McLaren MCL34

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mwillems
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Joined: 04 Sep 2016, 22:11

Re: McLaren MCL34

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SmallSoldier wrote:
16 May 2019, 01:49
mwillems wrote:
M840TR wrote:
15 May 2019, 11:11
That's likely a new heave damper in the front suspension. If it were an s-duct there'd be a vent instead of only a protrusion. Other cars have had a similar feature in recent years.
New as in, New to the car, or a new type to replace what was already on the car?

I just read up on it, seems like it is a powerful piece of kit for Aero, particularly in Mclarens weak spots of mid to high as well as dropping the rear end on the straights.
Any links to the read?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I just googled heave damper.

It seems that if it were on the car then it would allow each individual wheel to have soft suspension setup for use over bumps and kerbs, but the heave damper would stiffen the car when load hits both front wheels.

So in mid to high speed corners when aerodynamic load pushes down, the heave damper would be applying it's available forces equally between the two front wheels making it stiffer and more stable, but in low speed corners it would apply it's energy mainly to the wheel hitting the kerb, allowing for more movement in that wheel and therefore keeping the car flatter to the ground and hence more stable.

Overall this seems to increase the useable Aero window allowing a more aggressive design/setup as well is improving stability through all corners and mechanical grip in slower corners.

Points to consider:
  • I may have completely misunderstood, and I'm a fool (Probably, so don't shoot me down please)
  • It is even on the car
  • Something like this may already have been there
  • Is it even legal
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M840TR
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Joined: 13 Apr 2018, 21:04

Re: McLaren MCL34

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mwillems wrote:
15 May 2019, 22:59
M840TR wrote:
15 May 2019, 11:11
That's likely a new heave damper in the front suspension. If it were an s-duct there'd be a vent instead of only a protrusion. Other cars have had a similar feature in recent years.
New as in, New to the car, or a new type to replace what was already on the car?

I just read up on it, seems like it is a powerful piece of kit for Aero, particularly in Mclarens weak spots of mid to high as well as dropping the rear end on the straights.
Obviously new replacement. Every car has a heave damper. This one seems either larger in size or raised with the attached upper wishbones.

M840TR
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Joined: 13 Apr 2018, 21:04

Re: McLaren MCL34

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AMuS

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mwillems
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Joined: 04 Sep 2016, 22:11

Re: McLaren MCL34

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M840TR wrote:
16 May 2019, 14:27
mwillems wrote:
15 May 2019, 22:59
M840TR wrote:
15 May 2019, 11:11
That's likely a new heave damper in the front suspension. If it were an s-duct there'd be a vent instead of only a protrusion. Other cars have had a similar feature in recent years.
New as in, New to the car, or a new type to replace what was already on the car?

I just read up on it, seems like it is a powerful piece of kit for Aero, particularly in Mclarens weak spots of mid to high as well as dropping the rear end on the straights.
Obviously new replacement. Every car has a heave damper. This one seems either larger in size or raised with the attached upper wishbones.
Ahh ok, wasnt sure if this was banned and a workaround had been discovered.

Every day is a school day and now I know a bit about heave dampers.
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Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

trinidefender
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Joined: 19 Apr 2013, 20:37

Re: McLaren MCL34

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This image looks like as well as the standard opening/closing of rear vents for track specific cooling, they actually managed to tighten up the rear of the coke bottle by the floor.

He new engine cover that the fin is attached to looks to be a little tighter too.

Image

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Xero
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Joined: 28 Jan 2014, 15:11
Location: Moray, Scotland

Re: McLaren MCL34

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trinidefender wrote:
17 May 2019, 03:59
He new engine cover that the fin is attached to looks to be a little tighter too.
Looks tighter, but the more I look at it, the more I see it could just be a perspective thing with the slightly different angle of view?

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mwillems
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Joined: 04 Sep 2016, 22:11

Re: McLaren MCL34

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What I find interesting about the front wing is the way we generate the Y250, with what appears to be the use of three elements. Not only do Merc use 4 elements, but they split one of the elements into two points to create the vortex to have 5 points at which the vortices are created.

