[V8] Track F/R discussion

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

More comments:
Dave, a v8 looks cool lowered.  THAT argument I can take quite  easily.  What 
I'm bringing to the table here is a really high 'n', I've  seen and driven 
and 'attempted' fixes on every single suspension possible on the  type 44.  
Expert?  Nope, but I can enter a discussion on type 44  handling with a lot of 
experience, that's all.  Happy to share it.
 
Regarding Randy Pobst and the 5ktq race car, there's a pic I put on my  
audiworld picture poster that should sum up his ride well.  Take a look and  tell 
me if it's being congenial.  That runs coil overs on all 4, for linear  rate 
and $/adjustment ability, than for any other reason.
 
The biggest problem you guys are missing is the front swaybar and it's  
geometry and it's dynamic affects when lowered.  Screw the tie rods  Al...  You 
lower the swaybar ends you create more problems with caster in  turns.  Remember 
your arcs.  A swaybar arm length changes as you load  it.  If it's attached to 
a control arm, then you pull and push the lower  ball joints around, the 
swaybar location and position under load will dictate  how much.  There is a lot 
of rubber in the front of a type 44 because of  this.  Again, I encourage you 
to get some burlap bags and pay the alignment  guy some beer and start loading 
that front end. 
 
Regarding bump steer, as you drop lower than .5in in the front of a type  44, 
you pick it up exponentially.  Al, bump steer is NOT yet a  steering linkage 
problem, it's an arc problem that *can be* related to steering  linkage.  IME, 
type 44 bump steer problems are minimal to the long-ish  steering arms and 
much more dramatic to the lower control arm and the swaybar  attached to it.
 
Again, I say it depends on what you are doing with the car that dictates  the 
acceptable compromises.  For cornering forces and handling, a wider  wheel 
and tire combo would be first on my list, then more front bar (not more  rear 
bar - yet), the 28mm bar is available from audi, the 30mm bar is much  tougher 
to attain, but having had a couple of them (including residing in the  race 
car), I suggest that lowering the type 44 for handling is pretty far down  the 
list.  Then, if you put the bigger wheels and tires on the car already,  
tramlining and bumpsteer become bigger issues to getting it right.  If you  take 
Jack's numbers and figure that 25mm track is effectively the same as a 1"  lowered 
car, you would really benefit from track improvements, not lowering as  you 
haven't 'increased' bumpsteer from stock.
 
It doesn't look as cool, but it handles better.  All good, and I get  paid.  
:)
Just a paradygm shift
 
Scott Justusson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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