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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!mako!seifert
From: seifert@mako.UUCP (Snoopy)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: '84 vs '85 Corvette handling
Message-ID: <747@mako.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-May-85 15:10:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: mako.747
Posted: Wed May  1 15:10:16 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 3-May-85 04:19:56 EDT
References: <299@oblio.UUCP> <204@ucbcad.UUCP>
Reply-To: seifert@mako.UUCP (Snoopy)
Organization: The Daisy Hill Puppy Farm
Lines: 27
Summary: 

In article <204@ucbcad.UUCP> klein@ucbcad.UUCP writes:
>> ...  I said that we would just have to wait to see the
>> skidpad numbers in the car mags...
>
>> <many numbers .8 to .9 related to "handling">
>
>Let's be realistic here.  A skidpad number DOES NOT TELL YOU HOW
>THE CAR HANDLES.  It tells you when it starts to slip on a skid pad.
>A soft suspension can turn in great skid pad numbers.  But put that
>same soft suspension out on a real road with bumps, and see what happens.

There is a tradeoff here.  A stiff suspension will corner flatter,
and will keep the tires closer to vertical. (assuming less than
ideal suspension geometry) This helps raise cornering power.
However, it also causes more weight transfer to the outside tires,
which hurts cornering power. (the inside tires lose more traction
than the outside ones gain)  Also, a stiff suspension cannot follow
bumps in the road surface, which hurts traction. (not a big deal
on a nice smooth skidpad, but very important on a real road.)

Note how I have cleverly avoided saying anything about ride.

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       _|___|_               Snoopy
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