It might be my eyes but they also seem to generate the vortex higher up than we do with the element tips longer on the mclaren than the merc. Is that the tradeoff? Longer tips v more tips? Or is there more to it?
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101FlyingDutchman
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Joined: 27 Feb 2019, 12:01

Re: McLaren MCL34

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I suspect it’s to do with the height of the lower wishbone. Not sure if Merc has it raised higher than MCL?

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mwillems
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Joined: 04 Sep 2016, 22:11

Re: McLaren MCL34

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Looking at the Ferrari wing it is the same style of Y250 generation there. They both have a way of drooping down and behind the wing in a manner I feel like was designed by Salvadore Dali, compared to Mercs very clean and simple (looking) "The best a man can get" style front wing. Gilette razor reference for anyone who doesn't get that...
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'Tis me, just me.
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Joined: 12 Jun 2018, 18:28

Re: McLaren MCL34

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mwillems wrote:
18 May 2019, 23:20
Looking at the Ferrari wing it is the same style of Y250 generation there. They both have a way of drooping down and behind the wing in a manner I feel like was designed by Salvadore Dali, compared to Mercs very clean and simple (looking) "The best a man can get" style front wing. Gilette razor reference for anyone who doesn't get that...
I think you'll have to find a name other than dali ;). Foils on the IMOCA fleet called dibs on that back in 2016. Although they're already moving away from that original geometry... but that's beside the point. The ferrari FW looks like a melted version of the merc wing.
So we have Gilette wings and melted Gilette wings... yeah that works well.
It seems that the melted Gilette is the most popular as it seems all the teams are converging toward that concept apart from Red Bull and Merc. But they've always been different since the start of the current era. It does appear that the melted Gilette wings have less scope for development compared to its counterpart. They are already at an extreme. The only way I can see them progressing is teams getting as close to zero AoA on the outer part of the wing in an attempt to have low energy airflow heading towards the tyres. Let's wait and see.

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diffuser
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Location: Montreal

Re: McLaren MCL34

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'Tis me, just me. wrote:
20 May 2019, 12:09
mwillems wrote:
18 May 2019, 23:20
Looking at the Ferrari wing it is the same style of Y250 generation there. They both have a way of drooping down and behind the wing in a manner I feel like was designed by Salvadore Dali, compared to Mercs very clean and simple (looking) "The best a man can get" style front wing. Gilette razor reference for anyone who doesn't get that...
I think you'll have to find a name other than dali ;). Foils on the IMOCA fleet called dibs on that back in 2016. Although they're already moving away from that original geometry... but that's beside the point. The ferrari FW looks like a melted version of the merc wing.
So we have Gilette wings and melted Gilette wings... yeah that works well.
It seems that the melted Gilette is the most popular as it seems all the teams are converging toward that concept apart from Red Bull and Merc. But they've always been different since the start of the current era. It does appear that the melted Gilette wings have less scope for development compared to its counterpart. They are already at an extreme. The only way I can see them progressing is teams getting as close to zero AoA on the outer part of the wing in an attempt to have low energy airflow heading towards the tyres. Let's wait and see.
My opinion is both Merc and RBR are able to prevent the wake of the front tires from effecting their aero by some other means than the front wing. My guess would be using the midwing/bargeboards.

Tommy Cookers
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Joined: 17 Feb 2012, 16:55

Re: McLaren MCL34

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mwillems wrote:
17 May 2019, 00:28
Every day is a school day and now I know a bit about heave dampers.
well
my guess (without checking) is that so-called heave dampers or heave springs should be better named because ....
heave is the aggregate of whatever part of wheel displacement is common to all 4 wheels
ie if the front suspension compresses by 1 cm and the rear extends by 1 cm there is no heave - only pitch
heave can only be isolated (for treatment) if there is front:rear interconnection of the suspension

front axle common mode (displacement) is what (front) so-called heave dampers/springs treat

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mclaren111
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Re: McLaren MCL34

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Good close-up picture...

M840TR
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Re: McLaren MCL34

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