Corner Balancing Questions

[mmtmatrix]

Ok, so please don't flame me, but a few questions about corner balancing...

I am getting to ready to put a few more suspension pieces on my s13 hatch (w/interior, full suspension, batt. relocation) and am going to lower the car a bit for summer, ideally I would have the car properly corner balanced, but unfortunately don't see this happening at this time, so my question is, how close can I get it via tricks? How do you guys determine ideal heights?

Any one have any tips to get the car somewhat close? It doesn't have to be perfect (especially since its not a full blown race car). It's definitely off, and I'm just trying to figure out how to get it a bit better since I will be playing with the height regardless. Anyone have any measurements of the frame rail/jacking points front and rear on a similar set up car that's been corner balanced? Or is that just a bad idea to base it off…

Or should I just not worry?

Thanks,
mmtmatrix

[slider2828]

Corner balance is when you sit in the car with normal everyday weight, you get on a scale and each tire should have 25% of the total weight. There isn't a ghetto way of doing it. It requires a shop which has the capabilities of doing corner balance. There isn't really tricks to it, just make sure you aren't rubbing and have good ride height. .. you should be more concerned about what is the right spring rate, and whether if you wanna go full coilovers or not. Too stiff and you lose traction on bumpy roads, too soft and you sacrafice grip. Try to ask people in your area what springs they have and get an idea of what type of ride you want. Basically it. Get sway bars, cause you will feel the difference in handling and everything. Sways, upgrade all bushings, and coilover streets and you will have a good handling machine.

[reflexdb]

you get on a scale and each tire should have 25% of the total weight.

Um...you won't get 25% of total weight on each wheel unless your car has a 50-50 balance. When you corner weight a race car, you try to get as close to possible equal left to right for the front, and as close to equal left to right for the back.

[slider2828]

in general yes... but that is the corner balance idea... you can get pretty close to 25% on each wheel though

[Wiisass]

You don't always want 25% at each wheel. You want the fronts and the rears to be even and you want the crosses to be even, but the front to rear bias can be setup for anything depending on what you want.

If you're going to try and get your car close to balanced at home, first set the car at the heights you want it. It's pretty much arbitrary in this case. Once you get it at the height you want, you need to measure the spring lengths with the car on the ground. Get the fronts as close as you can to the same and then try and do the same with the rear. Keep in mind each adjustment will affect the other wheels. You can't compare the fronts and the rears because the installation ratios are different and will be compressed different amounts even if the same amount of weight is on them.

Doing this might get you close, but it will probably still be off.

[ericb382]

Measure the spring lengths? If your coilovers have threaded shock bodies, you will be measuring your preload not your corner weights.

[Wiisass]

How would you be measuring your preload and not your corner weights? The car is on the ground, the spring compresses the same distance for a given weight no matter what the preload is. I mean the only time it wouldn't was if you had preloaded the spring so much the force in the spring was greater than the weight of the car at that corner. But if you do that, you're a moron.

[ericb382]

I guess my 9/8 kei's just don't compress much lol. You could add a couple hundred pounds to one side and I don't think you could measure the differance in spring height.

[Wiisass]

You can definitely measure the difference even with a tape measure. A 9k spring is around 500lb/in. Meaning for every 500 pounds applied to the spring it will move 1". So your springs don't compress too much, but it's definitely measureable. If you can't measure it then something is wrong.

[Broaner]

You want left to right but the main thing they aim for is the corner to corner weight. ei: Left rear to right front should be equal to Left front to right rear. The logic behind this eludes me right now.

[aznpoopy]

you don't want them to be equal. if you set the cross corners equal you could end up with a badly balanced car. it would also be impossible for FF and MR cars to be corner balanced.

you want the ratios to be the same.

right front/left rear = left front/right rear

note that having your car corner weighed may make your car look a little funny when it's parked.

[Wiisass]

No, you want the sum of the left front and right rear to be the same as the sum of the right front to left rear.

[aznpoopy]

edit: i made a typo above

you are correct

the ratios i meant was RF/RR = LF/LR, so weight distribution f/r is the same on both sides of the car

[redsuns3838]

i just measured with a ruler on my coilovers how much to drop both L and R front, and Land R rear. then i eyeballed it if the fronts and rears were at the same height.
i had the car aligned and weighed and i got within 1.5% of each other, but yeah theres really no half ass way to do it, u either pay 100 or whatever and have it done, or dont get it done.

in my case alex at G dimension (who did my align and weigh) told me there was no point to do it on my crappy stock wheels since im not tracking the car. but now that i got my new NS01s and new tires on, with some RUCAs, its time to go back and get it done.

[giant killer]

:duh: :Owned: :blah: :blah: :blah: :fruit: :cj: :mepoke:

i feel dumber for having read this post.. basically there are tricks that you can do to get very close.. but it's coilovers dawg.. slam that bitch...