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Circle Track Analyzer v3.6 for Windows User`s Manual

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1. 102 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Changing the scales Many times you may want to change the scale of the X or Y axis This may be to show an area in more detail or to match the scales of a previous graph The Engine Analyzer has several ways to change the scales as shown in Figures 3 11 and 3 12 Figure 3 11 Changing Scales for the X or Y Axis Clicking on these buttons zooms in or zooms out on the graph either vertically or horizon tally Hold down the shift key to produce faster action Click here to restore auto scaling That is where the computer picks the scale to show all the graph in Clicking on these buttons shifts goon octal the graph left right up or down Hold down the shift key while clickina produces faster action te Circle Track Analyzer 3 0 BUSCH NA ZRT Back File Format View Help F1 Data_To_Graph history LAST raph a Bele AA edeli ie iven sascaes Click on View then either Zoom or Specify Scales axes or the Set Scales button to obtain the menu shown in Figure 3 12 on the next page RP IVI m last results Eng RPM 20 00 25 00 30 00 Seconds 4500 00 F 15 00 You can use the mouse to outline an area to be zoomed in on Simply click on the mouse key in the upper left corner of the area then hold the key down and drag the mouse to the lower right corner of the desired area A box will be
2. Help Comments Click here Click here to open the Vehicle Limited Late Model Library to pick a new vehicle to 500 Holley 2 BBL gives about 400 HP 7500 to display work with Dillon front suspension layout the menu shown in Figure 1 2 Astar e amp A I Z Micro GJ Explo Ki Grap e Cir GO 1 13PM From this main menu you can e Choose to review or modify any of the categories of vehicle specifications displayed e Open or Save a file of complete vehicle specifications by clicking on the Open or Save buttons first 2 buttons on the left or the File menu item then either Open or Save e Add edit or review vehicle comments to describe the vehicle currently held in the program e Calculate vehicle performance from the options listed under Running Conditions From here you can specify calculation options weather conditions track specs driver types etc e Change the Preferences options to somewhat customize the program for you C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction E gt EE gt EEEeEeeeeeEE gt yx y EEEEEE _E gt gt e e Get HELP to explain these options by clicking on Help or pressing lt F1 gt e Quit the program by clicking on File then Exit or click on the Quit button All these options are explained in detail in Chapters 2 and 3 In the Main Menu s blue title bar you will notice the current Vehicle is LATEMODL
3. Important Current Specs These are some current settings of critical specs If the program does arrive at acceptable specs which must be accurate BEFORE using this menu you will be shown a summary of the new Engine Cubic Inches 355 specs the program found and how close the Track Type Use Specs Below program matched performance as shown in Track Surface Asphalt Track Length 1980 Figure 2 58 You can then load these specs Track Infield Width 500 into the menus for this vehicle Track Banking 8 This process can save a good deal of cut and try on your part to get your vehicle specs Help Cancel Clear Entries adjusted Example 4 2 shows the Match My 90 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Lap Times process in more detail Lowest Engine RPM in Turns Enter the lowest RPM you see in the turns This gives the program an idea of how slow the car must go to make the turn Highest RPM Before Braking Enter the highest RPM you see immediately before you brake This gives the program an idea of how for you get into the corner before you brake and some idea of the shape of the power curve Lap Time Figure 2 58 Results of Match My Lap Times Enter the car s lap time for this particular track Modifications Required to Match your Performance Performance from New Specs Adjust Power Specified Lap Time Highest RPM Lowest RPM cine if Needed Vehicle
4. Value If the calculated value is within expected limits it will be loaded into the original menu If you click on Cancel you will be returned to the Be eee eee et eee ee original menu with the original value unchanged If you click on Help you will be given a general explanation of calculation menus and a page in this section for more info about the particular menu you are using The input values or calculated values in any calculation menu have NO affect on calculated performance unless you load the Calculated value into the original menu If you already know a spec in the form required by the program then you have no need to use the calculation menu For example if you know the Relative Humidity is 88 then you have no need to use a calculation menu to calculate Relative Humidity from say wet and dry bulb temperatures 70 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Example Assume you want to calculate a power curve for your car but you know very little about the engine You could click on the Calculate menu item in the Engine Specs menu You will be presented with the menu shown in Figure 2 40 Engine Cubic Inches is already available from the Engine Specs menu and this value is already loaded into the Calculation Menu Since the Cubic Inches of 355 is accurate for your engine you leave it as is Note that most inputs are disabled except Calc Based On a
5. Appendix 1 Accuracy and Assumptions Background The Circle Track Analyzer was developed as a e Tool to help predict effects of certain engine and vehicle modifications for engine builders racers and performance enthusiasts e Theoretical Race Track to allow anyone to try things which are too expensive difficult dangerous or impossible with a real vehicle e Learning aid for those who want to better understand vehicle dynamics during full power acceleration The Circle Track Analyzer will provide you an engineering estimate of what should occur when general modifications are made based on the principles of vehicle dynamics and physics By seeing all the specifications which go into the calculated results you may have a false sense that the computer knows your vehicle exactly what manufacturer s tires you are using who built the chassis what your 4 link settings are etc Actually the computer does not know if the specifications are for a production Yugo or a Earnhardt s 3 car A good analogy to the Circle Track Analyzer is a cylinder head flow bench A flow bench can not predict exact torque and HP curves but is still a vital tool for engine development In the same way use the Circle Track Analyzer results as a guide or second opinion of how your vehicle should perform under near optimum conditions Iterations Before we talk about accuracy it is important for you to understand the types of calculations going on inside t
