Track lines on various cars: WAS Delrin or Poly bushings? Worth it?

[SuffolkD at aol.com]

Taka:  A track has a "line".
The track has defined apexs and radii.  THAT'S what defines the general 
"line".

Since the "line" is a general track line and has been widened and "defined" 
by racers over the years, "it" (the line) varies with each type of car MORE so 
because of each cars handling characteristics comparatively.

Regardless of the make, Propulsion or weight, some handle better 
than.........for example, a rental car on street tires........ 
Therefore, in a better handling car, I can turn in a bit earlier and hold 
more G's through the corner, affecting where my track out point is, versus other 
styles of vehicles, like the rental car on allseason tires.

So the line depends on the adhesion level of the vehicle in question, its 
tires, suspension and  the drivers' skills.

Thats why certain cars do better handling or tracking than compared to other 
cars.
THE REST are CHARACTERISTICS:
Which "Style" handles better?  
Rear wheel drive? Vette vs Porsche (911): Both handle well.  Once the back 
end breaks free and lose traction, they both spin. ADVANCED:  They take lift 
throttle or trail braking differently.
WHY?  Because one is closer to 50/50 balance (Front engine Vette) and the 
other is 62/38 Engine over the rear end.

Front Drive? My favorite, because its essentially is point the wheels, apply 
throttle and "squirt" in the direct I steer towards. Coupe GT here.
AWD: "Quattro" (for this example) well it understeers in the older chassis, 
but it also is because the Audi engine is ahead of the wheels.  Not a balanced 
weight distribution like the BMW ix series or other marques. Although, the 
newer B series chassis is nearly on par with the historical BMW "neutral" 
handling.
LOTS of variables to consider...........................

Lifting throttle in a older quattro can cause rotation 
(oversteer).....something Ill advised in a 911......................
HTH - Scott by BOSTON

Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 14:43:28 -0400
From: "TM" <>
Ed-
I disagree- the proper line for track and street driving (not autox) is
basically the same, regardless of the car. Now in terms of throttle and
brake application, that would differ between various cars and their
individual handling characteristics.

I don't see how the proper line for a 951 would be any different than
for
a Coupe GT or an A4. The fastest way through a corner is the shortest,
unless
there are extenuating circumstances that require modification of that
principle (such as being very bumpy at the apex and not allowing for
proper
throttle application coming out, in which case you would want to go a
bit
wide to avoid the bumps).

As for the original question, I would go with poly bushings, as long as
you
can live with the squeak that might occur and then have to lube them
regularly.

Taka

-----Original Message-----
First of all, if you've been following the thread, the car in question,
the one that's getting its suspension rebuilt isn't a quattro, it's a
Coupe GT, so the ref to AWD isn't directly applicable.

Second, the process of "learning the proper line" is not the same thing
as learning the "proper line" for the car in question.  For some it is a
matter of opinion.  The proper line for a Porsche 951 will not
necessarily be the best line for a quattro.  So I would think that there
might be some advantage to "learning the proper line" from one who is
familiar with what is the "proper line" for an AWD car versus another.

Ed

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 13:07:44 -0400, TM <t44tq at mindspring.com> wrote:
> It is really incorrect to imply that HPDEs run by other organizations 
> can't teach you how to drive your Audi quattro.
> 
> AWD doesn't make any difference when you're talking about learning the

> proper line, how to apply brake and throttle smoothly, understanding 
> and seeing the apex of a corner, car control skills, learning about
> under- and oversteer, how to heel-and-toe downshift and rev match 
> smoothly, etc. Those basic skills are all the same, regardless of the 
> car.
> 
> Heck, I practice apexing and proper exit lines every day in an 
> automatic Beetle. :-)



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