Asymmetric suspension setup in F1?

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Belatti
Belatti
33
Joined: 10 Jul 2007, 21:48
Location: Argentina

Re: Asymmetric suspension setup in F1?

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DaveW wrote:Perhaps. I think however that dampers are impedance sensitive, especially when their response is characterised by "peak load peak velocity" plots. There is a very large difference between the impedance presented by a dyno (when the trajectory is forced) & that presented by a car (where the damper can make its own trajectory)....
And thats one of the big keys for why post rigs are such a big advantage over a simple dyno.
"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio

"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna

gixxer_drew
gixxer_drew
29
Joined: 31 Jul 2010, 18:17
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Asymmetric suspension setup in F1?

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DaveW wrote:
Eager Learner wrote:Is there any reason to run asymmetric (left to right) damping when the lateral mass distribution is not perfectly 50%?
Probably. I have often though about that as a solution for offset c.g.'s, but never had the confidence to suggest it seriously. It does appear to work for "oval" vehicles, but the "low risk" solution for me (and the best, I think), is to suggest moving ballast around. We often play with that to prove the cause of asymmetric response. Incidentally, the solution probably also requires asymmetric springs...

p.s. By ballast I mean anything that is not "fixed by function" e.g. batteries, electronics boxes, etc.
Belatti wrote:Then I would suspect of the dyno measurement, the purge and some other details, etc.. Even more if dampers are non presurized bi-tube. I have seen dampers measurements "normalize" after cycling them at different speeds, when recently assembled. I attribute the problem to shim+oil layer friction effects.
Perhaps. I think however that dampers are impedance sensitive, especially when their response is characterised by "peak load peak velocity" plots. There is a very large difference between the impedance presented by a dyno (when the trajectory is forced) & that presented by a car (where the damper can make its own trajectory)....
The cars that I mentioned previously, that were exhibiting differing problems in corners going one way compared to the other almost exclusively had offset weight and did not have ballast margin to play with or had no minimum weights. Just something to qualify a data point.

DaveW
DaveW
239
Joined: 14 Apr 2009, 12:27

Re: Asymmetric suspension setup in F1?

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It is interesting, perhaps, that a Caterham, & presumably the Lotus 7 before it, has an offset drive train so that the vehicle c.g. is centralised with a Chapman-sized driver installed. Caterham discovered this (curiously) when they proved that making a left-hand version that worked was rather more difficult than simply swapping over the steering wheels & pedals.

Tommy Cookers
Tommy Cookers
621
Joined: 17 Feb 2012, 16:55

Re: Asymmetric suspension setup in F1?

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I'm guessing that this was inherited from the 'cheap&cheerful' racer's method of lowering the driver to reduce frontal area and cg height by modifying the axle to offset the prop shaft (the Lotus 6/7 was a cheap racer)

Belatti
Belatti
33
Joined: 10 Jul 2007, 21:48
Location: Argentina

Re: Asymmetric suspension setup in F1?

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viewtopic.php?p=361599&f=6&sid=0fba9497 ... f1#p361599

Asymmetric tyre pressures for Hockenheim, a track with more right curves than lefts.
"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio

"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna