Performance Testing
The First Test is being done with one car and one set up. My Shelby GT500. I’ve taken her to Silverstone International Circuit; it’s a short track with a nice high speed corner. I’ve tuned the car with camber and toe; I will run 10 laps with the camber and toe tuned in, & 10 laps with it removed to zero. I will be recording entry speed, minimum cornering speed and exit speed. First I will look at only the fastest lap from each session and compare the two laps side by side. The 2 lap times not to far apart, keep in mind I’m looking at not just the minimum cornering speed, but also the entry and exit speed I started to get interesting results that shed light on a bigger picture.
Silverstone International Circuit
I broke the track down into 9 corners, but the last 2 corners with both set ups I was on throttle from apex to apex so I grouped the last 2 together as 1 corner with 2 apex.
Mustang GT500 at 625pp Sport Soft Tires
This is just going to test a Camber tuned car with the wheel angles removed. This doesn’t have weight on a zero camber tune, I will run a Camber tune car vs a zero camber tuned car in the next session.
Lap Analysis
Turn 1
Got off to a good equal start in both laps hitting the first corner at the exact same speed of 142mph, I hit a slightly lower speed with camber 87mph vs. 88mph with zero Tunes, but I was able to hold more speed through the corner into exit and left the corner faster with camber at 109mph vs. 95mph.
Turn 2
Having left turn 1 with more speed I got into turn 2 faster at 117mph , but zero tune was not far behind going in at 115mph. we hit the same minimum speed in the corner at 109mph, but the Camber tune was able to hold more speed through the corner into exit leaving at 118mph vs. zero tune at 115mph. I held the 3mph advantage into Turn 3
Turn 3
Holding 3mph faster out of turn 2 into turn 3, I got in at 121mph vs. 118mph of zero Tunes. This being a tighter corner involving harder cornering I was able to hold a faster speed at apex, 46mphvs 38mph of zero tune, this is quite a bit. I was able to hold that speed through the corner and left the corner at 60mph with zero tune far behind at 50mph.
Turn 4
With a 10mph advantage leaving turn 3 I held on to 9mph at entry going 72mph vs. zero tune 63mph. The camber tune went a little too hot and had to ease off the throttle only getting up to 80mph at apex through the corner when the zero tune got to 86mph at the same point. The camber tune was still able to hold more speed through the corner and on exit camber tune at 96mph was only 2mph behind zero tune running 98mph.
Turn 5
Right from turn 4 into turn 5 zero tune had a 2mph jump on the camber tune 98mph to 96mph, this tight corner caused trouble for zero tune as it dropped to 43mph at apex when camber tune got through at 50mph. Camber tune holding speed got out at 80mph, zero tune not far behind at 76mph.
Turn 6
After the Long straight building speed, both cars topped at the same speed 164mph. The camber tune going in a little too deep dropped to 73mph, to the 71mph of zero tune, but the camber tune was in deep and wide, and held 73mph for a bit while zero tune got out much better and on exit zero tune got the jump on camber tune by 2mph running 121mph, when camber was trailing with 119mph.
Turn 7
Getting out of turn 6 with a 2mph jump, zero tune held on to the 2mph lead going in at 131mph and camber tune got n at 129mph. this tight corner gave camber tunes cornering power the jump on zero tune cutting it at 43mph to zero tune 38mph. Camber tune held speed through leaving the corner right into the final dual apex turn at 55mph, trailing behind was zero tune at 47mph.
Final Dual Apex Corner
Leaving Turn 7 hot camber tune was right at the final corner entry at 59mph, zero tune was running 53mph, with both set ups holding the throttle open hit the second apex at the same speed, 91mph, but the zero tune makes it out the sweeper a few mph faster than camber tune camber leaving at 102mph when zero tune was at 105mph.
Driving Impressions
Zero Tune did not feel composed or predictable. It was overly difficult to get into power on exit; there was just no grip in the rear to hold any power through the corner and especially not enough grip to go hard on exit. My lap times didn’t level out across the 10 laps as it was not smooth transitioning in and out of the corner. I would understeer in and not be able to throttle through the corner on exit. The only corners that it wasn’t an issue were the fast corner and that last sweeper exit. These corners using the least amount of steering input. When going straight it was very composed and I thought I may gain some grounds on the camber tune here, but the exit speed the camber tune was able to hold was too much and I wasn’t often able to close a gap on the straight or exit, and when I did the camber tune just held more speed through the corner to get out faster. Laps times with zero tune really a bit all over. Zero tune has less grip up front unable to turn in with precision; it required hard steering input at turn in, then corrections to get into the corner, not much ability to put down power in the corners making holding speed in the corner difficult. It won’t drop to as low of a speed in the fast corners, but the tighter the corner the more trouble zero tune had holding speed through into exit.
Camber tune.
Easy driving the whole way through, laps are a few tenth off lap to lap. Smooth in, smooth through, and smooth out. Mainly noticed a much greater ability to keep in the throttle through the corner and get into the throttle hard on exit with a tighter diff putting down more power with the improved grip from the camber. No worries about getting bitten by the rear end or giving too much getting out. Very well composed getting into and out of corners with most often no corrections at transitions, just smooth steering.
Impression
I first notice the corners with the most steering required, the corners where we want improved cornering grip are the corners where the camber tune was considerably faster than zero tune. Even the corners that zero tune didn’t drop to as low of a speed as camber tune, camber tune help more speed through the corner into exit.
With the handling so well balanced keeping on pace lap after lap takes less effort then constantly making corrections getting in, through, and out of every corner except fast corners and sweepers where very very little steering input is required.
If we only look at minimum speed hit in just one corner, we do not get to see the full picture.
