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Re: Autox Sprite Handling Questions

To: "Jackson Zimmermann" <JZIMMERM@exch.co.albemarle.va.us>, "'spridgets@Autox.Team.Net'" <spridgets@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: Autox Sprite Handling Questions
From: "Mike Gigante" <mikeg@vicnet.net.au>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 09:29:09 -0800
Reply-to: "Mike Gigante" <mikeg@vicnet.net.au>
Sender: owner-spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
A couple of things to try

a) remove drop straps
b) stiffer front springs - I use 510lb springs on my road/rally bugeye,
Many  people use something around 425lb and are happy.
c) stiffen the front shocks (uprated valves or stiffer fork oil)
d) welded diff (but make sure you have high strength half shafts)
e) driving technique change

You *can* largely avoid this as a problem by changing driving technique.
Since I'll never be competing with you, I'm prepared to share this info! :-)
Contact me offline and I'll *try* and explain how.

BTW, I am not sure about your rules, but more neg camber is a marked
improvement for turn in. I use 2.5 degrees (the max I'm allowed). Some
brands of competition tyre like as much as 5 degrees!

Also, I know the ride is nicer with softer rear springs, but I have found it
slower. Stiffer rear springs make it less prone to understeer with a stiff
front end. I realise that this is contary to what many other
racers/suppliers
will tell you, but that is my experience. I do like the car to be a little
loose
though, so YMMV.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Jackson Zimmermann <JZIMMERM@exch.co.albemarle.va.us>
To: 'spridgets@Autox.Team.Net' <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 1998 7:33 AM
Subject: Autox Sprite Handling Questions


>I've got an early '64 Sprite (quarter-elliptic & side curtains) that I
>take autoxing a couple of times a year.  I'm running 13x5.5 rims with
>185/60 RE71R road racing tires on it and am using a 3/4" sway bar.  I
>have done a couple of mods to the car in the suspension arena, but still
>need to continue development.  I have installed delrin bushings all
>around except for the sway bar mounts.  I have softened the rear springs
>by removing a couple of the leaves (big improvement with this on 1/4
>elliptic cars).  With the various bushings and such I am able to get 0.5
>degree of static negative camber without a great deal of trouble.  I
>have mounted the battery in the passenger side of the trunk in hopes of
>getting more weight onto the rear wheels (helped some).  The shocks and
>springs are all stock.
>
>Now come the issue.  Sharp right hand turns (an oh so typical autox
>setup) cause my passenger side rear wheel to lift.  Left hand turns
>don't have as pronounced a lifting effect since my weight is to the
>inside (~180lbs).  Without a LSD ( I do have a used Quaife, but wheel
>lift should be avoided with this unit or risk trashing it, so I need to
>address the lifting issue _before_ I install the Quaife), I get huge
>wheel spin coming out of right hand corners.  What are your suggestions
>about eliminating this problem while minimizing the cost?  Here are a
>couple of things that I am considering (in the order that I am
>considering them), so anyone with these changes on their car please
>comment on them so that I can figure out my next step.
>
>Delrin sway bar bushings - not sure if this will help that much or not
>340 lbs front springs - should help a lot, but wonder about its effect
>on regular road use
>7/8" sway bar - this may make the car understeer like stink
>Rear sway bar - don't know anyone who has installed one with a panhard
>rod on a 1/4 elliptic car
>Others?
>
>I have often considered going with a Frontline kit or something similar,
>however I don't want to make the step into one of the SCCA Modified
>classes with the superhot trailer queen cars since this is primarily a
>fun road car.  TIA
>
>Jackson Zimmermann
>jzimmerm@albemarle.org
>'64 A-H Sprite
>


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