[s-cars] RE: [s-list] Nose-down brake diving

[Theodore Chen]

--- Richard Tanimura <Richard at Tanimuras.com> wrote:
> I think rear brake activation will not reduce dive at all. And if you bias
> it wrong, you risk ugly trail brake oversteer which is spooky. I contend
> that the last thing you want in a braking situation is to risk having your
> rear end lock up as you begin to threshold brake on the front. Yikes.
>
> Dive and squat are two expressions of longitudinal weight transfer. You get
> dive when you brake because weight is transferred forward. You get squat
> because weight is transferred to the rear when you accelerate. Note that you
> will get forward weight transfer whether you brake with the front or rear
> brakes or both. It is a function of acceleration, not which axel is doing
> the work.

actually, it is influenced by the design of the suspension as well as
load transfer.  one factor is the location of the instant center
of the rear suspension.  take a fox or SN95 mustang with the
fairmont-derived 4-link rear suspension.  hard braking causes the
rear to rise.  this is exacerbated when people modify the lower control
arm brackets on the axle to lower the attachment point and increase
antisquat.  increased antisquat increases rear jacking under braking.
this is a function of the forces exerted on the chassis by the control
arms.

-teddy


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