3 replies to this topic

[dirtstudent2]

Let the attacks begin along with the why and reasoning of it so I can learn something

 

First off Merry Christmas that and your belief in God is all that really matters anyway.

 

 

... have fun:

 

Understanding stagger:
1. Yes a bigger RR tire in general allows you to roll around a turn faster.
2. Because speeds in the turn vary and the amount of turning you do at the ends of the track varies the weight on each rear tire must be adjusted while on the track either manually or dynamically via the chassis to tune available grip at each rear tire.
3. The only constant you have between the two rear tires is the difference in surface speeds of each rear tire.
4. Rotation help from your staggered sloid axle is about the difference in grip available between each rear tire and the track because of the difference in surface speed of each rear tire, the tires ability to grip and how and where weight is directed to and from a tire.

If your going to understand LTO's you need to understand the above over solid axles and just unloading the inside rear tire to efficiently go thru a turn which is also part of LTO.

The difference between LTO LR unloading and non staggered solid axle racing is though both will unload the LR, solid axle racers without stagger must unload the inside rear to be efficient and LTO racers with stagger and solid axle can use load on the LR to increase efficiency.

Beyond the above it's all about how much available grip you have verses your available hp and when and where you need to use grip.
Most if not all on track setup problems are the result of trying to apply grip where needed without causing a conflict for control of direction between tires.

The closer you can get to having all four tires wanting to roll in the direction the driver needs to go at the limit of available grip, will let you use the most available hp and maintain the most available speed.

Increase conflict for control of direction between any two tires and you will go slower.
... lastly grip must be available 'before' weight or hp is applied to any tire for it to be used in any way.
... last lastly weight to or from a tire depending on need and track conditions is either banged into or away from the track or it is eased into or away from the track.

[dirtstudent2]

Weight is unload and projected from the LR.... but just maybe some of that ton of weight on the LR tire is not heading UP to unload the LR but is trying to drag the LR down?

[dirtstudent2]

A little more Merry Christmas cheer and I hope thought provoking reading which makes watching more fun.

 

The need to be able to control the amount of grip at the RF and the fronts in general can be not only a fine tuning point but a very critical adjustment no matter weather speed or hp is what is putting you beyond total available grip and your on track racing need is acceleration over in turn speed. 

 

I think I did ok with that long winded sentence.

 

The obvious example dirt racing is when a Winged Sprint driver uses the control of front grip to not only gain ability to accelerate but also for positioning their car on the straight after the corner.

 

There is a total amount of grip available and any conflict between the fronts and back for control of direction eats into total available grip.  

 

The sawing of the front tires to reduce front grip reduces the conflict and allows for more acceleration assuming your already pointed in the direction you want to go or have room and need to drift up the track. That's where experience of the driver comes in. 

Changing front stagger to gain more suitable slip angles at the front increasing front grip, could allow for a higher speed in the turn and still allow the driver to have the choice of reduce front grip controlling car position and gain of acceleration.

 

Donny Schatz is a master of controlling and blending the use of front grip coming off the corner to suit his need to point and go verses message it off the corner and on to entry.

 

Many of the newer drivers are learning and have learned the same but they also throw into it a little more of the aggression side of racing over more conservative control.  Then if you throw in the increased number of cookie cutter cars with increased numbers of knowledgeable drivers, it makes for a tough decisions for older drivers with more experience but maybe less physical reaction abilities. 

[dirtstudent2]

The older and older I get the less time I get to head to the pits.

 

When in the pits the #1 thing I look at is two fold at the RF.

I look to see the track width to reference and location of  the RF to the RR, along with KPI location and the RF rim offset.

 

 Those two things assuming the crew chief and driver are knowledgeable, experienced and not just playing copycat tell how there general setup is shifted to match the track.

 

Any delay of throwing the RR tire or both rears on the car is not just to keep from exposing the amount of stagger and compound to be used.

Teams with both understanding and a quality driver will in many cases as you move up the food chain just put the tires on and wait to go race unless the track obviously changes.