In most forms of racing, cornering speed is the key to winning. On the street, precise and predictable handling is the key to high performance driving. However, the art and science of engineering a chassis can be difficult to comprehend, let alone apply. Chassis Engineering explains the complex principles of suspension geometry and chassis design in terms the novice can easily understand and apply to any project. Hundreds of photos and illustrations illustrate what it takes to design, build, and tune the ultimate chassis for maximum cornering power on and off the track.

This book details how to design, build, and setup the chassis and suspension for road race and stock cars. Includes chassis dynamics, spring and shock theory, front and rear suspension geometry, real world racing aerodynamics, steering systems, racing chassis software and all you need to know to set you chassis up to win races.

The Full Course RCT book will help you avoid the trial-and-error approach to chassis setup. It will teach you sound, proven technology that is both easy to understand and easy to use, so you can set up your race car in the shop and see the positive results on the track immediately, with very little tweaking. What follows is a common-sense approach to chassis setup, vehicle dynamics and race-car design, founded on solid engineering theory. However, you will need to have an open mind, and be willing to accept new ideas that may go against previous chassis setup thinking. Just to make it clear, the technology presented here applies to all race cars, from quarter midgets to Formula One and everything in between. This book tends to lean towards stock car racing because it represents most of the world's automobile racing. But know that not only will be useful for all forms of circle track racing from asphalt types to dirt cars, a great deal of the technology applies to all race cars.

Hand-selected by racing engineer legend Carroll Smith, the 28 SAE Technical Papers in this book focus on the chassis and suspension design of pure racing cars, an area that has traditionally been - farmed out - to independent designers or firms since the early 1970s. Smith believed that any discussion of vehicle dynamics must begin with a basic understanding of the pneumatic tire, the focus of the first chapter. The racing tire connects the racing car to the track surface by only the footprints of its four tires. Through the tires, the driver receives most of the sensory information needed to maintain or regain control of the race car at high force levels. The second chapter, focusing on suspension design, is an introduction to this complex and fascinating subject. Topics covered include chassis stiffness and flexibility, suspension tuning on the cornering of a Winston Cup race car, suspension kinematics, and vehicle dynamics of road racing cars. Chapter 3 addresses the design of the racing chassis design and how aerodynamics affect the chassis, and the final chapter on materials brings out the fact that the modern racing car utilizes carbon construction to the maximum extent allowed by regulations. These technical papers, written between 1971 and 2003, offer what Smith believed to be the best and most practical nuggets of racing chassis and suspension design information.

A guide to setting up your car for maximum handling performance on the street or strip. This instructional handbook shows readers how to set up their street machine chassis for high performance street or amateur drag strip racing. Not only are chassis and suspension the most popular types of modification, but their technology is constantly evolving. It offers the latest techniques for maximizing car performance on streets and strips. This definitive guide includes in-depth sections on chassis fabrication, rear axle selection and setup, rear and front suspension, shocks and springs, brakes, steering, and wheels and tires.