Re: Ti Cons 'n such(DON'T READ UNLESS you are absolutely interested)

["Randall C. Markarian" <asenna@accessus.net>]

QSHIPQ@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Regarding Ti:  Buzzer aside (and someone got that buzzer served to him:), my
> research does indeed show that a spring is considered 50%unsprung and 50%
> sprung weight.  My thinking, however is well beyond this, hence the bait.  If
> this is the case
Hmmmm....
> then my question is that much more valid, becuz that means
> that only 50% of the difference of the steel vs Ti total spring weight is
> practically significant.  IOW, let's assume the total spring weights of steel
> springs to be 80lb, and the Ti to be 40lb.  Our concern on the q's would
> hardly be sprung weight becuz that could be addressed more than a dozen
> different ways, the least of which is to just not fill your tank all the way.
>  Given a 50% Unsprung Weight, that means that of a 80lb spring set, only 40lb
> is Unsprung, on a 40lb Ti set only 20lb is unsprung.  The difference is
> 20lbs/4= 5lbs per corner savings in Unsprung weight.
But if I were using these on a race car, as stated, that 5 lbs per
corner _is_ significant(remember ounces count when you are trying to get
the minimum weight for a class), whereas on the street car you might
best get Fuch's wheels, which go for at least 8 bills per set the last
time I saw it quoted, and are not that much lighter.  My dollars per
pound of weight savings would go elsewhere rather than either of these
ideas.
> 
> I would think that choosing a lightweight wheel could easily make up that
> difference.  Or even a swap to a coil over with 2.5" ERS springs could reduce
> the "differential" significantly.  Assigning dollars to unsprung weight (B4B)
> on a q might be tough and pricey vs performance.  For argument sake, let's
> say a spring set averages 350USD, obviously some higher.  For Ti, maybe
> double (or more?)that.  I rest my argument by proposing one should already
> have the Fuchs wheels installed, the reduction in unsprung weight B4B is
> pretty high, I would venture, higher than Ti springs.
> 
> Sometimes what is NOT said raises more questions.
Speaking of questions, Scott, if you were racing a car at 10 10ths in a
race, a long race, what would hold up the best?  Which would be less
likely to fail and save you weight? And before pneumatic valves were
developed in F1, what type of spring was used? Titanium.  

By the way, dentistry, especially orthodontics uses a significant amount
of titanium.  Titanium springs used in orthodontics are not "coveted"
for their light weight(which is irrelevant), but rather their superior
force characteristics over stainless steel springs.  FYI
> 
> Scott
> FIT2HiD

-- 

Randall C. Markarian

1990 V8 Quattro
1996 Merc E320

Saint Louis, Missouri