Rams Eye The Track Guy

Posts

Limited Slip Differential Types Compared

BMW M2 equipped with an eLSD - BMW © A few weeks ago, I posted about traditional clutch-type limited slip diffs (LSD's) and how they work. You can read about those in the previous post: How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track . But as you might know or have learned from reading the article, they aren't without their faults, which means engineers are always working to get around those limitations. You may not be surprised to learn that something like the Ferrari 488 GTB doesn't use a traditional limited slip diff, but it's not limited to super cars, far from it. Cars like the Golf GTI, the Civic Type R, various Mustangs, Corvettes, and BMW M cars, and even the Lexus RC F and GS F, all avoid a traditional limited slip diff in favour of one of these technologies. To keep things simple, I'll focus on two wheel drive vehicles. The vast (vast) majority of principles apply to all and 4 wheel drive vehicles, but there are some subtle differences that I'll...

Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R Track Review

2012 Boss 302 on square 305/30/19 RE-71R's at AMP - Graham MacNeil © For better or for worse, I have heard and read so much about RE-71R's. Everyone swears by the grip but complains about the wear. Generally speaking, the pros are: 1. They grip as well or better than most R comps. 2. They don't wear as quickly as R comps if driven occasionally on the street. 3. They work better in the rain than R comps. The cons were limited to overheating quickly when used on track (being an autocross tire) and wearing too fast on heavy cars like mine. In the popular 200 TW category, they are faster than the popular Hankook RS-4's and BFGoodrich Rival S's according to published Tire Rack Tests. According to plenty of reviews, they are also faster than well established R comps like R888R's (which don't seem to work too well on heavy cars anyway) and the venerable NT01's. But I was still hesitant for a while until I talked to a tire tech support gentleman...

Stock Suspension S197 Mustang With Square 305/30/19's

If you've had any doubts about whether or not they will fit, fear not! You absolutely can run square 305/30/19's. I had a lot of doubts before pulling the trigger, even more so when the wheels where on the car. The tires do poke out a bit and I figured rubbing is all but guaranteed at full compression but I couldn't be happier I trusted APEX and those on here who have run it. Here's what you need: 1. Camber plates: I have MM C/C plates and they are maxed out at -2.3 deg with the stock struts. I have been running them for years with many track days without issue. 2. 1"/25 mm spacer: I have Motorsport-tech 1" spacers and they look like high quality units. There is maybe a 1/4 inch clearance in the back so you can't go any narrower than 25 mm. http://www.motorsport-tech.com/adaptec/car/ford_s and you want Design 2. Motorsport Tech 1" Mustang Hub-centric Spacers 3. Elongated studs: your best bet is to get the FPP hubs with elongated studs...

Everything You Need to Know about the $60k Mid-engine C8 Corvette

By now, you've probably heard one of the most incredible things about the new Corvette. It isn't the mid-engine layout. It's actually the price. It will start just under $60,000 USD (and under $70,000 CAD according to GM Canada Media website). Of course, that number alone means nothing if you aren't getting something special. So the question is: what are you actually getting for $60k? Let's dive right in. The Drivetrain Although most publications were anticipating the new Cadillac twin-turbo V8 called "Blackwing" until recently, I predicted last October that the base engine will likely be a revised version of the LT1 V8 in the current C7 Corvette "making anywhere between 480 and 500 hp." The C8 Corvette Stingray (at least until Z versions start coming out) will be powered by a revised 6.2 litre V8 named LT2. The engine will make 495 hp and 470 lb-ft. torque with the Performance Exhaust. The base version hp isn't announced but it wil...