6. Installed angle of spring measured between spring centerline and vertical in degrees Positive angles tip in toward car centerline at top Spring to Axle in Distance from axle centerline to center of the spring mount pad in inches If the spring is behind the axle enter a negative number 51 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Front Pivot to Axle in Distance from axle centerline to attachment point of the trailing arm on the body in inches Pnhd Bar to Centerline in Distance from car centerline to the Pan Hard bar or J bar pivots on the frame in inches For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline Panhard Bar Heights in Distance from ground to the Pan Hard bar or J bar pivots on the frame in inches Leaf Springs If you select Leaf Springs the Spring Rates and Tire to Centerline are the same as described in the Trailing Arm Truck Arm section except you would enter the spring rate calculated for a leaf spring With Leaf Springs only measurements from one side are used because the program assumes leaf spring suspensions are symmetrically laid out same measurements left and right However you can still specify a different spring rate and tire track left and right Spring to Centerline Distance from the center of the leaf spring to the centerline of the car in inche
7. Transistion Handling Rating for 7 deg Banking Classic Lateral Load Transfer 38 9 Front HEAVY Oversteer loose _ Report on Details _ _Help_ Note Understeer a number above 55 is Safer than Oversteer Find Classic Handling Click on Show Dynamic Handling to see corer weights in Transistion and a more detailed handling analysis which includes cross weight and aerodynamic effects Click on Show Dynamic Handling to update rating currently 2 74 UnderSteer Show Dynamic Handling Dynamic Handling rating of 2 74 Understeer which includes cross weight Click here to update the aerodynamic and other effects Note that Dynamic Handling rating and this is completely different than the to display the screen below Classic handling rating which only considers lateral load weight transfer i Circle Track Analyzer 3 5 Suspension Analysis Screen LATEMODL 355 Back Options Print Reports Help This is a Front View left side of screen is actually right side of car Baseline Title single kevin3 results shown in pink lt gt 7 deg Bank Angle Spring Spring 469 RPM 4691 Aerodynamic Downforce loads for both the front and rear axles tires Also include are the loads for the Baseline condition a condition which you have selected to be your fear Baseline for comparisons iiy Cross Dynamic Handling Rating of Overst
8. Filg vkhicle CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences a Open ehicle Library Calculate Lap Times Find Best Gear Ratio n Name of chosen Save Mehic MAAE Z Vehicle currently i 42 ehicles in Library Chosen Vehicle File busch4 e highlighted in Vehicle __ Vehicle List Preview v1 2 in Library Dbi nam Preview of RE 1700 Vehicle chosen busch ry rsd BR a75 busch st ar 1 PNG busch st rtd Click and drag slide bar to view all vehicles in list Sao Single click on Help g Click here t vehicle to Library to p choose it for work with preview Double click to immed iately open it Click here to Click here to bring up standard at chosen Windows File Open screen to let you FAGE open a file in most any folder Click here to delete chosen Vehicle directory and disk drive Click here to close the Vehicle Library with No chanaes without openina a vehicle Click here to bring up on screen 106 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Open a Vehicle File To open a vehicle file saved in the Library either e Click on the Open button e Click on the File vehicle menu item and then on the Open Vehicle options from the list You will obtain the window shown on the previous page Single click on one of the vehicles in the list or click and drag the slide button on the right side of the list to display more vehicles On
9. 5 8 93 116 153 161 164 174 175 192 Angle 22 23 30 33 35 36 38 42 44 51 120 157 158 Anti Dive 191 192 Anti roll bar rear 191 Arm Len amp Angle 30 42 157 158 Arm Length 31 87 185 Aspect Ratio 81 Assumptions 6 3 7 15 16 25 36 37 46 52 66 68 72 115 118 128 139 165 167 168 171 Axle Ratio 6 127 133 135 136 143 Back Color 105 Background Car Layout Color 43 Background Color 188 Balance 191 Bank Angle 24 64 90 Barometer 60 61 62 Baseline 8 117 118 119 127 133 162 163 171 185 192 Beginner 13 42 57 Big Bar Soft Spring 192 Brake Aggressiveness 64 C G 76 77 Calc Lap Times 59 Index Calculation Menu 5 1 9 16 70 71 87 88 142 143 144 191 Calibrate 138 Camber 30 37 41 43 44 46 154 155 156 157 158 160 162 173 179 185 187 Camber Changes with New Inputs 30 43 Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs 30 43 Camber Gain 41 43 44 155 156 157 158 160 173 185 Car Length 115 118 CCs 15 74 Cd 22 23 Centerline 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 49 51 52 53 54 56 120 122 168 173 CG 20 121 122 Chain 21 78 79 Chain Drive 78 Circle Track Analyzer 1 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 11 16 17 18 25 26 41 42 57 65 66 72 90 93 96 106 107 109 110 112 116 119 127 137 138 140 144 146 149 152 153 164 165 166 167 169 170 171 191 Circumference
