jzr

Well, the loads are low relative to the lower control arms for one, and also relatively low compared to other designs that aren't able to get the upper ball joint as high as the S2000's.

If you look at the vertical distance to the hub center, you'll see that the lower ball joint is at a much closer distance than the upper. The result of this is the lower control arm takes the brunt of the lateral and longitudinal forces, with the upper arms there mostly just to dictate the camber curve and to counteract the brake moment (and the engine torque moment in the rear).

You can see how much lower the forces are in the upper arms vs. the lowers just by comparing how light and spindly the uppers are compared to the beefy lowers.

Really, the biggest flaw in this design isn't that it won't work, but that generally there isn't a lot of room around the upper a-arms, especially on lowered cars, and the bolt heads tend to start hitting stuff earlier and in places the stock upper arms wouldn't. Rod ends inboard with stock low-profile upper ball joint is the best way to go for a race car, IMO.

stocky

OK with that but on strut cars there is wayyyy less load on these plates.

in the germann VLN race series on the Nuerburgring some race team even exchanged the whole S2k front suspension for a strut type version from the Porsche 996 I believe because the original structure was not strong enought to withstand the long distance racing on the ring

superslows2k

i wasn't on your .... about anything, was just informing people that it cost more than what was posted so they wouldn't be disappointed about price when they find out

krazik

stock you've got to be kidding me.

They run struts on formula cars because a-arms are week?

stocky

No not on formula cars, on the S2000.
And not because the a arms are weak but the upper fixing structure (as we know)

krazik

yes I know not of a formula car. And replacing our suspension w/ inferior struts is plain stupid when our upper mounts just need a little bead welding and -maybe- some bracing.

Just because some race team did it, doesn't instantly mean its right.

-Ry

Enthralled

krazik, what are you doing up so early...?

McHeizer

any idea how the bushing size (diameter) will be designed?
same as OEM?

I know they will be monoball, just trying to find out if there is a possibility to exchange them to (stiff) rubber ones

stocky

Rylan, I dindnt say it was right, just telling what I saw.

BUT Porsche run struts! (dont say either that Porsches are best )

Porsche Germany as per example is pretty upset about the fact that a race team is now using the cayman as race car base which porved to be as fast as the 996/997 on last race because they want theyre 911's on 1 st position marketingwise.

But teh cayman clearly is the better car.

Haveing the engin right on or even behint the rear train isnt really the best solution.
911s are fast and haven been fast ever but their concept is not perfect.

having driven teh cayman S shortly I have to say it is perfectly blanced!

The 996 GT3 per example is lots of understeer by nature bcaue of all teh weigth in the back

McHeizer

who is that?
Uwe Alzen?