the greater the traction capacity of the rear wheels. Even the difference between 56/44 and 50/50 can be worth around 1/3 of a second over the 1/4 mile for cars with power and weights in the Falcon/Commodore range.

By placing more weight on the rear wheels, the rear wheels can do more braking and thus the braking is more evenly shared between the front and rear wheels. Remember that whilst braking load is transferred from the rear tyres to the front tyres by longitudinal weight transfer.

Reduced weight on the front tyres reduces the amount of power wasted to front tyre scrub whilst cornering.

When steady state cornering 50/50 should provide the highest cornering forces, but this is only if the front and rear tyres have the same width. If the rear tyres are wider, you would need more weight on the rear tyres. Even so steady state cornering is usually only a small percent of the time spent cornering as most cornering is transitional. When a car with 50/50 weight distribution enters a corner it is slowing down and weight is being transferred from the rear to the front, which will cause it to understeer. When a car with a 50/50 weight distribution is accelerating out of the corner it won't be able to generate as much traction compared to a car with more weight on the rear tyres.

I guess it boils down to what a person is really expecting or wanting from a car, is it drag racing, circuit racing, just A to B, fast with good feel or a bit of everything, there probably is no definitive answer to cover them all.
For me it is fast with good feel so closer to 50/50 is better for me, others will be in a different range

[69ftruck]

Has anyone weighed a EB XR8 or EB GT to check weight distribution ?????

[jpd80]

New Mid-Engine Corvette weight distribution is now 40% Front, 60% Rear
and is much faster through corners than the old front engines car.

Mid engined cars are impractical as sedans but I think the new Electric vehicles
with skateboard chassis placing batteries under the floorpan will prove to be
light years in front of current ICE vehicles for handling and performance,
they can effectively put 60% weight over the rear wheels and still have RWD
and good regen braking.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 69ftruck

Has anyone weighed a EB XR8 or EB GT to check weight distribution ?????

My EB V8 Fairmont worked out to be pretty close to 56/44 which is pretty normal
for X and E series Falcons.

[69ftruck]

Thanks for that , do you know what the actual weights on the front and rear axle are ?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 69ftruck

Thanks for that , do you know what the actual weights on the front and rear axle are ?

Sorry, no it was years ago before I got my latest one

[69ftruck]

All good, if anyone knows how much weight is on the front axle of EA thru to ED V8 falcon would be greatly appreciated .

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Sorry, no it was years ago before I got my latest one

Almost as old as this thread eh?

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by 69ftruck

All good, if anyone knows how much weight is on the front axle of EA thru to ED V8 falcon would be greatly appreciated .

Be easier to go to your nearest Weighbridge (Transport Depot or Scrappy) I would Think..