10. Baseline spring compression and tire weights are printed in pink Baseline tire weights are graphed as a pink outline bar and Baseline RPM is drawn on the tach and printed Track Position lower left corner This section shows the car s approximate position on the track The results always start at the beginning of Turn 2 and that is where the Yellow line indicating the distance the car has traveled also starts The position is only approximate because the track is drawn the same even if the actual track is long and narrow tight or short and wide open Printed inside the track is the MPH distance in Feet and elapsed time If you are also displaying the Baseline condition the Baseline MPH Feet and Time are also printed Below the track an estimate is made of how far ahead or behind the Baseline condition is from the current Test Results in Car Lengths Friction Circle middle bottom A Friction Circle is a useful way to analyze how hard the tires are working in all 3 directions accelerating cornering and braking For example if a tire has enough traction to provide G of acceleration it probably also has enough traction to provide 1 G of braking and 1 G of cornering If the driver has enough engine and braking to accelerate and brake at 1 G and if the driver was using all the available traction from this tire you would see his current acceleration dot somewhere on the 1 G circle Any time the car was not on the 1 G cir
11. Edit Titles Legend Grid Style Grid Style Back Color DE Click on Line Style to change the thickness of the graph lines Click on Grid Style to change or omit the drawing of grid lines on the graph 104 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output _____ SSS SSS Sa aa a Back Color Click on Back Color to change the background color of the graph from white black or gray 105 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 3 3 Vehicle amp file Library The Circle Track Analyzer allows you to save a set of vehicle specifications to the Vehicle Library under a name of your choosing You can then open these vehicles out of the Vehicle Library in the future for comparison or modification The Open window is shown on the next page with explanations Note You can also save sets of Engine Front Suspension and Rear Suspension specs to their own separate libraries This is done very similarly as with the Vehicle Files except you click on File then Open from the individual Engine Front Suspension and Rear Suspension menus Figure 3 14 Vehicle Library Options Click on Open button or File vehicle then Open to display Vehicle Library shown here Save option also available after clicking on File vehicle Click on Save button to save current Vehicle specs to Library Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends BUSCH NA ZRT Total Vehicles
12. RPM during the run as 6537 and 3580 Your car actually drops to a lower RPM in the corners down to 3400 RPM and revs to 6300 before braking 148 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Figure 4 28 Results for First Try Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends LA EMODL 355 K Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Click here for History Log shown below Summary shows 14 04 1e xJ seconds and Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Coef Agressive Driving i a Click on Notes for more Details Comments 45 6 3580 46 1 3620 48 0 3772 50 5 3970 53 2 E 4180 55 9 4396 E 58 7 4616 1 75 134 61 6 4837 2 00 158 64 4 7 5058 2 25 182 67 1 5276 TET 355 Sun Mar 7 99 12 08 pm latemodl 355 Sun Mar 7 99 12 08 pm latemodl 355 Sun Mar 7 99 12 08 pm latemodl 355 Sun Mar 7 99 11 58 am latemodl 355 Sun Mar 7 99 11 57 am latemodl 355 Sun Mar 7 99 10 21 am latemodl 355 Sun Mar 7 99 9 27 am Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to retrieve specs which produdedjthose results Click in other columns for definitions Highest and lowest RPMs Mx and Mn RPM are shown in the History Log also Match My Lap Times Feature NewLapTime 14 04 MPH 64 1 LastLap Time 14 34 628 64 1 MPH Improvement 30 13 faster than 14 5 second laps Lowest RPM 81 i a 64 minimum 49 or Mn RPM is shown as the first EngRPM at the st
13. See how much diagonal cross weight you are dialing into or out of the car 176 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A4 Analyze Suspension Screen Results a Circle Track Analyzer 3 2 Suspension Analysis Screen Back Options Print Reports Continuous Single Step Ahead Single Step Back Help This is a Front View left side of screen is actually right side of car Left Baseline Title Y3 2 results shown in pink lt gt ae 16 deg Bank Angle 9 Q 4696 RPM 4696 100 Gas Roll 0 82 deg 0 39 Dive 0 69 inches 0 71 Rt Camber 5 04 deg 5 05 Lt Camber 62 deg 0 66 Static Dyn 491 52 Rear 551 45 Left 51 5 55 Cross Friction Circle in Gs Tum2 Accelerating 639 MPH jf 1058 Feet eons aoe 1058 i a i 9 62 Sec 9 62 Astan ctadoc 2 Adobe Acr E CTAMANL cTa20 A Cicle Trac amp Circle Tr REMET 9 02 4M The baseline condition here is w Circle Track Analyzer 3 2 Suspension Analysis Screen the Preference for Independent Back Options Print Reports Continuous Single Step Ahead Single Step Back Help Rear Suspension with the New ay baal So leon omar area condition being a solid axle Notice how the right rear shows Bask Ge Bonk Angie about 30 pounds less load when accelerating with Solid Axle With the more accurate stiffer wheel rates this vehicle shows only 2 6 inches of dive With old Version 2 0 s
14. amp Height Length and Angle If you want to change the height of the Rt Upper Ball Joint but use the same arm arm length stays the same you can start adjusting the Rt Upper Ball Joint X dimension until you get back the original length of 7 16 inches For example after a few tries you d find that an Upper Ball Joint X of 21 25 inches would produce a length of 7 16 inches If you click on Options at the top of the Main Screen you will see that the first option Enter X amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Joints is checked This means you enter the X and Height readings of both ends of the arms and the length is calculated from those readings If you select its alternate option Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle then you could change the Height at the Upper Ball Joint and the mount at the frame would change as necessary to hold the length of the arm and its angle constant You could then change the Angle of the arm to produce most any X or Height at the Frame Mount Changing Specs Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle Option Lets try this Click somewhere outside the menu choices of Figure 1 5 to close these choices without changing them Then click on the 20 9 and type in 20 4 and press lt enter gt to return it to its original value Camber Gain should go back to 81 and Stc static Camber should go back to 2 5 Now click on Options and then on the Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle option You will b
