Wider Track At Front Compared To Rear

[DrSeuss 0]

Having a wider front track compared to the rear, like Martins car ie running 309 wishbones up front must affect the handling. But how? surely there must be some negative connotations?

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

well the front end track is wider than the rear one to start with anyway,

but i guess it gives more understeer (actually less oversteer ), because

309 gti rear beam gives more oversteer.

 

but besides track width, there are MANY other factors, camber and toe-in

being the most important ones imho. not to mention different rate springs

and shocks combinations etc.

 

basically, getting the handling spot on is a VERY complex and hard thing to do.

[jackherer 543]

I still haven't pushed my mates car that has had this conversion to the limit but it does seem to understeer more, and perhaps more significantly it seems to torque steer more aggressively and at higher speeds making it a bit of a handful to keep on the road under hard accelleration.

[red 0]

Just as a point, I've been talking to a guy who works for Peugeot and he reckons fitting the 309 arms to get neg camber is not a good way to do it,

as it loads the top mount where the strut and bearing fit.

 

Regards Russ.....

[Beastie 1]

but i guess it gives more understeer (actually less oversteer ),

I'd agree with that. It was done as a deliberate ploy on Frazer Nash competition cars in the 1930s and combined with rear wheel drive and no differential it made the handling rather tail happy but very predictable. They were a barrel of laughs and it takes a good driver in a modern car to keep up with a Frazer Nash on a windy road even today!

[Guest Imp_loonatic]

Surely you cannot compare front-mounted, rear-drive cars with front-mounted, front-drive cars?

[Beastie 1]

Surely you cannot compare front-mounted, rear-drive cars with front-mounted, front-drive cars?

I didn't think that I was making a direct comparison. I thought that there were interesting parellels to be drawn with the general effects. I certainly wasn't saying that altering the relationship of front to rear track on a GTI would make it handle like a prewar rwd car

[Adi 0]

3 ways to improve weight transfer are......widen the track, lessen the weight and lower the centre of gravity.

 

So widening the front track will speed weight transfer up so more lateral movement and more understeer.

The way round it is to widen the rear the same amount to balance it out.

[Guest Zoid]

3 ways to improve weight transfer are......widen the track, lessen the weight and lower the centre of gravity.

 

So widening the front track will speed weight transfer up so more lateral movement and more understeer.

The way round it is to widen the rear the same amount to balance it out.

If you widen the rear track wont that increase the weight transfer and create more understeer ?

 

Ty

[Adi 0]

If you widen the rear track wont that increase the weight transfer and create more understeer ? 

 

If the track is increased there is less weight transfer and it happens quicker.

 

Getting the balance of the car is all about changing the speed of the weight transfer. Ideally it should be quicker at the rear than at the front. That way the rear helps the front turn.

Fitting higher rate springs, roll bars and dampers.....speeds up the weight transfer.