I was reading over my NASCAR manual last night and came across something that
did not make sense to me. In the suspension section there is a summary of how
the car reacts to shock stiffness. The manual states that lessening the
stiffness of a shock causes LESS weight to be transferes to that wheel while
stiffening a shock causes MORE weight to be shifted to that wheel. This seems
counterintuitive to me. Wouldn't a softer shock cause the car to sink lower to
the ground at the respective wheel when going through a turn (right side of
car), thereby causing more weight to be transfered to that wheel. Or am I
confusing the effect of shocks with the effects of springs on a car?
Patrick Murphy
mechanical engineer
I think the manual means that when a shock is less stiff, it responds better to
the forces affecting it and thus the tire has a steadier grip to the surface,
as the shock is absorbing the forces moving the car and not transferring them to
the tire.
And naturally, when a shock is stiff, it does NOT absorb as much energy, and it
transfers more of the weight of the car to the tire, which then looses grip more
easily (this can be felt easily, for example, as push when your right front is too
stiff)
Tommi Pajari
