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Gideon35T, on 03 February 2012 - 06:22 PM, said:
I'm confused why this thread questions understeer.
Oversteer is the issue with fwd cars and is the reason to run a stiffer rear and looser front.
I don't believe you could you could impart enough oversteer on the platform to be a concern.
Take the car to an empty parking lot and try your setup. Then disconnect the front sway and try again. You still wont be able to acheive oversteer but will likely get a lot less understeer as the front will stay planted better. Also, setup a rear strut bar and/or chassis brace. This will stiffen the rear and get it to swing flat and predictably.
Just do a little research into what fwd track toys use and you'll have all the info you need. Also, start saving for that lsd. With a fwd open diff you'll be suffering trying to exit corners and give her some throttle. I suggest relocating your battery as well. It's very heavy but you can place that weight just about anywhere on the car. It's oem location will not help you on the track at all.
Also, what are you running for wheels & tires? Huge gains can be made with the right choices there.
I haven't tracked a Volvo but I've built lots of toys on all kinds of platforms. I've found that 9/10 a fwd + lsd diff + battery relocation + chassis stiffening + reasonable suspension + stiff rear sway + loose or no front sway = Drastically better than every open diff car regardless of hp difference. Even miatas (owners of the autox world) suffer with an open diff.
Oversteer is the issue with fwd cars and is the reason to run a stiffer rear and looser front.
I don't believe you could you could impart enough oversteer on the platform to be a concern.
Take the car to an empty parking lot and try your setup. Then disconnect the front sway and try again. You still wont be able to acheive oversteer but will likely get a lot less understeer as the front will stay planted better. Also, setup a rear strut bar and/or chassis brace. This will stiffen the rear and get it to swing flat and predictably.
Just do a little research into what fwd track toys use and you'll have all the info you need. Also, start saving for that lsd. With a fwd open diff you'll be suffering trying to exit corners and give her some throttle. I suggest relocating your battery as well. It's very heavy but you can place that weight just about anywhere on the car. It's oem location will not help you on the track at all.
Also, what are you running for wheels & tires? Huge gains can be made with the right choices there.
I haven't tracked a Volvo but I've built lots of toys on all kinds of platforms. I've found that 9/10 a fwd + lsd diff + battery relocation + chassis stiffening + reasonable suspension + stiff rear sway + loose or no front sway = Drastically better than every open diff car regardless of hp difference. Even miatas (owners of the autox world) suffer with an open diff.
Really taking out the front sway? Now I gotta try this once auto x season starts again.
Last season I ran a 25mm rear sway with stock front on my c30. Last season was also my first season so I didn't know what to do. I had an instructor drive my car once and wow. My car could do amazing oversteer through the slaloms. After that event I could make my car oversteer just by using the brakes and shifting the weight fast enough ie only in slaloms. No e brake needed lol. So yeah you need some skill to be able to oversteer by using the brakes only.
