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Weight transfer is the key to car handling. Consider that a car has a certain amount of “weight” on various parts of the car and this weight is
distributed by a certain amount into each wheel.
• When the car corners, weight is transferred to the outside tires
• When the car accelerates, weight is transferred to the rear
• When the car brakes, weight is transferred to the front.
By transferring weight to one side of the car (left or right) or one end of the car (front or rear), the tires on that side (or at that end) will be forced onto
the racing surface more, resulting in more grip or traction at that side/end. The amount of weight transfer is affected by the car’s center-of-gravity
(CG), distribution of the weight by the car’s setup, and the way you drive.
Before you start adjusting your car’s setup, you should ensure the following:
• Car is in good mechanical shape with no broken, binding, or loose parts
• Car has proper weight balance front/rear and left/right
You should always try to adjust the weight on your car so it is equal left-to-right — this will help to ensure proper, consistent handling. You can use
balancing tools to check the weight distribution of your car, and ensure that your ready-to-race car does not list to one side.
We recommend using the #107880 HUDY Chassis Balancing Tool.
The center-of-gravity (CG) of the car is the point on the car (in 3 dimensional space) around which the car moves, and the point at which all force is
applied while the car is in motion.
• When the car goes around a corner, centrifugal force pushes the car to the outside of the turn, and this force pushes on the car’s CG causing the car
to tilt or roll to the outside. This transfers weight to the outside wheels of the car.
• When the car accelerates, the force pushes backward on the car’s CG, causing the car to tilt backward. This transfers weight to the rear wheels.
• When the car brakes, the force pushes forward on the car’s CG, causing the car to tilt forward. This transfers weight to the front wheels.
Center-of-gravity is affected by the physical weight of the car, and the placement of all components on the car. If the car is not equally balanced
front/rear and left/right, the car’s CG will not be centered. This will cause the car to handle differently when it turns one direction as opposed to the
other direction.
It is always best to make the car’s CG as low as possible to minimize the negative effects of weight transfer. Do this by placing all components as low
as possible on the car’s chassis, and reduce weight high on the chassis.
WEIGHT TRANSFER AND CAR SET-UP
Car setup is always a matter of compromise, and every aspect of car setup affects how weight transfers on the car. There is no one “magical” setup
change that will solve all of your car’s handling problems. Car setup is a complex interaction of the various components that make up the car, and
all of these aspects of setup will affect one another.
WEIGHT BALANCE
WEIGHT TRANSFER
CENTER-OF-GRAVITY
WEIGHT TRANSFER
Downstops limit how far the suspension arms travel downward, which determines how far upward the chassis rises. This affects the car’s handling
(due to effects on camber and roll-center) and the ability of the tires to “follow” the track. The effects may change with the type of track and/or
amount of grip available.
More suspension travel (lower downstop value) makes the car more responsive but less stable; it is also typically better on a bumpy tracks or tracks
with slow corners. Less suspension travel (higher downstop value) makes the car more stable and is typically better on smoother tracks.
It is very important to have the same downstop settings on the left and right sides of the car.
DOWNSTOPS
FRONT DOWNSTOP
REAR DOWNSTOP
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