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Originally posted by Warmage12
This thread could go a bazzilion (is that a real number?) ways. I know we get caught up in making hp and going faster. Lately our cars suspension and how they handle has had me wondering. We have a really wide car and is pretty low slung as far as center of gravity. (COMPARE IT TO A 350Z OR A HONDA) I know our weight balance is a lowsy 60f-40r or 70f-30r. So we do get understeer.
We understeer because we are front wheel drive. When you have X grip for the tires and you are using them to turn, brake, or accelerate, you are splitting the available grip with those functions.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I've never seen an eclipse carving corners on video or in person.
I do it pretty often in my car. Autocross is the best place for me to do it because I can drive 100% and not have to worry about traffic.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I also havn't pushed mine hard enough to know. So i was just wondering what kind of experiences other people have had with them. Here's some bits of what i know and things i'm more than 50% sure on. Feel free to politely correct. I believe our supension is compiled of mitsubishi's favorite McPherson strut design up front and a independent multi link in the rear.
We have a double wishbone front suspension. Not sure if multilink rear is the proper term. I'm pretty sure that you would call it a trailing arm suspension.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I have a general idea how a McpPherson works and understand it can be a blessing or a curse depending on how its utilized. I've heard a good bit about when an eclipse is lowered it experienses "bump steer" under hard cornering from the upper control arm hitting the top of the strut assembly. I'd think how a McPherson strut exponetially stiffens, using all the components and not just the actual shock, as weight is put on it would make for good steering response because the car wouldn't "drop its shoulder" much before that strut tightened up grabing hard traction making skidding less frequent.
If your control arms are hitting the inner fenderwell, you have problems. Bump steer can be attributed to bottoming out the suspension. It can also be attributed to harsh damping on the shocks or high spring rates. This is when the suspension does not properly absorb or damp adequately causing the car to jerk around some.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I do know that "plowing" because of FWD and weight distibution is gona be near impossible to get rid of... In my experience around sharp turns; i've found that "ripping" the steering wheel while simultaneously giving a bit more gas tends to countereffect the cars "want" to "plow." By suddenly "powering over." By "ripping" i mean jerking hard on the steering wheel suddenly and a bit farther than neccesary. After the "ripping" maneuver, you carry on and straighten up around the rest of the turn like normal. It does not skid its just a hard jerk seems to get it going right.
You are not being smooth or fluid. By 'powering out', you are still understeering. You just don't realize that you have a large slip angle. You are essentially turning the wheel much more than it needs to be turned because the tires are slipping. To get a front wheel drive car that is heavy to rotate, you would need to focus on the rear of the car. You will need to limit the amount of grip that you have back there. Removing rear camber typically isn't a good idea on a street car. You would need to inflate your rear tires more. For every 1psi over the suggested limit, you can roughly figure that you will have the same effect as increasing your spring rate 10lbs/inch.
The best way to limit grip would be to install a larger rear sway bar.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I have no power steering though and that may be why i can do that. The turns i have to work with are only short and only have enough length to them to require one "rip", so i don't know how it works on longer turns but i believe it wouldn't be neccesart. I'm unable to push my car past 45-55mph (on 25mph posted turns) because of safety. note: the legal speed is 45 in those areas. Its just hazarded at 25mph.
You should drive responsibly on the street and keep everything else on the track. When you upset the balance of the car in the middle of a turn by 'ripping' the wheel you are forcing more weight to the outside rear of the car. When you tap your brakes because there is an unforeseen obstacle, you will shift the weight forward rapidly unloading the rear suspension causing the car to spin out.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I've heard a little from autocrossers, who say its too heavy to be competitive. From what i've seen autox courses are small and tight and are better suited for go-karts.
Autocrosses are meant to be small and tight. If it were long and sweeping it would probably be NASCAR. Eclipses can be very competitive in there class. If I could get more seat time, I would be more competitive in SM or ESP. I run in SM because no one here runs in ESP. I'm not as competitive as I could be due to a couple of funky mods.
Originally posted by Warmage12
I'd like oppinion, theory, solutions, truth, experiences. All of it. Good supension parts and upgrades are also what i'm looking for. Thanks. This is a general discussion... so... mods, i don't mind a little off topicness. But please feel free to "lay-to-waste" person(s) who start bashing.
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