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      03-14-2019, 03:42 AM   #46
NathObeaN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe240 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by NathObeaN View Post
They could have gone a little bit further to confuse people more by explaining that a heavier car will actually provide better grip than a lighter car (in general) due to the weight forcing the tyres into the ground. That, plus weight distribution - having the weight forced into the tyres that are providing drive. Another curveball is that even with a 4WD system, the laws of momentum mean that as the car lifts its nose, more weight/power needs to be sent to the rear so the magic '50/50' weight distribution doesn't necessarily help either. Let's face it, this video could have gone on forever. I feel like the guy from engineering explained should do a follow-up
I believe the 50/50 weight distro is strictly a handling thing, not an acceleration thing.
It is there to benefit handling but what I'm saying is that when a car accelerates quickly, the nose of the car lifts, as do the front wheels. Now, if the car is front wheel drive, 50/50 weight distribution doesn't help. If the car is rear wheel, it doesn't necessarily help either. If the car is front wheel, more weight should be on the front of the car to help keep those wheels planted into the ground. Vice versa for rear wheel. 4WD is a complicated issue depending on how much drive is sent to each wheel but you get the idea.

You'll notice with some drag race videos that front wheel drive cars will spin the tyres as it launches. Unfortunately one of the ways to combat this is to push more weight to the front of the car which then negatively impacts handling and makes the car heavier.

Porsche on the other hand push their engine (and weight) to the back of the car. This helps keep the rear wheels stuck to the tarmac and also improves handling a little bit, partly due to the laws of momentum. But, for handling, the holy grail is mid-engine placement and 50/50 weight distribution.

Basically, all I'm saying is that in the interest of 0-60, the car's weight should be planted over the wheels driving the car.
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