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From: guido@twitch.UUCP ( G.Bertocci)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Stiff vs soft suspension myths
Message-ID: <194@twitch.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-May-85 17:23:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: twitch.194
Posted: Thu May 23 17:23:43 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 24-May-85 05:23:22 EDT
References: <191@twitch.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel
Lines: 39

After posting my original article on the weight transfer myth, I
received some replies wondering about cars, usually racing, with
the inside tire in the air.  My original article does not
say that the inside and outside tires have the same
load.  Only that one cannot change the distribution of the load
by changing the stiffness of the suspension.
The load on each tire is completely
determined by the radius of the turn and the speed around it,
not the junk connecting the tires.  

For example, pick your favorite entrance ramp and go around it at 40 mph. 
Do this twice, once with a "soft" suspension and once with a 
"stiff" suspension.
If you could put a scale under each tire you would read almost
exactly the same thing both times.  (For example, for your
two front tires you might have 1000 lbs on the outside and 
400 lbs on the inside).  By changing your swaybars, springs
there is no way to change the readings to say 900lbs and 500 lbs
or 1100 and 300 lbs.  This is what I mean by saying that
you cannot transfer weight by changing the suspension stiffness.

Your body roll will differ depending on the stiffness on the
suspension, but the load on each tire will not, because the
center of mass does not move much when the body rolls.

Cars with a wheel in the air, (assuming they haven't hit a bump)
have simply increased the point at which they lose traction,
to the point where the load on the inside tire is zero.  Most
cars slide before this point is reached. Once
the inside tire starts to lift, the camber on the loaded tire
changes dramatically, causing the tire to slide.  This is
most fortunuate for drivers.  Otherwise, they would
find themselves upside down a lot more ofter than they do already.
-- 
Guido Bertocci
AT&T Bell Labs
Holmdel, NJ

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