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Old 10-25-2017 | 02:08 AM
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dvaid852456's Avatar
dvaid852456
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If anyone is struggling to get to sleep this site has a VERY in depth explanation of load transfer Weight Transfer: how it works and how to use it in setup

All this has done is confuse me further as to exactly what we mean when we use the term roll centre

You have the centre of gravity of the car and an imaginary point called roll centre. Years ago I thought raising the roll centre reduced roll as you were putting the RC point nearer the COG. Then it seemed from reading other guides lowering the RC reduced roll as the "roll point" of the car was lower.

So are we using the wrong term when we talk about roll centre in model cars?

Does lowering or raising the roll centre reduce roll?

According to this website Raising the RC decreases roll and lowering the RC increases roll, https://balancemotorsport.co.uk/suspension-geometry

The Hudy Setup guide says:

Weight transfer is the key to car handling. Consider that a car has a certain amount of
“weight” on various parts of the car, and on each wheel. By transferring weight to one
end of the car (front or rear), to one side (left or right), those tires will be forced onto the
racing surface more, and will have more grip or traction.
Weight transfer is affected by the car’s set-up and by the way that you drive.

A “roll center” is a theoretical point around which the chassis rolls, and is determined
by the design of the suspension. Front and rear suspensions normally have different roll
centers. The “roll axis” is the imaginary line between the front and rear roll centers.
The amount that a chassis rolls in a corner depends on the position of the roll axis relative
to the car’s center-of-gravity (CG). The closer the roll axis is to the center of gravity, the
less the chassis will roll in a corner. A lower roll center will generally produce more grip
due to the chassis rolling, and the outer wheel “digging in” more.
Roll-centers have an immediate effect on a car’s handling, whereas anti-roll bars, shocks
and springs require the car to roll before they produce an effect.

So it seems my original thought is correct. Raising RC decreases roll and lowering RC increases roll. Roll generally increases grip. But when I reduce front droop it results in a more angled wishbone (higher at outside, wheel edge and lower at inside,pivot edge). This gives a lower RC and thus more roll. This should give more grip to the front in terms of RC left to right and yet it seems to have the effect of less front grip.

So I'm still stuck as to the basic relationship between roll and weight transfer and why reducing front droop reduces over-steer for me? I have tried reducing front droop more and more and with every reduction the car starts to under-steer more and more. It seems to definitely promote under-steer when all the theory says it should increase front grip and make an over-steering car over-steer more?

Last edited by dvaid852456; 10-26-2017 at 08:47 AM.
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