Ride height at full speed

MicB · Post 19 Sep 2003, 20:28

On a long straight when the rear ride height lowers does it ever go lower than the front or do they keep it higher using packers to maintain downforce?
Thanks

Monstrobolaxa · Post 19 Sep 2003, 20:36

Well.....the rear ride height is always above the front ride height....the car is setup ina way that the rear ride height is about 2/3cm higher then the front ride height....Well....yes they can "preset" a ride height lower limit by using the packers.

The objective of using a higher ride high in the rear of the car is to create a venturi efect that helps the car to "stick" to the ground....if the rear ride height becomes lower then the front ride height the car would produce lift....and the objective of a F1 car is to produce the maximum downforce possible.

Post 20 Sep 2003, 10:13

hehe idd... at the moment you would be seeing cars flying in the air like the Mercedes' did a couple of years ago in Le Mans.. spectacular though, but extremely dangerous

SpeedTech · Post 21 Sep 2003, 04:58

Tomba, I'm sure Mark Webber didnt enjoy that trip with Mercede's at
Le Mans in 1999. Not once but twice

The ironic thing is Mercede's knew it was the car but still blamed Webber for it.

Then again no downforce will mnake this a flying championship

MicB · Post 21 Sep 2003, 05:10

Maybe I should try and explain my perception again.

You need best down force when turning so you have the rear ride height higher than the front in those corners that matter most. But on the straight it would not matter as much but do you add packers to maintain a small difference in rear to front ride height. I guess the main problem with letting the rear go lower than the front is the weight /balance would change more? Have I answered my own question

Regards Mike

SpeedTech · Post 21 Sep 2003, 05:22

Sorry should of answered the question with my last post

As far as I know the teams do use packers. That is only from the great vine

Guest · Post 25 Sep 2003, 00:06

If the rear of the car go lower than the front in a straight...............run as fast as your legs can do.

If this occurs, the car will tend to raise the nose more and more......and more and more.........till the car flip.

This is avoided by using suspension travel limiters at the rear and by using progressive springs at the rear end (the more you push the spring, the harder it becomes)

joseff · Post 25 Sep 2003, 08:34

Most of the teams are already using torsion bars at the rear... could someone enlighten me, is there such a thing as progressive torsion bars? I know about progressive coils, but have no idea abt torsion bars.

Skjar · Post 25 Sep 2003, 20:48

Well as far i know the F1 car needs downforce (DF) only in corners, on straights needs a max top speed. This could be achieved by reducing drag. So why doesn't engineeres coustruct such car that in corners rear spring would raise (the air pressure isn't so high on rear wing) and the height of the car would be higher and result of this would be more downforce. On the straights would be air pressure on rear wing higher, rear spring would get shrinked, but only to the level, where drag would be lower and the car wouldn't get fliped. Result of his would be lower drag on straights (higher speed) and higher DF in corners.

I'm sorry for my english, but i'm from Slovenia.
Does anybody knew where is Slovenia?

Monstrobolaxa · Post 26 Sep 2003, 12:16

Skjar...well that would be illegal.....it would be a driver aid controled by a computer....so ILLEGAL

Well....the suspension at work works the same thing on a straight as in a corner....it all depends on the veichle dynamics....this means that the rear ride high is always higher then the front.....unless... you use softer springs at the back....but this has a disadvantae....in fast corners it would only work in slow corners....so take this of the idea list....and the diffuser would stall.. losing the difuser downforce suddenly....instantes before braking....so not a good idea....I think I have something at home about the ride height....but I am surten that the rear ride high is ALWAYS higher then the front.......unless they're trying to flip the car.

Skjar · Post 06 Oct 2003, 21:17

But what if a driver would have control over hardness of rear spring over the buttons on his wheel?

Post 06 Oct 2003, 21:50

I also think that this last idea would be illegal.

In my own point of view however, I dare to say this would not be a wise decision, as driver error are more likely to occur than mechanicals... so when for instance he would forget (maybe because of an overtaking manouvre) to harden the springs in a very fast corner, he would fly off the track

Monstrobolaxa · Post 07 Oct 2003, 16:28

Well untill the begining of the 90's drivers could control the roll bar from inside the cockpit with a nob......a button on the steering wheel would be considered a electronic devise.....and would be considered illegal, unless it was a mechanical devise that the driver would "play" with.....but this would be a distracting situation!