15. box in the upper _Lancel_ left corner to close this screen The program will ask you if you want to save these results as a Baseline Answer Yes because we will compare this setup to the one where we raised the Right Upper Ball Joint 5 inches See Figure 4 46 Figure 4 47 Entering Baseline Title The program will take some times while it saves these Baseline Title x results then it asks you for a name for these results Enter something meaningful as shown in Figure 4 47 Current Conditions were saved as the Baseline Click on Back at the Test Results screen to return to Enter some title for this the Main Screen Click on Front Suspension and Baseline change the Right Upper Ball Joint Height from 20 4 to 20 9 as we investigated before Then calculate Lap Times and click on Suspension Analysis You may not automatically get the Baseline results shown with the new results If not click on Options and then Show Baseline Upper Ball Joint at 20 4 baseline 162 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 48 Suspension Analysis Comparing Change to Baseline Click on Options then Show Baseline to compare saved Baseline to current results Note that Roll and Dive have increased primarily because wheel rate dropped with new Upper Ball Joint Ht even though roll center increased slightly Right spring compression has increased due to drop in wheel rate Circle Track Analy
16. if the Front Lateral Load Distribution is 50 that means the 179 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices E weight transfer split between front and rear is the same and that should produce neutral handling The book Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by Milliken and Milliken with assistance by Terry Satchell discusses this concept in detail This concept is similar to the idea of balancing the front and rear roll angles presented in recent magazine articles Figure A7 shows the program displaying the FLLD for the current vehicle currently 43 4 which would tend to oversteer during the transition between releasing the brakes and going to the throttle at the apex of the turn transistion between braking and power During braking and under acceleration the weight transfer is much more complicated and the FLLD concept can not be as easily applied Figure A7 New Options at Main Screen Corner Jacking brings up screen of Figure A10 E Circle Track Analyzer v3 5 Performance Trends LATEMODL 355 TE File vehicle Results Help Preferences Reg To Kevin Gertgen aaa Open ehicle Library Calculate Lap Times Find Best Gear Ratio Save Vehicle to Library Match My Lap Times Y4 FLLD value for this car is shown F here with a description of what it Sov Porn cubic inches means Click on details for more 50 rear 58 left 58 cross info on this tuning parameter Rear Tires 82 and 85 cir including more comple
17. lt enter gt and notice how Camber Bias Bain ae en gain changed from 81 to 99 See Show Spindle Angle Table 4 1 This minor change will See DER ETE ETE produce slightly more negative Camber Gain which means the right tire will see slightly more negative camber for the same amount of Dive in the corner or during braking You will notice that Stc static Camber in the Other Specs at the right side of the screen changed from 2 5 to 2 05 degrees 156 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples You will also notice that the Length and Angle of the Upper Arm Figure 4 39 Notice when Changing Options printed in light gray in the lower CTA left corner changed from 7 16 inches to 7 38 and 24 78 degrees to From now on the length of the A Arms will be held constant as you change 23 30 You might be thinking that and Height inputs for the available ends of the Arms the only way for the length of the For the Upper Arm the Frame Pivot is moved based on the Ball Joint x amp arm to change is by installing a Height Length and Angle different arm which is correct What we simulated was raising the Upper Ball Joint and adjusting the length and angle of the upper arm so This mode is usually best for watching adjustments you make where the the Frame Pivot would stay in the lengths of the arms are NOT changed same spot For the Lower Arm the Ball Joint is moved based on the Frame Pivot x
18. peak HP and comments which describe the engine If you want you can click on the top engine then use the down arrow key to go through the entire list and see the preview of each engine The G 406 2BBL engine looks fairly close to your engine the G standing for good You estimated your engine made about 375 HP and the example G 406 2BBL shows about 10 HP over that at 387 This is a fairly close match Either click on Open or double click on G 406 2BBL to use these specs of an actual dyno curve for a 406 2BBL Your engine specs will now look like Figure 4 15 Click on Back at the upper left corner or somewhere outside this menu to close it and return to the Main Screen Figure 4 15 Engine Specs Menu for Example Engine G 406 2 ey Engine Specs G 406 2 BBL Back File Calculate Load from Engine Analyzer Comments Help Base Engine Specs Full Power Curve Displacement cu in CCs Liters Clutch Std Diamter Clutch Flywheel Comments Well tuned 406 with Holley 500 2BBL 4412 252 256 flat tappet T cam 11 5 1 CR fully ported cast iron Bow Tie heads cast iron intake headers l Help Engine size or displacement in cubic inches p16 140 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Vehicle Specs Click on Vehicle to open the Vehicle Specs menu shown in Figure 4 16 This is one screen where there are no examples to open That is beca
19. s 2 7 3 Calc Weight s Cale Rear Weight Calc Left Weight This menu is available by clicking on any of the CLC Calc Cross Weight buttons by the Rear Left or Cross Weight s in the on N or hal Vehicle Specs menu When enough inputs have been Curent Vehicle Wt Ibs entered it shows Weight s which can be copied Veh Wt from these Inputs Ibs back to the Vehicle Specs menu by clicking on Use Calc Values the Current Vehicle Weight in the Vehicle Weights Vehicle specs menu for comparison and the new Left Front Weight Ibs 860 Vehicle Weight based on the 4 corner weights entered into this menu Right Front Weight Ibs Left Rear Weight Ibs Right Rear Weight Ibs The weight measurements should be taken with the driver in the car all fluid and fuel levels in race condition and on a very flat surface Hee Note These weights should all be obtained with driver in vehicle on a very FLAT surface Left Front Weight Ibs Right Front Weight Ibs Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print Left Rear Weight Ibs Right Rear Weight Ibs i Are the weights on the respective tire in lbs When you first open this menu these are filled in with the corner weights which produce the Weight s for the Vehicle Weight currently entered in the Vehicle Specs menu If you use the new weight s from this menu and the New Vehicle Weight is significantly different from
