THE SCIENCE OF SETUP: Episode 4 - Overall Suspension Stiffness [VIDEO]

0 Jan. 5, 2017, 11:29 a.m.

By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

This bi-weekly column by RC Crew Chief founder Bob Wright delves deep into how and why particular adjustments alter the handling of your RC car or truck. You can download a trial version of RC Crew Chief for free and follow along to learn more about how to get the most out of your vehicle by tuning it the right way to suit track conditions:
rccrewchief.wrightdesign.ca/RcccDownload.aspx

The Science of Setup
By Bob Wright

CLICK HERE to view Episode One - Setup Physics and Terminology

CLICK HERE to view Episode Two - Suspension Properties
CLICK HERE to view Episode Three - Weight Transfer

CLICK HERE to view Episode Five - Camber and Camber Gain
CLICK HERE to view Episode Six - Roll Center and Camber Gain
CLICK HERE to view Episode Seven - Steering Ackermann
CLICK HERE to view Episode Eight - Shocks, Part One
CLICK HERE to view Episode Nine - Shocks, Part Two

The Science of Setup Episode 4 – Overall Suspension Stiffness

In the previous episode we discussed how to manipulate the front – rear weight transfer balance to adjust handling. Episode 4 will use those same tools to adjust the overall roll stiffness of the car while maintaining the weight transfer balance. The Chassis Roll Sensitivity value is the primary indicator of this suspension property. It is affected by Sprung Mass CG, roll centers, and the mechanical roll stiffness due to springs and ARB’s. The lower the value the quicker the car will react to inputs, be they changes in direction, bumps or anything else that may be encountered on track.

By changing the suspension roll stiffness you are affecting both the amount of chassis roll and camber angle changes so it is important to understand the impact this can have on handling.

If you wish to follow along with the demos then you can download RC3 here: http://rccrewchief.wrightdesign.ca/RcccDownload.aspx

The program will install in Trial Mode which means a few file management functions are disabled but otherwise it’s fully functional. All the on road and off road models that will be used in the demos are also preinstalled to make life easier.