How to make your car slow

C

CivicCanuck

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1. Drop it on the ground, looks cool, but you pay a penalty by changing the roll centers, not to mention much easier to bottom out from the softer lowering springs. :hmmm?:
2. Add heavy 18" or 19" wheels, and likewise heavy tires. :eek:
3. Instead of proper tire fitment, S T R E T C H those tires designed for a 6 1/2" rim onto a 9" ( or bigger ) rim... bead blaster + ether can and propane torch for more win! :flame: Who needs to optimize your contact patch anyways? :escaper:

4. Run way too high or way too low a tire pressure.

:hiding:

How to make your car FAST: look at the HPD IndyCar Civic Si coupe. Pulls 1.10G, look at the ride height on that baby... nice big gap between the tire and fender.

They even have the tire / wheel and spring rates listed. It's obvious that they are doing something right. Off the shelf wheels and tires, but there is no other information on the adjustable ride height ( coilover ) suspension other than the spring rate. Browsing the HPD website though, they do have adjustable top plates available where you can adjust the camber as well as the caster @ the strut mounting point.

Linky here: http://hpd.honda.com/innovations/street-projects/civic-indycar-pace-car
 
Hahahah mike... always with the true but unfun info. What if I just want my car to look fast but not actually be fast? I don't want any tickets, just have people think I must get them all the time!
 
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Nix said:
Hahahah mike... always with the true but unfun info. What if I just want my car to look fast but not actually be fast? I don't want any tickets, just have people think I must get them all the time!
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Tint windows real dark, and add some random contingency decals on the side.... they must start at the rocker panel and reach the hood in a nice vertical line.
 
I agree with everything except the drop part lol. Of course something slammed to the ground wont cut it, but a 1.5-2 inch drop I would think makes a difference. Doesnt aerodynamics come into play? lol
 
It's not really just about the drop, but the right drop, spring rate, stiffness, etc.

A 2" drop Skunk2 springs isn't as good as a 1.2" Neuspeed Sport. My .9" Tanabe gives a better handling than the 1.5" Tanabe springs.
 
Great Info! I didn't see that many stock car based racers that have huge negative camber or wheels touch the fenders almost. They look less cool but they fly on those tracks. Obviously they're heavily modified but they're real purpose is performance and that is something very very cool, for me at least.

Thanks for posting the link!

Even the F1s that I find insanely impressive machines have camber adjustments in the front but the back is pretty straight.
Since we do links here is a pretty cool F1 car setup link that talks about cambers, toes and other goodies

http://f1framework.blogspot.ca/2012/04/f1-car-setup.html
 
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maark808 said:
race cars are lower, Not stock height Lol I hope you're just trolling.
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Race cars don't play on the street, and street cars do poorly on a track. Most cars are lowered for racing for a number of purposes, to help keep the roll distribution more even, ensuring that the tires are more equally loaded when cornering, to reduce the amount of air under the car at high speeds, and the addition of aerodynamics to generate downforce at high speeds. Contrary to popular belief, the vertical displacement of CG of even 1.5 inches is less critical than the roll stiffness, spring and shock rate, as well as the tire.
 
A race track is generally a purpose built surface with minimal bumps, so you can get away with lower ground clearance and less suspension travel. Not so driving on the street, where you need precious clearance to keep from bottoming the car out.
 
Michael Hurd said:
Race cars don't play on the street, and street cars do poorly on a track. Most cars are lowered for racing for a number of purposes, to help keep the roll distribution more even, ensuring that the tires are more equally loaded when cornering, to reduce the amount of air under the car at high speeds, and the addition of aerodynamics to generate downforce at high speeds. Contrary to popular belief, the vertical displacement of CG of even 1.5 inches is less critical than the roll stiffness, spring and shock rate, as well as the tire.
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Yes sir! Stiffer suspensions will yield way better results than just lowering the car. Some very mean (expensive) street cars are quite high but they have bone rattling suspension setups.
 
Michael Hurd said:
These look like cars that the press would take for a spin around the track... sure looks like a stock seat, and not even an Si Seat.... looks like a grey headrest? No roll bars that I can see, no harnesses, no race seat?
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you could tell its not Si seats? You have good eyesight my friend lol
 
Michael Hurd said:
These look like cars that the press would take for a spin around the track... sure looks like a stock seat, and not even an Si Seat.... looks like a grey headrest? No roll bars that I can see, no harnesses, no race seat?
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They runs these as pace cars. They ran an Accord in St. Pete this year, but they ran these Civic's at other Honda sponsored races last year...I saw these running at Mid-Ohio.
 
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