Corner balancing front to rear?

Can someone explain to me how corner balancing is done on an NSX? I guess with a car that has 50/50 weight distribution you can set up the suspension to give each wheel 25% of the weight. But on a mid engine car like the NSX designed with rake and a heavier rear bias, you'd have to jack the front way up to get the weight equal. Right?

So corner balancing on an NSX is just equalizing the weight left to right?

TURBO2GO said:

So corner balancing on an NSX is just equalizing the weight left to right?

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I thought corner balancing is generally to get the FL+RR to equal FR+RL. Equalizing the diagonal cross balance. Because that's about all you can do by adjusting the suspension.

Is that what it is? Does that always work out correctly? I guess what I am asking is, is it possible to get them to be equalize the cross balance but still screw it up?

I know this is a bit of a noob question for someone with 15,000 posts lol. I've just never had this done and want to understand it fully.

If you are really serious I believe it can be done with you in the car to account for your body weight.

TURBO2GO said:

I guess what I am asking is, is it possible to get them to be equalize the cross balance but still screw it up?

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No doubt someone knowledge (I am not) will chime in. But I imagine one would want to be somewhat careful not to throw off the rake or roll when corner balancing. Hopefully the required adjustments wouldn't be that large anyway but it seems possible.

Thanks. I am curious what percente split is ideal front/rear and how that affects rake. Like do you change the rake for the ideal split? Or is it more important to keep the proper rake?

I'm not sure about Targa cars, but coupes are VERY stiff and just matching the ride heights R-L will get you very close to a 50% cross (FL to RR) or (FR to LR) as jwmelvin has said.

You can achieve a 50% cross and have all of your ride heights goofed up R-L with 1" difference R-L or more. The goal is to get to 50% cross while having the spring perches as close as the same R-L (preferably well within 0.25" from eachother).

Front to Rear weight distribution is dictated by your car. The NSX is inherently a 40/60 distribution and you won't change that unless you add or remove weight in the car. If you take a stock car and add an aluminum front bumper, carbon hood, lithium battery, 02 headlights, 02 abs, etc... its possible to get 38/42 or more distribution. Likewise, leave the front alone, carbon rear decklid and wing, aluminum rear bumper, no rear hatch, etc... its possible to get 42/58 or more distribuiton. Raising the front or the rear will do nothing to transfer static weight distribution to the front or the rear. Same thing with right to left. The right to left balance is dictated by your car and whats in it, but the NSX is pretty even L-R. At the end of the day 40/60 is arguably better than 50/50.

http://www.daliracing.com/v666-5/download/pdf_article/wheel_alignment_ride_height.pdf

http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Performance/cornerbalance.htm

Billy I just installed the JRZ 2-way Race. I have the correct rake and left to right is pretty even. Should I bother going some place for a corner balance or should I just get it aligned? And should I tell the corner balance place anything specific? They may have never seen an NSX, is there any info to give them? The targa seems stiff too. My car balances on 3 jack stands. One is always loose. It's weird...

BTW I have a carbon hood, lithium battery, Titanium exhaust, etc. I'm currently in the high 2700 weight range. With an 05 Targa.



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NSX-Files said:

http://www.daliracing.com/v666-5/download/pdf_article/wheel_alignment_ride_height.pdf

http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Performance/cornerbalance.htm

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Awesome, thanks!!

You don't HAVE TO and if you set them even R-L and have the rake you want then you might be okay. I did this and a year later finally put my car on scales and it was spot on. However, for piece of mind, to know what your car truly weighs, and to know the weight distribution, it would be nice piece of information to have by getting it corner balanced and a copy of the corner weight #s.

Go to a reputable race shop. A car is a car and if they know what they are doing, it shouldnt matter what car it is. But check to make sure the heights R-L are within 0.25" when they are done.

I'd also corner balance it with your weight in the car and 1/2 a tank of gas. Also get the #s for your car with no driver weight and 1/2 tank of gas.

When adjusting rake, should we be using the 32/32 pressure or the stock 40/32 or whatever it is. I've been running 32 cold 38 hot at the track all 4's. I noticed the extra pressure affects the rake measurement. Which is supposed to be 0.75"? Or 0.50?

Depends if you use the OEM ride height measuring locations (inboard control arm lower bolts) or if you go off the easier to measure ground to front and rear jack poi ts (which I typically quote and referr to). From jack points 0-0.5" of rake is a common range targeting 0.25" nose down.

As far as pressures go, you can do whatever you want, the important thing is to measure it the same way each time. I just go off my target hot pressures.

Thanks again billy. The only thing I will set all four to 38 psi and adjust rake. Didn't quite get the "most people go 0-.5 targeting 0.25 nose down". If its 0.5, why would the nose be down 0.25?

Measuring at the jack points, you want 0-0.5" of rake. 0.5" means the front jack point is 0.5# lower than the front (nose-down). But I would target 0.25" of rake (front lower than rear).

I can get it right to 0.25, do you feel that 0.25" is better than 0.5" because of weight balance or aero? Less rake certainly helps when trying to get up driveways

It depends on a ton of factors and is part of your setup as an intertwined system. Its not a stand alone factor. You can change rake to change different aspects of your handling but do it before an alignment.

I'd just set it at 1/8 to 1/4" rake.