Question: 25mm lower ride height or 20mm wider tires?
05-25-2012, 12:32 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
This the one time I will disagree with Peter on this blanket statement as it is not always true. Suspension design comes into play a lot when making this assumption. There are certain street cars when made into racecars or trackcars that as you lower the car the suspension becomes out of its intended range of operation (ie center of gravity is lowered but its roll center is too low). This is when you have to run stiffer springs to limit the suspension so it operates in its intended range. Raise the ride height a little and you get a better handling car as the suspension travel is working in your favor.
Example of this is one of the most common mods we do on 911s by adding the front and rear toe arms with bumpsteer adjustments. Adding these arms gets the range of motion back closer to the factory's intended range of motion allowing the car to use the full suspension movement improving the overall grip of the car as it is lowered and better feel back to the driver.
Now in Rad's original question we are assuming he is talking about his beloved Ferrari I have heard and seen to a point the opposite being true. Based on the F430 Challenge cars they preferred being ran as low as you could possibly run the car. This had more to do with the aerodynamics of the underbody than with the suspension. The suspension of the F430 challenge on a bumpy track was harsh and brutal but it wouldn't lose grip. Raise the car up to try to get some compliance over the bumps and it will lose grip as the aerodynamic are changed. Run smooth tracks all the time and there isn't an issue. Take the same setup to Sebring and the way the car feels changes. It will feel more nervous over the bumps but will produce more grip than raising the car.
So Rad if you are thinking about going to a wider tire combo on your car and need to raise it to gain clearance for the tire I would not do it. I would keep the current combination tire and ride height.
Example of this is one of the most common mods we do on 911s by adding the front and rear toe arms with bumpsteer adjustments. Adding these arms gets the range of motion back closer to the factory's intended range of motion allowing the car to use the full suspension movement improving the overall grip of the car as it is lowered and better feel back to the driver.
Now in Rad's original question we are assuming he is talking about his beloved Ferrari I have heard and seen to a point the opposite being true. Based on the F430 Challenge cars they preferred being ran as low as you could possibly run the car. This had more to do with the aerodynamics of the underbody than with the suspension. The suspension of the F430 challenge on a bumpy track was harsh and brutal but it wouldn't lose grip. Raise the car up to try to get some compliance over the bumps and it will lose grip as the aerodynamic are changed. Run smooth tracks all the time and there isn't an issue. Take the same setup to Sebring and the way the car feels changes. It will feel more nervous over the bumps but will produce more grip than raising the car.
So Rad if you are thinking about going to a wider tire combo on your car and need to raise it to gain clearance for the tire I would not do it. I would keep the current combination tire and ride height.
