So, set up the SR3 to the recommended alignment settings for the Hankook tires. First day out in the car. Corner balance completed.
Out on track the car was hunting at level have never experienced. We have the best alignmenet equipmnet and corner wieghting scales..... So that is not the issue. Once we pitted, dialed out some front toe out. Not measured as at the track for a fun day, but car behaviour imporved massively. Will get it back on the rack shortly to see where it is set now.
Question, what front toe setting are you running with your Hankooks and Dunlops (we have dunlops as welll on wheels)???
The track we were running is not particularily smooth in the highest speed portions (the only 2 segments where we noticed the issue).
Let me know your thoughts and experiences, always wanting to learn and provide experience/feedback.
Hi @jeff-alton
I experienced the same 'sensation' the very first time I drove my RSX, after racing karts and heavily modified road cars for 30 years... and I have others say exactly the same thing as you as well.
These cars are so much 'more direct' stiffer, lighter and faster than most other things, and as a result I think they tend to feel more 'flighty' when you first experience it.
I didn't make any changes at all and noticed over the first track day (maybe 50 laps) that either I got more used to it, or the tyres that I had on the car 'bedded-in' to the geometry set-up I had at that time. (which were well-used previously and on another car with slightly different geometry)
See below the set-up I now use as a 'base' set-up for the two tracks that I race at....
Hope this helps...
@rjbender Rod, thank you so much for your quick response. Plus me searching has found so many topics where you add valuable info!
The set up you posted is pretty much how we set up my car. The only diffence is yoy had slightly less toe out than we did. We backed a litte toe out, out o the car. Will get it on the rack this week and confirm, but I suspect our adjustments put the car at about the settings you are running.
All of this said, I am so far from getting close the max level of grip that it is funny. But, we specialize in dialing in car specs to the driver, so am well versed in the numbers..
Will report back on what the "new" track toe setting measured at, but can ay from the seat of the pants, it worked.
Thanks again for quick replies, and all you have contributed.
cheers
Just to be sure: the measurement for 2 degrees (edited) 2mm toe out is -1mm/+1mm front/rear of wheel rim, where -1 is closer to the toe string, and +1 is further.
I also recall when I first drove an SR3, it was darty in the straights. This was before I did a chassis setup right after it was delivered, so I cannot be sure whether it was the setup or just me not familiar with the car. Now when I drive an SR3, I never get the feeling that it hunts in a straight.
I messed that up a little. I don't know what 2 degrees is unless I do the trigonometry. The factory suggested setup is 2mm toe out/in for front/rear which is how I have always set mine.
@davidf correct, 2mm toe out per side in the front. It was excessive for the track I was running. I will read it out to see where it is set right now after adjustment in the paddock, which made a massive difference, with no loss of turn in grip.
cheers
@davidf @jeff-alton I drove an SR3 (my first time) and it was definitely darty on straights. It caused a bit of confidence drop, which took a bit to get over. Later in the day, I had forgotten about it, and my lap times were much better. It was supposedly set up on "recommended settings", which I assume was 2mm per side. I was renting the car, so I didn't do the setup myself. My SR8 is also set up at 2mm per side, and it doesn't have that feeling.
Probably that is just the way the SR3 drives then because I distinctly remember my first day in an SR3 when it hunted on the straights, but afterwards and until this day I don't even notice it. I suspect it is because we SR3 drivers hold the steering firmly to compensate.
So, backed a little more toe out, out of the car, and was back at the track today. It was a last minute very fine adjustment, no time to measuere on the alignment rack as was fixing a fuel leak late into the night last night.
What I learned, until tire are up to temp/pressure, still a wee bit of hunting, but after the 2nd lap and getting some pace laps in that sensation went away. Will get the car on the rack in the next few days and see where we are, then likely add some more toe out again now that I am comfortable in the car at speed.
Finally getting the hang of this thing after 30 years of racing in production based race cars. Happy with today's progress and Put down some respectable lap times but still have way more time to drop. My struggle is overslowing the car.... But it was rewarding to upshift still at the 5 brake marker 🙂