20. the current vehicle weight you will be asked if you want to load the New Vehicle Weight into the Vehicle Specs menu also T3 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 1 4 Calc C G Height This menu is available by clicking on the C G Height Clc button in Figure 2 44 Procedure to Measure C G Height the Vehicle specs menu Block suspension so springs can not be compressed The procedure to determine C G Raise one end of car height requires one end of the car a significant distance to be raised while accurately measuring the wheel weights on the other end of the car before and after the car is raised The suspension must be blocked so the springs do not compress during Weighing Scale the process This can be done by showing weight level Block up tire level with scale replacing the shocks with solid and raised for accurate level car weight links that maintain the vehicle s free standing height Raising a typical car about 20 inches quite a lot will only show a weight increase of 30 60 Ibs for most cars Therefore this process requires very precise weight measurements Some tips to improve the accuracy of the procedure include e Wiggle the car slightly on the scale to ensure it always returns to the same weight e The higher you raise the car the more weight difference you will see and the more accurate results e The test should be run with the driver and all fluid
21. the program will load in this value but you can change it to anything else you want Higher FLLDs tend to make the car tighter with more understeer Lower FLLDs tend to make the car looser with more oversteer There are several ways to obtain a certain Front Lateral Load Distrbution percentage 3 Click here to have program find new settings 1 Pick what to Adjust 2 Select the FLLD you want The program will default to a typical value based on your car s weight distribution 4 Click here to have program save these new settings Current Rear Springs Current Nat Freq F R New Rear Springs Figure A8 Find Front Lateral Load Distribution Screen obtained by clicking on Find button in Fig Find Front Lat Load Dist at Load Dist 150 7 180 1 75 71 68 New Front Lat Load Dis N 96 4 235 7 Options Adjust For This FLLD This change tends to make the car slightly looser Note The new settings you find using this feature may NOT be best your driving style and could be UNSAFE Click on Help for more info r this vehicle s Front Wt of 50 0 55 0 5 higher would be a suggested setting OK Keep Help Cancel Print The new settings you find using this feature MAY NOT BE THE BEST AND COULD BE UNSAFE USE YOUR JUDGEMENT when making adjustments based on this concept To reduce the possibility of using very strange settings the program will calculate the average fro
22. up down or re center all measurements based on changes to the tire track The Front and Rear Suspension screens now accept fractions as inputs and convert the fractions to decimal equivalents For example enter 8 5 8 and press lt Enter gt and the program will convert it to 8 625 There must be a space between the whole number part and the fraction and you must use a Slash in the fraction There is now a separate Examples folder for example vehicle files provided by Performance Trends New vehicles which you save will be saved to a separate folder File commands to save a vehicle file to a floppy disk or open a vehicle file from a floppy disk The Rear Suspension screen now reports wheel rates for both bump as before and roll A preference has been added to allow you to tell the program to assume the rear axle is a Solid Axle This setting is then used to better estimate the effect of the engine s torque on wheel loads lifting the right rear tire in the Analyze Suspension screen C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices e You can now choose to list vehicle engine front suspension and rear suspension files alphabetically as normally done or by saved date with the most recently saved files listed first This should make it easier to find recent files more quickly e New Example Vehicles have been added like Legends cars e The user s manual is now available from inside the program by c
23. 26 70 80 81 179 Clc button 70 Cle Button 9 15 21 25 26 35 36 38 51 54 61 62 70 74 76 78 82 83 86 87 88 143 144 Clutch 15 16 171 Coil Springs 83 Comments 5 8 16 41 47 56 57 58 71 111 119 120 139 140 145 150 151 154 Continuous 119 Corner Gs 69 Corner Weight 142 179 183 Corner Weights 8 20 70 75 118 141 142 168 174 179 183 184 Corr Barometer 60 61 Current Run 67 Cursor 100 101 Curvature 68 Data To Graph 98 199 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Dew Point 9 16 61 62 87 88 89 167 Differential 78 Disabled 44 60 61 62 71 147 157 Displacement 15 16 73 74 75 171 172 Displacement in CCs 74 Displacement in Liters 75 Distance 20 21 26 27 28 31 32 34 35 37 49 51 52 53 54 56 63 64 68 74 77 80 82 85 87 98 114 118 120 122 155 170 185 Dive 36 37 39 43 44 117 154 156 159 160 162 173 185 187 191 Double A Arm 28 31 33 34 35 37 44 191 192 Downforce 23 24 118 119 130 192 Drag Coefficient 22 24 169 191 Draw Big 39 Driver 64 90 147 169 Dry Bulb 9 61 62 70 88 89 Dynamic Camber 37 159 160 Dynamometer 16 169 170 Elevation 60 62 Engine 4 5 6 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 25 27 28 49 51 52 56 60 67 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 78 79 90 91 96 98 103 106 107 108 109 110
