[DI and questions]

OK, so I'm still new here. I have read a few threads and have a couple of questions.

 

Firstly, DI. Can the point of rotation be measured? or does it need to be calculated from design data?

 

Secondly, I don't understand how lowering the front suspension will shift weight to the front. The mass of the vehicle hasn't changed or moved. I read (elsewhere) that adjusting ride heights to corner balance a car can make the diagonal weights equal, but it is not possible to move the weight from side to side or front to back.

 

If the weight is being moved, then is it a function of the height of the centre of gravity, and therefore my low NSX will have a harder time shifting weight around?

[When to upgrade brakes]

280mm x 28 front, 280 x 23 rear. Two piston caliper front, single rear. There is some ducting to cool the fronts as standard.

 

Honda NSX pads are quite hard. Dealers say that on road-only driven NSXs they hardly need to change pads, they last for ages.

[When to upgrade brakes]

The rotor sizes and pistons, were calculated to give the same balance front/rear as the standard brakes.

 

The 'research' is done by empirical testing. I couldn't do 5 laps at Bedford before having to come in to cool down. Now I can stay out driving for an hour.

 

Thermal strips show I don't need to use the hard race pads I used to use. That's why I can use softer 1144 now. I could probably use even lighter, but I can't seem to find normal 'road' compounds as my calipers take AP Racing shaped pads, and they seem to all be err, racing pads.

 

Though now I use R888s and have a nice alignment I don't need to slow down for corners (as much).

[When to upgrade brakes]

Funny, most people complain about the NSX brakes as fading very quickly. I've used Redstuff pads once, never again. I know, people are going to say 'but Redstuff pads now are better than they used to be', but I've been there once and not going again.

 

The Honda discs are going to be the best you can get. Anything 'aftermarket' may have grooves and slots and all sorts of stuff, but the basic metal doesn't last as long as Honda discs. Harder pads than Honda's and you'll be changing the discs more often too. Do you know they cost £250 each?

 

Improving the cooling is the first thing most people do.

 

There are some nice pads by Project Mu, Hawk and Carbotech. I use Mintex 1144 but they make a lot of mess.

[custom top mounts]

I didn't say there was anything bad with it.

 

Honda do it for the Type R. The front rates are much stiffer than the rear. The front/rear ratio on that one is 140%.

 

 

My fingers are too used to writing lb/ft instead of lb/in

 

Eeyore, I work on the hatfield side of St Albans so if you ever fancy comparing track cars let me know, I enjoy any excuse to poke around an NSX.

 

I'm interested as to the logic of going 40% harder on the front of the NSX, when your current balance, like mine on the SW20 (similar weight balance), is by default harder at the rear. You're adding 430lb/in to the front and leaving the rear as it is. How is the car so bad that it requires this much of a drastic step?

[custom top mounts]

I currently have 570lb/in on the front and 600lb/in on the rear right now. I have been tracking the car for years, and yes it is pretty much dedicated to the track.

 

The NSX needs lots of roll resistance in the front. Comptech who have been racing and preparing NSXs for 15 years use a 1000 front /600 rear for their track suspension kits, and lots of people I know in the States rate that setup as the best around.

 

The Koni valving I am getting will take anything from 250 to 1500lb, so I can play as much as I like.

 

 

I assume were talking 1000lbs/in springs

 

I would only ever use rates like that in a dedicated circuit racing application, normally where ground effects are demanding that surface seperation be kept totally constant.

 

You should perhaps consider the handling ramifications especially with regard to the limit grip break away characteristics and even straight forward driver physical fatigue.

 

Also for whats it's worth I think 1000 both front and rear could be a bit tricky to balance, we normally stagger the rates on the NSX

 

1000lbs/in might seem quite stiff but believe it or not I have actually had to use a lot stiffer rates in the past

[custom top mounts]

I live in Welwyn by coincidence.

 

I have discussed it with my vendor/fabricator in the States and work is underway. I just needed to convince him it was a good idea.

 

I'm making a system up with Koni 3012 dampers, and 1000/600 lb springs front and rear.

 

( I just wanted to mention the spring rates to see what reaction I get from here!)

[custom top mounts]

Hi,

 

First post on here. My car is an NSX, actually its the one in the video in the Track Day section.

 

I am wondering if anyone on here is able to machine up some custom top mounts for dampers. I am looking at getting some new ones, and they have 'eye' fittings at both ends. What I am looking for is a mount to convert the eye fitting to a round flat base, commonly used at the top of suspension turrets.

 

I do have some engineers that make up stuff from my drawings already, but I was wondering if any suspension designers here had some standard programs already written, or experience in this as a starting point.