Designing a new type of differential...
Designing a new type of differential based on research and testing helps to solve a problem observed on the racetrack. The parts and pieces that make up a race car are in a constant state of evolution. It just keeps getting better.
Our first goal is to set up the car so it is properly aligned and balanced dynamically, allowing each end of the car to work in unison with the other end. As the longitudinal (when braking and accelerating) and lateral (occurring primarily at mid-turn) forces are affecting the car, we study how the car reacts so that we can minimize undesirable characteristics such as excess dive on entry and squat on exit, dynamic camber change, and unequal and unpredictable weight distribution on the four tires.
Sir Karl Popper made this statement that can be applied to racers or engineers who think they know it all: "The wrong view of science betrays itself in the craving to be right; for it is not his possession of knowledge, of irrefutable truth, that makes the man of science, but his persistent and recklessly critical quest for truth." If you or anyone on your team rejects constructive criticism and always insists on being right, you have reached the limit of advancement in your development. The highly successful teams are open to new ideas, no matter what the source. Winning teams search for truths, and losing teams either search for what the winning teams know or remain stagnant because they "already know it all."
In seeking the truth in racing science, we need to put aside our egos and understand that we can be wrong in the search for a better race car. Not all theories will come across as improvements, but all experimentation teaches us something, even if it's only the fact that we should not go in a certain direction again. The word failure should never be used to describe an experiment that does not produce the desired results. We succeed by increasing our knowledge, whatever the outcome of testing. Now that we know a little more about who we really are, let's take a look at how each of these areas of natural science is applied to our race cars.
The study of dynamics is important...
The study of dynamics is important when working with circle track race cars. The process involves knowing how the various forces affect our suspension systems. When we discover the truth about the car's geometry and the dynamic forces that act on our cars, we begin to understand what the car really wants. Much of what we now know has been developed recently over a short period of time.
Physics
It is a science in which we work with matter and energy and their interactions in the fields of mechanics. We are working with physics, for instance, every time we change gear ratios in our cars. We are changing the mechanical advantage of the engine in its relationship to accelerating the car. We follow the SM in determining the correct gear ratio for our cars at particular racetracks.
Physics is also applied when tuning the engine for maximum horsepower or optimizing the torque curve. We observe how quickly we accelerate down the straight-aways and compare our times with the competition. If we are deficient, we work to make improvements.
Adjusting brake bias through a mechanical leverage system or by installing different-diameter master cylinders is a good example of using the laws of physics to adapt our race cars to the forces of deceleration.
The overall goal in setting...
The overall goal in setting up a stock car is to try to make the two ends work together in unison. This is true of a Saturday night stocker as well as a Formula 1 car and every race car in between. It matters not the amount of cost involved in any particular type of racing-the goals are all the same.
A simple idea like changing the steering box ratio involves physics to adapt ourselves to various racetracks. We observe the degree of steering input required to get through the middle and then, if needed, adjust the gear ratio of the steering box to match the physical requirements of steering through the turns.Negative settings such as excessive bumpsteer, roll steer, or Acker- mann can ruin an otherwise great spring and moment center combination. We can use various instruments to evaluate our suspension geometry such as laser alignment tools, bumpsteer gauges, and computerized racing programs. We need to have adjustable points on the suspension where the control arms attach, and in the steering system to make corrections to help eliminate those problems.
Dynamics
This is a branch of mechanics in which we deal with forces and their relationship to the motion of objects. Our quest for higher performance must involve the study of dynamics and how the car is able to conform to the various forces it encounters lap after lap.