24. 60 15 Metric Tire Size ex 225 Letter Tire Size i Aspect Ratio Wheel Rim Diameter in Rolling Radius in Tire Diameter in ili l Note Calculated Circumferences except based on Rolling Radius are reduced approximately 3 from exact dimensions to allow for some wear deformation and slip is an older rating system and there is more variation across manufacturer s Aspect Ratio Is the ratio of tire cross sectional height to cross sectional width A 75 series tire has a height 75 as high as its cross sectional width and is generally a tall tire A 50 series tire is a lower profile tire more suited to cornering and performance Figure 2 49 Rolling Radius B Diameter 81 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Wheel Rim Diameter Is the diameter of the wheel s rim Rolling Radius in Is the tire s radius measured with the tire mounted on the car with the tire on the ground with typical vehicle weight on it Radius is the distance from the center of the tire to the ground See Figure 2 49 Diameter in Is the tire s diameter measured in inches Diameter is the distance across the tire 2 8 Estimated Traction Factors This Calculation menu is available by clicking on the Traction Factor Clc button in the Vehicle specs menu Click on the combo box to be presented with general choices describing traction and the correspond
25. 99 4 25 pm 500 a latemodl Mon Mar 1 99 4 23 pm 500 5054 latemodl Mon Mar 1 99 3 18 pm 500 68 5054 H A Note showing latemodt Mon Mar 199 3 12 pm 500 8 5054 asai 5 lo additional test latemodl Mon Mar 1 99 3 03 pm 500 8 5054 f History Log nascar d ovr Mon Mar 1 99 12 40 pm 1000 24 5680 j A busch na zrt Mon Mar 1 99 9 28 am 841 10 5026 options Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to retrieve specs which produced those results Tiki in other columns Or definitions Figure 4 10 Comparing Engine RPM Click on Last to show pre vious Back File Format View Help F1 Data_To_ Graph history L amp S results Click on the last results graph line to ee bring up the cursor line Engine RPMs at the cursor are shown here Last run with 6 2 Axle Ratio Seer ery cr Current run with 5 9 Axle 15 00 18 00 Seconds 5 55 Ratio ee gt 134 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 11 Acceleration Gs for the Two Axle Ratios w Circle Track Analyzer 3 0 LATEMODL x 5 Click on Data Back File Format View Help F1 Data_To_Graph history LAST a fa a O Hee de hy SS ae to_Graph and apee select Accel Gs for Circle Track Analy i e this graph last results Throttle Accel Gs Engine RPM a mee 5 9 Ratio shows higher acceleration for nearly the entire time the vehicle is accelerating o High negative acceleratio
26. A Arm front suspension how much sideways tire movement there is during dive and roll RCC RCC and CTA Refined the calculations for suggested spring rates for Starting Point Suggestions report CTA only Program is now more compatible with Windows Vista and Windows 7 RCC RCC and CTA Program is now better at remembering a printer or printer orientation changes RCC RCC and CTA Program is now better at find newer versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader and other PDF compatible programs for viewing the User s Manual RCC RCC and CTA C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Figure A15 Rear Anti Rollbar Rear Suspension Specs LATEMODL FAB Back File Comments Help Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Roll bar drawn to Suspension Specs Type Trailing Arms Coil Springs Panhard or J E v Left Right Spring Rates Ib in 150 Tire to Centerline in 32 0 32 0 Spring to Centerline in 25 0 Spring Angle deg e e o P Spring to Axle in Axle to Front Pivot in Pnhd Bar to Centerline in Panhard Bar Heights in End of Panhard Bar that 7 Attaches to Axle Sreft Right Roll Bar Roll Bar Rate Ib in cia Roll Bar Length in Axle Mount Ahead of Axle in Top View your specs here in green Bump 180 Set to Yes and Ret 159 1 you can enter rear roll bar specs Help The distance ahead of the rear axle where the anti roll bar attaches to the axle trailing arm assembly
27. Analyzer manual The process of loading Engine Analyzer results into Circle Track Analyzer is nearly automatic and consists of 1 2 3 Once you ve selected the Circle Track Analyzer as the program to Send the results to click on the OK Send button in the Engine Analyzer s Send menu to leave the Engine Analyzer The Circle Track Analyzer will be automatically activated and run When the Circle Track Analyzer stars up the first time you are given notice that a power curve is available and can be loaded from the Engine specs menu You will also notice some new commands on the Main Menu called Engine Analyzer Clicking on these will return to control to the Engine Analyzer program which originally called the Circle Track Analyzer but will leave the Circle Track Analyzer also running ready for a new power curve Important Once you load the power curve the old power curve is gone unless you saved the vehicle specs including power curve with the Save command or saved it as an Example by clicking on the Save Example button at the Engine specs menu When you are ready to return to the Engine Analyzer simply click on one of the Engine Analyzer buttons at the Main Menu or in the Test Results screen or commands in the Menu bar You do not have to load the power curve You can jump between the Engine Analyzer and Circle Track Analyzer as many times as you want If an Engine Analyzer program is not z currently running and talk
28. Analyzer v2 0 Windows 95 and 98 e Clicking on the CTA EXE CTA program under the CTA20 directory folder under the PERFTRNS PTI directory folder using File Manager Windows Explorer Terms in parentheses are for Windows 95 and 98 You will be shown the Circle Track Analyzer s Main Menu Figure 4 1 Notice at the top of the screen that the current Vehicle file is a LATEMODL Although these specs may not match your car follow along to see how to use the program s many features If it is not LATEMODL 355 late model with 355 Chevy or if you think the current car s specs have been changed you can Open up this Vehicle file by clicking on the Open button as shown in Figure 4 2 Open the Vehicle file LATEMODL 355 shown in Figure 4 2 If you have made any changes to the vehicle which originally appeared at the top of the Main Menu the program will first ask you if you want to save these changes Answer No and you will be returned to the Main Menu with the LATEMODL 355 specs loaded into the program Click on the different categories of vehicle specs or the Running Conditions button on the Main Menu Since we want to see the effect of changing the axle ratio on this vehicle we first need to get a baseline test A baseline is a performance test before the modification Therefore if you examine the contents of any component menus leave all current values as they are Click on the Running Conditions button and you will now be shown the
