wider rear track handling discussion.......

[Chris Coracini <Coracin@usdl.com>]

ok, i've gotten lots of mail about this.  so far, two people have
responded that they have 15mm spacers on the rears, both claim to not
notice any difference at all and one guy has gone 80,000 km on them with
no problems (these are spacers behind the wheel, not the stub axle...).
the rest responded saying that it will adversely affect handling, namely
the car will understeer/push more.  i'll grant that as being true, i'm
sure this is known to people that race their cars.  i'm having a hard
time seeing why being FWD that it would matter that much, most of the
traction comes from the front wheels, the rears just follow.  if it
understeers more, that being the case, could the understeer be
compensated for?  i really don't see why not...  installing a larger
rear bar?  

i still don't see why it would make a big difference.  i'm sure it will,
but it should be very subtle...  i've read an article about something
else, though, that no one has mentioned.  it's "cross weight" (i think
that's what it's called).  in other words, you have the weight
distribution front/rear, and side/side, but also diagonally across the
car (front left to right rear/front right to left rear).  apparently
this affects the handling too, and maybe this is the reason widening the
rear track does that....  imagine the car rocking on the front right and
left rear wheels, i can visualize that a wider rear track would have a
different effect....  i know some of you racers/auto-x'ers out there
have heard of this and know a lot more about it than i do....

right now i'm still debating it.  why wouldn't increasing the rear track
AND adding a stiffer rear roll bar balance each other out?  i hope i'm
not coming off as a jerk, i'm just naturally inquisitive....  thanks for
all the input on this!

chris
86 16V scirocco

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