interesting thought? (inspired by another thread)

keastygtir

keastygtir

Well-Known Member
The default practice seems to be strip out the car etc for track work. I wonder if you would get a better overall package by adding weight to the car as low as possible at the rear to get a better balance. With power easy to come by with our cars I wonder if this could be a good idea.
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
I wouldn't have thought so; there's some simple mathematics that says reducing weight is more effective than adding more power:
Power to weight = p/w (obvious)
Lets say for argument's sake that power is 1 and the weight is also 1 (that makes it easy as p/w=1)
If you had 50% more power the power to weight is 1.5/1 = 1.5 (so 50% more than before)
If you have 50% less weight the power to weight is 1/0.5 = 2 (so 100% more than before)
- You can quickly see that adding more weight means you need a lot more power to carry it around and achieve the same power to weight ratio, but even 10% less weight is more effective than 10% more power.

I do understand where you're going; making the body more balanced will improve handling. - The solution may be to look at taking weight from the front first; maybe leaving seats in the back is advantageous for balance, I don't know.
I guess you can't put a cage in etc without stripping the interior for the most part either.

Nothing wrong with a thought experiment.
 
vpulsar

vpulsar

Well-Known Member
The trouble with the pulsar is it's just so nose heavy and drives a bit like a front wheel drive car especially in the wet, The best solution to this is to fit an uprated front diff or phantom grip like I did, That made the car much better balanced.

Maybe remove weight from the front and stick a bag of cement in the back lol.


Rob
 
johnny gtir

johnny gtir

Well-Known Member
reduce weight as much as possible, then transfer as much weight from the front to rear within reason sort quaility handling products to suit your personal driving style job done
 
vpulsar

vpulsar

Well-Known Member
If I'm totally honest I fail to see the point of trying to make the pulsar a track car it's never going to be that great, Just spend your money on a better balanced track orientated car in the first place, Don't get me wrong I loved my pulsar on the open roads it was a monster faster than just about anything else, I suppose having 500 bhp helped lol but even with just over 300 bhp it was fantastic but as a track car not so much lol.



Rob
 
fubar andy

fubar andy

Moderator & N/W Rep
Staff member
GRP pannels (bonnet/doors) and a good suspension set up will see a better balanced car
 
Mad

Mad

Well-Known Member
Left foot braking will help switch some of th load to the rear. It is how the fwd boys overcome some of the understeer
 
warpspeed

warpspeed

Well-Known Member
Mad4it said:
Left foot braking will help switch some of th load to the rear. It is how the fwd boys overcome some of the understeer
Click to expand...
Eh!? What may work with fwd doesn't quite have the same effect in a pulsar with an open front diff and viscous rear unless on gravel
 
STU666V

STU666V

Active Member
Just get your grinder out and chop it up, if you don't need or use any of the parts, get shot of it!
i was at a sprint and me and a other boy in pulsars and I had 20 bhp more but mines was stripped out and I was 5.5 seconds quicker than him over 70 seconds.
 
Mad

Mad

Well-Known Member
red reading said:
Try having a go at it!
Click to expand...
:lol:

I've done in a gtt and fiat coupe, frightens the life out of me to be honest and won't trying it out in the gtir for sure.

I think there has to be a happy balance between weight and where the weight sits in the car. As already said, the less weight in the front of the car the better and uprated diffs will all help.
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
red reading said:
Try having a go at it!
Click to expand...
I've had a bit of a bash. - It requires some commitment and confidence that you're not going to have to stop (as you can't clutch it with your left foot on the brake). Things like roundabouts and bends in the road are a good time to use it; keep some power on with the right foot, but use the left to shed some speed so you don't overcook the corner.

Maybe this is why I've worn my tyres down to slicks again?
 
J

jambo_gtir

Member
Wouldn't it be better to heal toe it instead of left foot brake...then you have your clutch foot free lol. When you watch videos on youtube of race drivers with a camera on their feet, you always see them using their heal to brake. I tried, but was very tricky!! hence why i'm not a race driver and they are lol
 
fubar andy

fubar andy

Moderator & N/W Rep
Staff member
Left foot braking is a case of retraining your brain. I've done it over 6 months to a point where I am confident I can vary the force used round corners.

The main issue is using left for braking at speed, if you can't "feel" the peddle with your left foot you can have a big accident.

I find using when left foot braking at speed round corners can settle the car while still still applying the accelator, again it's down to feel, conditions, speed and confidence.

However and this is the big one. Left foot braking is totally pointless with a manual transmission. Unless you've got a sequential gearbox that doesn't require you to use a clutch, you'll be back and forwards (left foot) from the brake to the clutch and (right foot) from the accelerator to the brake so you can control the car.

You'll be having a strictly come dancing session when driving.

...and I don't bother left foot braking when on track, for the above reasons.
 
warpspeed

warpspeed

Well-Known Member
I used to try it years ago with varying degrees of success, it was only once I started karting and got a race kart that it started to feel more natural.
 
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