914 Suspension motion ratios, Comparing notes Options

[groot]

I measured my front and rear motion ratios yesterday and wanted to compare notes with any that have done the same.

For the rear suspension I took ~20 data points and did a best fit analysis to come up with 1.00 to 1.00 damper travel to wheel travel with strong statistical correlation.

My front geometry is a bit different than a standard 914, so the motion ratio should be different, too. I measure ~10 points and found 0.83 damper travel to wheel travel, again with strong statistical correlation.

I'm about to order my rear shocks and this is one of the bits of data they need to build the shocks.

[jwalters]

The moveable suspension pickup points is in theory a great idea, but difficult to implement. Not impossible, just difficult. Those adjusters you mentioned would be great on the rear suspension to adjust toe.

I wanted to make my front lower control arm points height adjustable, so I could change the roll center as conditions ditacted (like for rain, to soften the weight transfer). But, in the end I decided to get the car on track and maybe change it later. I made it all so incredibly beefy an wee little adjustor like that would be the weakest point.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) All depends on the material of choice---A one inch thick by 2.5 inch diameter chunk of stainless will be strong enough to lift a 40 ton cat bulldozer welded to it---would easily take on the teener.

These have actually been implemented in years of past, ever hear of a motorbike called a "BIMOTA". Early eighties they made a model called the " TESI" it had a front and rear swingarm, no forks as conventional even unto this day.

Bimota solved the problem of toe changes in the front swingarm by using those same eccentric adjusters--not to boot that after they invented it first, almost every bike manufacturer went with them for adjusting the rear wheel!!!

Too bad the technology did not take hold, people freaked at the sight of a front swingarm motorbike---but when Bimota raced it, even down on power, NOTHING could touch it in the twisties!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)