>A portion of this down force is taken up by suspension compliance
This assertion is absurd. Weight added to a car, whether added by adding
mass or by adding downforce, must go to the tire patches. It can't be
"absorbed".
>so the
>contact patch isn't increased all that much.
True. The increase in corning ability with downforce comes not from
increased area of tire patch, but from the simple reason that there is more
WEIGHT on the tire patch.
>A well tuned autocross
>suspension isn't all that stiff.
Not relevant to the weight added by downforce. What is relevant is that
downforce loads the suspension (SCCA does not allow suspension wings!) and
changes ride height and thus geometry.
>Cornering ability
>is still a product of good suspension engineering more so than
>downforce.
Downforce is a consideration all its own. Consider that you are adding
weight without adding mass. That is magic. More weight for stick without
more mass for centrifugal force to work on.
And yes, centrifugal force DOES exist from the point of view of the car.
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
Lotus Europa, VW Quantum Syncro, Chev Suburban
LOON, TCVWC, MAC
pethier@isd.net http://www.visi.com/mac/
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