The leaf spring definitely has it's use. But in a sports car, it's use is to cut cost and weight. you have one leaf parallel to the axle. The adjustability is not there with the leaf. Hence why the GT1 vette does not have it. Might the leaf be the reason why the GT2 class vettes don't win? the power is there for sure.

As for torsion bar, that is way more adjustable and independent from side to side, not even close to a leaf and more long the adjustability of coil overs.

 

When you find a GT race car running F1 suspension let us know, but the two are not always cross compatible.

Where could you put coilovers on modern F1 cars?

 

Older F1 cars and many other race cars do use coils. Due to the limited suspension travel of modern F1 car suspension (most of the travel is in the tire sidewalls) they can use short, friction free torsion springs.

 

Exactly which is why you can't compare the two. The older cars with the coilovers had vision being blocked and it would never have worked with the aero of todays cars. What I'm getting at is two different applications where F1 has moved to a place the GT racing will never keep up with.

F1 has exceeded the ability of a driver to heel/toe down through 7 gears while facing 3+ g's of braking force for hours at a time, so they have to have 7 speed paddle shift trannies. In GT racing you can still use a sequential with an actual shifter as opposed to paddles and stay within the drivers ability.

Open wheel racing has basic concepts that apply to GT racing but specifics cannot be directly related because there are two completely different levels of both mechanical and aero grip reliance. F1 cars cant operate on tracks with ANY bumps on them and they can barely use any curbs. In GT cars, that is not the case.

 

Why isn't it a good idea in a sports car? Yes, the adjustability isn't great in factory form but it isn't there in most coil over shocks either. You can actually adjust them via change in the mounts and changes in the outboard part that connects to the suspension arm. From the factory the rear suspension ride height is adjustable with the equivalent of adjustable spring perches.
As Carroll Smith says, they don't use leaf springs in race cars due to the availability of different springs. Leaf spring are rather expensive to tool. Coils are very cheap to tool so alternative rates or sizes are easy to come by. The same can't be said for the leaf which must be custom wound and molded.
Incidentally, it was not selected because it was cheaper. The leaf cost significantly more than a set of coils. That is the reason few companies use them. When they actually are used its due to their superior fatigue life or due to packaging considerations (as in the Corvette). Cost aside they have no downside aside from perhaps perception.

The GT class wins as often as not have to do with how the rules handicap a particular car.

 

I understand and agree with what you are saying. My point in bringing up the torsion spring in the first place is basically to challenge the notion that coils are the only good idea in springs.

 

I find this arguement . It is obvious that each of these cars are great in their own way and the fact that people are trying to "defend" a porsche against a Z06 is funny.

We could have all bought a Z06 instead (or some have both) but choose the porsche for the very reasons that a Porsche turbo has the reputaion and heritage that it deserves.

In stock form the C6 Z06 is a rare beast and we all know that. If you want great trap speeds just buy a used supra and put about $9000 into and run 140mph traps all day (from a 3.0L)

 

This wasn't about coil overs but more leaf springs, think stage coach :-)

 

stage coach





I will say the the Corvette gets the job in the handling department done albeit more with superior weight/power ratios more than anything else.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavychevy

Simply because they arent and there are a lot of guys that can drag a corvette. And remember trap speed is not as driver dependent as ET.

Weights/numbers don’t lie and say your wrong all day. A driver that can't drive very good would be able to get a better trap speed or same over a driver having the touch being able to ET with the same car. Heck, a person knowing what he is doing at the track could show you how to manipulate a car's trap speed by 2,3, even 4 MPH higher than the norm.

ET is made in a car's short time, not the driver unless we are talking about missed shifts if driving a manual. Other than that, you can put a teenager behind a car that will short time and ET will be there. Of course, working a high HP car and or TQ curve out of the hole will be a driver's touch but more variables can say otherwise and by saying 440 in a 3100 pound car will not do the aforementioned trap speeds and supporting this by saying other drivers can't or haven’t so it isn’t feasible for the car is kind of funny.

My grandmother probably couldn’t drive some of the cars I have had as fast as everyone else at the track therefore the car can’t go a stated MPH.

 

I finished it for you, ha ha. I kid I kid!

 

Two different things you state can't be compared in one thread.

 

Well in that case, put about $5K in a 2.3L (2.6L bore) Mustang SVO (from back in the day) and do the same trap speeds.


Oh and for your middle comment regarding tradition... read my correction to sideview's post above. LOL, sorry... I can't help myself.

 

That was a bunch of gibberish. You can use your hp calculators all day but the fact is that there just aren't a number of cars trapping those speeds. PERIOD.

A car doesn't short time by itself you know, most guys that can launch can shift and therefore are usually the fastest ones. Not only that but a lot of those times are mixed with powershifting too so no, your teenager would not be able to match the ET.

And we arent talking about the norm, we are talking about the fastest guys, and Jamie wouldnt get into their cars and trap 4 mph higher than they are.


Oh yeah and learn how to use the multi-quote feature Einstein.

 

This is the best argument over apples and oranges I've seen on this forum in a while...making me hungry