Mods for driving on rough surfaces

[wrcamaro]

For driving (racing) on uneven surfaces, gravel, wet surfaces, mud, potholes, dirt, etc. what mods are helpful?

Is it possible to get decent performance out of a solid rear axle on these surfaces?

What steering components and systems would be strong enough to take that kind of abuse?

I'm interested in ideas for my car specifically (68 camaro) or just in general.

Thanks

[homerneedspeed]

it would have to be set up like a rally car; soft springs firm shocks, and tall hard sidewall tires

[wally8]

Well it doesn't get much rougher than your typical dirt oval on a heavy night.

It's hard to spec out actual components but remember that compliance is the key. Soft springs, compliant tires, etc. There are special shocks for rough tracks from AFCO. The valving changes according to velocity.

Is this asphalt? I find it hard to believe you'd be racing on anything that's considered rough unless it was dirt or something like that.



Wally

[wrcamaro]

This is for rally racing. Asphalt, gravel, and dirt roads.

[wally8]

Ah, I see. I've always thought that type of racing was pretty cool. I grew up in the land of gravel roads and spent a fair amount of time doing my own rally racing :-)

Have you found any forums discussing Mitsubishi and Subaru rally suspensions? I don't know of any either but that's where I'd start. Look into the rough track shocks too.


Wally

[homerneedspeed]

for info on suspension on rally cars contact Vermont Sportscar or Autosport Engineering , or the manufacturers of the suspension such as Pro-Flex, Ohlins , or Drummond Motorsport (wich is the most common and what we run on our car) here is a forum on rallying
http://www.specialstage.com/

[wrcamaro]

yeah, i grew up in an area with a lot of dirt roads so i think that's why rally racing sorta speaks to me
nothin like pushing it on gravel

here's what i've come up with so far...
make the car stiff as hell
spend the most money on the shocks
don't use a sway bar so the wheels can move independent from each other
use stiff springs to compensate for no sway bar
skid plate
comments?

for my car specifically I think the scrub radius would be an area that needs improvement for use on rough and uneven surfaces. any ideas on how to go about doing that?

would the idler arm, pitman arm, etc steering system be able to take serious abuse?

of the various solid axle suspensions what would work best?

lotta questions, i know.
thanks

[homerneedspeed]

you don't need stiff springs we run 280lb springs on a production gt wrx and have no problems, you need inverted shocks that are stiff as hell. we run DMS 50mm struts and haven't ever bottomed out enough to upset the car.