Set/move engine down and/or back.

[-DA]

Beyond just front/rear weight distribution, what about the benefits of reducing the yaw moment of inertia value by moving the engine back?

As the P.A.T. goes, the crucial factor is how far the mass is from the center of rotation (I total = I + M*d^2). Looking at a first gen F-body with 52/48 front/rear weight distribution, moving a 500lb engine 5" back, from 40" to only 35" forward of the vehicle CG, is comparable to totally removing a 50lb battery from the the engine compartment or trunk (~65" from CG either direction). And, ironically, you could actually increase the moment of inertia value if you placed the battery too far back in the trunk.

So, with the engine moved I know the car would theoretically be easier to turn but how much could you "feel" it on a 3500 lb vehicle? Other than engine placement and suspension components there aren't many big ways to reduce a cars moment of inertia as everything basically has a fixed location. This is where chevy engineers took out two birds with one stone when they rear-mounted the tranny and brought the engine back further...

But the question still stands, would it be worth the headache to move the engine?



-Dave