29. Help to explain these options by clicking on Help or pressing lt F1 gt Help definitions are also available anytime you click on an input spec s name or input box or a calculated spec name or value See Figure 4 36 e Return to the Main Screen by clicking on Back or File then Exit At the top of this screen the blue title bar shows the current Front Suspension is 96 BUSCH LOW which is the front suspension for the Busch Series Thunderbird on a low banked track If you wanted to analyze a different front suspension you could click on File in the upper left corner then select Open Example Front Suspension See Figure 4 34 You will obtain a screen like Figure 4 35 of the Front Suspension Library which lists files of suspension measurements which have been provided by Performance Trends for your convenience You could also click on File then New to blank out all measurements here to start with a clean sheet of paper Figure 4 35 Front Suspension Library Files are arranged Open Front Susp File alphabetically Click on a file to 10 Front Susps in Library Chosen Front Susp File 96 busch hi highlight it and 96 busch_hi display a Preview 96 busch low Preview Then click on the Type Dbl AArm Track 61 0 OK button or ano rih RtUprLen 7 16 LtUprLen 8 18 double click on file RtUprAngl 16 86 LtUprAngl 16 92 toO i mustang prd nak 5 name to Open In mustang stk RtCamber 2 5 LtCamber 2 one operation qrtr mid
30. Holley 2 BBL gives about 400 HP 7500 i CalculatePerformance or Cale Dillon front suspension layout specs which ET button to see performance Click on H lp in menu line for ma ke u p a mere detaildd info on options vahicla 3B A gmi crap r cir B4 1 45PM Enter comments to describe vehicle Click here to display Running Conditions weather track length etc and then calculate performance Move mouse over an area and a description of the item is given here V3 6 can be unlocked into 3 different versions just Roll Center Calculator front suspension only just Roll Center Calculator Plus front and rear suspension and the Full Circle Track Analyzer v3 6 This can significantly change the appearance of the Main Screen Check Appendix 5 page 191 11 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 2 shows the Engine menu with explanations of options for most component menus Figure 2 2 Explanation of Sections of Typical Menu Name of specs Click on them for a description in the menu s help frame Help frame giving definition of spec and page in manual for more info Drop down combo box Click on down arrow button on the right side to pick from a list of possible choices for this spec Standard text entry box where you can type in the value of the spec which will be checked against acceptable limits Calculation button which opens up
31. If you want the power to not drop so suddenly then you must add an additional RPM above your current highest RPM and enter a HP reading which draws the curve like you expect it to look 15 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions The Circle Track Analyzer assumes all torque and HP numbers entered are recorded at a steady RPM not accelerating and corrected to the aftermarket dynamometer standard correction factor Dynamometers which mostly test racing engines typical of magazine articles and aftermarket testing companies generally correct their data to 29 92 Hg 60 degrees F and approximately 0 degrees F dew point no humidity Menu Commands The menu bar at the top provides for several command options some which are fairly self explanatory e Back returns you to the main menu e File opens up several typical Windows options e New will blank out all the RPM torque and HP entries Displacement Clutch Type Engine Comments and the Engine File name will be called Untitled e Open Example Engine File will open a typical Circle Track Analyzer File Open menu where you can pick a set of example Engine Specs loaded by Performance Trends e Open Saved Engine File will open a typical Circle Track Analyzer File Open menu where you can pick a set of Engine Specs which you have saved using the Save command in this menu e Save Engine File will open a typical Circle Track Analyzer F
32. Improvement is simply the difference between the Current Run and the Last Run for which performance was calculated If the improvement is a positive value e The Current Run s Lap Time was quicker shorter than the Last Run s e The Current Run s MPH was faster greater than the Last Run s Tabular Results The tabular results gives important vehicle and engine information at significant points during the run e Atthe start of Turn 2 e At every time interval you have requested in the Running Conditions menu as Report Results Every spec in the Reports Graphs section e At the beginning of braking e At the end of Turn 3 Occasionally two of these conditions may occur very close together For example 8 0 seconds may occur a couple hundredths of a second before the start of braking In these cases you may only get one reading either the 8 0 second point or the start of braking The following section defines each data column Sec Shows the elapsed time since the start of Turn 2 The resolution of the time column can be increased to thousandths of a second by selecting 001 second increments in the Preferences menu MPH Is the vehicle s velocity in MPH 67 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Feet Is the distance the vehicle has traveled during the run measured in feet Accel Gs Is the vehicle s acceleration in Gs 1 G being 22 MPH second If the tires are likely to lo
33. LIMITED TO STATEMENTS REGARDING CAPABILITY CAPACITY SUITABILITY FOR USE OR PERFORMANCE OF SOFTWARE SHALL BE RELIED UPON BY USER OR BE DEEMED TO BE A WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION BY PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC FOR ANY PURPOSE OR GIVE RISE TO ANY LIABILITY OF OBLIGATION OF PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC WHATSOEVER USER ACCEPTS ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTING THE SOFTWARE TO MEET USER NEEDS OR SPECIFIC PURPOSES PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO FURNISH USER UPDATES OR ENHANCEMENTS EVEN IF FURNISHED TO OTHER USERS Continued on next page LIMITATION Of LIABILITY If at the time of delivery to the original User only there are any defects in the media on which the Software is provided User s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the replacement of any media returned to Performance Trends Inc within 90 days of the receipt of the Software by User or at Performance Trends Inc s sole option a refund of the License fees paid to Performance Trends Inc by User IN NO EVENT SHALL PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC OR THIRD PARTIES WHO HAVE RIGHTS IN THE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO USER FOR LOSS OF PROFITS INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EVEN IF PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC IS AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES IN THE EVENT ANY REMEDY HEREUNDER FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OR IN ANY OTHER EVENT PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC S LIABILITY HEREUNDER SHALL NOT EXCEED ANY AMOUNTS PAID BY USER TO PERFORMANCE TRENDS INC UNDER THIS AGREEME
