Madness Shop Manual

To understand suspension, we really need to establish some basic vocabulary so you understand what’s being discussed.

Terms

• g-force - Physical force. This is what we’re trying to distribute as evely over the four wheels as possible.
• Spring - Coiled metal which offers vertical resistance to g-force.
• Shock/strut - Hydraulic cylinder to dampen spring rebound. This keeps the car from bouncing (springs naturally bounce after being compressed).
• Velocity - Speed and direction of that speed (speed is just the rate of movement, not relative to direction).
• Tire - A car’s only contact point with the road. Let that sink in for a moment. Yeah, they’re THAT important.
• Squat - When accelerating, the tail of the car ’squats’, transferring weight to the rear of the car.
• Dive - When braking, the nose of the car ‘dives’, transferring weight to the front of the car.
• Camber - Angle a wheel leans in or out from the car.
• Caster - Angle of suspension components in relationship to the car.
• Toe - Left-right alignment of a wheel.

Conditions

• Bump steer - Condition where steering is affected by suspension changes. Very bad, possibly deadly.
• Torque steer - Condition in which increased torque to the wheels affects steering. Commonly present in high-power applications including an intermediary axle.
• Brake fade - Condition after brakes overheat, causing decreasing response and grip power. Virtually impossible to legally cause on the street, but often only experienced in the front brakes.
• Tucked wheels - Condition where a driver thinks they’re god’s gift to cars, but does not understand that camber should not be modified for looks.
• Defensive driving - Condition where a driver understands physics, and belives that physics is a bigger thing than her ego, and drives accordingy. (this applies both on the track and off).

If I were reading this, I’d skip right past that first part, where terms are defined, and move on to the ‘meat’ of the article. If it’s good enough, I’ll go back looking for more. Don’t be me, I’m an idiot. Go back and look over the terms now, they’re important.

I’ll wait.