der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 33

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S and Okas and Mike S) maybe it's "minimize distance, then maximize load" changes to the car just because you can or because your buddy said it'll make
after all. As Mike S said, every extra ten feet that you add to your run (by not the car faster. Make changes because you understand how the car is
driving a tight line) adds a tenth of a second to your time.
behaving, how you want it to behave differently, and how to achieve that.
Does that negate Habit 5, "drive it like you stole it"? No, Habit 3 comes Make one change at a time, so you can gauge its effect.
before Habit 5, and Habit 3 was "in slow, out fast". Also, remember that part
A sway bar is more appropriately referred to as an anti-sway bar or an antiof understanding Habit 5 was "where you can go fast, go CRAZY fast". roll bar. It's literally a long, shaped bar (rather like a long handlebar from a
Entering the corners too hot, failing to exit tight to the cone, and pushing way giant bicycle), attached to both sides of the car's front or rear suspension.
to the outside of the exit is not consistent with "where you can go fast".
It connects the left and right sides of the car's suspension. It helps reduce the
Does "minimize distance" mean drive straight
car's body roll during cornering by increasing its roll
from cone to cone? No, the problem with the
stiffness, i.e., by increasing its roll resistance. How
"point-n-shoot method" is that you'll enter the
does it do this? When cornering, the suspension on
corner pinched, and then one of two things will
the "outside" of the corner is being compressed while
happen. Either you'll overbrake to turn the corner
the suspension on the "inside" of the corner is
or you'll end up understeering and "pushing" to the
extending. That is, one side is being pushed down
outside upon exiting the corner. That first outcome
while the other side is lifting up. Pushing down on
(overbraking) results in throwing your momentum
one side and lifting up on the other side results in a
away, and autocross (and track driving) are all
twisting force being applied to the anti-sway bar, due
about keeping your momentum up. The second
to its lever-like shape. (See the diagram.) The antioutcome (understeering / pushing / plowing /
sway bar resists being twisted, and the thicker the bar,
scrubbing at the exit of the corner) results in
the greater that resistance. The anti-sway bar's resist(Above) Speed Academy explains how sway ance to being twisted is what reduces body roll and
wasting time waiting for the car to recover, rather
than accelerating out of the turn. It also results in bars work: As the suspension travels upward
keeps the car "flatter" during cornering. Keeping the
failing to minimize distance. So, don't try to turn on one side, the anti-roll bar twists along its car "flatter" during cornering maximizes the tires'
the course into a series of line segments. length and provides torsional resistance, contact patch against the pavement. Maximizing the
Remember Corollary 2a: think of the course as since it is effectively anchored to the suspen- tires contact patch maximizes grip, and maximizing
sion components on the other side.
being a series of arcs.
grip maximizes the speed at which the car can corner.
There's a lot to absorb here, and it's a balancing act. As I said in previous That's why we use anti-sway bars!
articles, don't try to master everything all at once. Start at the top of the list
But wait, there's more. Autocross rules for stock or "street" class allow
and tackle one thing at a time.
only one aftermarket ant-roll bar: front or rear, but not both. Adding just a
Next, as I've been promising for months, I finally have a little space to talk bigger rear sway bar adjusts the car's handling more to the oversteer side of
about sway bars and a cat-back exhaust. As I've said previously, don't make the spectrum. Adding just a bigger front sway bar adjusts the car's handling
(Below) Lift that inside wheel!

March I April

33


http://speed.academy/how-swaybars-work/

der Bayerische March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of der Bayerische March/April 2020

Intro page
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
THE STEERING COLUMN
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
COMING EVENTS
Join Us at the May HPDE at Summit Point’s Jefferson Circuit
2019’s Penultimate DIY Event for Ultimate Driving Machines at BMW of Sterling
2019 Tours Recap and 2020 Preliminary Tour Schedule
November DIY at Bimmer Werks
Driving Through A Looking Glass And Other Strange Sights
December DIY at Craftsman Auto Care
Meet the BMW CCA Raffle Grand Prize Winner: NCC’s Ben Wibisono
Advantages of a Custom-Installed Radar Detector
2020 BMW X2 M35: The BMW GTI
The Habits of Highly Effective Autocrossers: Habit Nine
NEW MEMBERS LIST
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Intro page
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Cover1
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Cover2
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 1
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - THE STEERING COLUMN
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - COMING EVENTS
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 5
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Join Us at the May HPDE at Summit Point’s Jefferson Circuit
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 2019’s Penultimate DIY Event for Ultimate Driving Machines at BMW of Sterling
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 8
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 9
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 2019 Tours Recap and 2020 Preliminary Tour Schedule
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 11
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - November DIY at Bimmer Werks
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 13
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 14
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Driving Through A Looking Glass And Other Strange Sights
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 16
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 17
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 18
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - December DIY at Craftsman Auto Care
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 20
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 21
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Meet the BMW CCA Raffle Grand Prize Winner: NCC’s Ben Wibisono
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 23
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 24
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Advantages of a Custom-Installed Radar Detector
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 2020 BMW X2 M35: The BMW GTI
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 27
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 28
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 29
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 30
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - The Habits of Highly Effective Autocrossers: Habit Nine
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 32
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 33
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 34
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - NEW MEMBERS LIST
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 36
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Cover3
der Bayerische March/April 2020 - Cover4
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