Originally Posted by
cmunro
i am new to 1/12 scale and trying to find out how shock angle effects handling ?
As stated, the steeper the shock angle, the more steering you will get, but the spring has a greater impact on this aspect of handling, so regard the angle as fine tuning.
Ideally, the angle between the centre of the bottom pivot, the centre of the top pivot and centre of the front pivot will be 90 degrees. This means that the leverage of the rear pod will all act directly into the spring and shock giving the maximum control over the weight transfer.
If this angle gets to be greater than 90 degrees (as on the 12R5.2 as standard) then the movement of the rear pod is partly used to push the shock down instead of compressing it. That makes the whole mechanism stiffer and reduces the progression of the weight transfer. I think this is part of the reason that a 'softer' shock has appeared on some of the A team cars - the Hot Bodies one.
Get the steering and rear grip you want from the spring first, and fine tune with the angle second. Most drivers I know set the shock angle and leave it, suing springs and oil to get the steering they need.
Originally Posted by
EDWARD2003
Most of us know what tire stagger is. How much should we use and under what conditions?
I notice modified drivers using between 0.5 mm to 1 mm of stagger.
Stock racing ? ?
How much should one run for slower classes? Under what conditions should you run more or less stagger?
The less stagger you have, the more rotation you get in the turns. It's another fine tuning option - if you can't get the car to rotate in the first place no amount of stagger adjustment is going to make it rotate.
Tyre size has a greater impact on corner speed and rotation. the top guys use very small tyres to minimise rolling resistance and maximise response from the tyres.
For those that can afford two or three run tyres, use the sizes you find in the set-up sheets of the top drivers. Otherwise, start at something sensible, stop before the tyres wear out and assemble a collection of good tyres at differing diameters. Sue those to play with stagger, find one that suits you and stick to it.
Originally Posted by
Josh-n-ya
In regards to this is there an explanation to having the shock with the piston at the top pointed towards the rear of car vs. pointed towards the front of car leaning downward?
With the shock body facing down there are two advantages. The inertia in the system is limited to the ball cup and the shaft so the reaction to the weight transfer is faster and more 'accurate'. Also, the oil flows down towards the sealed end of the shock so leaks are less likely. Reverse those traits for having the shock body attached to the pod.
If you have the AE 12R5 shock you have no choice of mounting orientation. It's no coincidence that they designed it with the shock body down...
HTH