34. Menu to review your name and code C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction 1 5 Example to Get You Going To start the Circle Track Analyzer from Windows 3 1 click on the Circle Track Analyzer icon in the Perf Trnds program group From Windows 95 or 98 click on Start then Programs then Perf Trends and then Circle Track Analyzer After some brief introduction screens you will be left at the Main Menu shown below Figure 1 1 Main Menu Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL Eile vehicle CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences LATEMODL OperVehicle Lib Calculate Lap Ti Find Best Gear Rati is name of p enicie LiDrary aiculate Lap limes in es ear hatio Vehicle Save Vehicle ibrary Match My Lap Times Specs currently Vehicle Specs S Vehicle Summary being gine File untitled 355 cubic inches worked with Sbs at 5250 RPM and 400 HP at 7500 RPM Vehicle Weight 300 hs 52 reat 60 left 55 cross Arle Ratio 6 2 ear Tires 87 5 and 87 5 circumference Click here A Front Susp File untitled for a Double Arm with Coil Springs Track 64 0 i Front Suspension Ft Spring 400 Lt Spring 400 RtCamber 3 Lt Camber 1 to display i ee all vehicle s Rear Susp File untitled for Trailing Arms Coil Springs Panhard or J Bar __ Rear Suspension Track 64 0 Lt Spring 200 Rt Spring 200 saved in Vehicle Library Running Conditions Show All Comments
35. Roll 0 08 deg on Dive 261 inches 262 lower wheel rates this vehicle would Rt Camber 10 09 deg 10 08 Lt Camber 3 62 deg 3 63 show almost 4 inches of dive Friction Circle in Gs 177 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A5 List Vehicle Files by Date Last Changed in Open File Screen Note longer more descriptive file names Open Yehicle File 74 Vehicles in Library Chosen Vehicle File Legends at 9 24 2002 GrandStgck al 971972002 Legends at Hardeeville Preview 971972002 Legends at Cordele 5 9716 2002 Legends thee ae 8 14 2002 LATEMODL for kevin 1 Wt 1300 RF 220 8 1 2002 LATEMODL E Axle 6 2 LR 185 8 12 2001 Prdct171 ges RtCirc 69 4 RR 200 1 5 2001 SWEATMEN 002 Aa a AEE aT Le Typical Legends Car at Hardeeville Motor 8 16 2000 TEST dat j Speedway Hardeeville GA 5 17 2000 GEM2 001 Tires 205 60R 13s BF Goodrich Comp TAs 3 10 2000 LEFT 17 002 1 751 Primary Reduction ratio must be 3 10 2000 LEFT1 7 001 hd included in Rear Axle Ratio 4 10 to product z z 7 179 overall rear axle ratio List Alphabetically typical listing List by Date Last Changed New Option to List Files by Date Last Changed which lists the files vou most recently worked with first Figure A6 New Help Options New Help A Circle Track Analyzer 3 2 Performance Trends Prdct1 1 ges Options File vehicle CalcLapTimes Help Preferences Reg To Kevin Gettgdn available by clicki
36. Running Conditions screen This screen gives the conditions for calculating performance like track weather the track specs driver preferences etc For now leave these values as they are 127 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 1 Main Menu Name of Vehicle you are working with Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL lej x File vehicle CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences Open Yehicle Library Calculate Lap Times Find Best Gear Ratio Save Yehicle to Library Match My Lap Times Program Click here to Vehicle Specs Vehicle Summary Calculate P Engine File untitled 355 cubic inches o Erme D ft Ibs at 4000 RPM and 0 HP at RPM Performance Vehicle Weight 3000 lbs 52 rear 60 left 55 cross Avle Ratio 6 2 Rear Tires 87 5 and 87 5 circumference in one step Front Susp File untitled for a Double A Arm with Coil Springs Track 64 0 ___Front Suspension Rt Spring 400 Lt Spring 400 Rt Camber 3 Lt Camber 1 Rear Susp File untitled for Trailing Arms Coil Springs Panhard or J Bar __ Rear Suspension _ Track 64 0 Lt Spring 200 Rt Spring 200 Click here to Running Conditi a Show All Comments Running Help Comments Conditions Move mouse over item for Limited Late Model and then description to be given here 500 Holley 2 BBL gives about 400 HP 7500 Click on Help in menu line for Dillon front suspension layout Cal
37. Screen To Tell Where Circle Track Analyzer is Located required for some early Engine Analyzers w Send HP Curve to Vehicle Program Ea l Windows Vehicle Program Look For ie Click on Send in an Engine Analyzer program to bring up this screen Drag Racing Analyzer Select the Other Option Type in CTA as the Program Name Type in the Full Path where the CTA program is located usually C perftrns pti cta20 Program EXE Name Location path Program Icon Name OK Send Help Cancel Program Icon Name is CTA c petftins ptiicta A 18 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 3 Vehicle Specs The Vehicle specs describe transmission s efficiency gear ratios vehicle size weight weight distribution final drive system tires and aerodynamics Figure 2 7 Vehicle Specs Menu Tire specs have a large effect on traction cornering ability and therefore General Vehicle specs Click on lap times especially on short tracks the Clc buttons to calculate inputs from other info like weight Transmission specs affect engine RPM s from 4 corner weights range and power losses efficiency Vehicle Specs l General Vehicle Specs i Total Weight with Driver Ibs ype Std Duty Manual Rear 2 fed Canar Sfeaghite Ratio of Trans Gear Used 795 645 Left 60 cia Mofes Rear Wheel Tire Specs Gross s ei E100 Type Height
38. Spoiler Length Deck Spoiler Height Angle O flat 30 up New Condition Deck Spoiler Height Angle 0 flat 30 up Notes This adjustment is based Transmission Type Std Duty Manual id Ratio of Trans Gear Used I Left Right ference in i Tread Width in Traction Factor hicle with the driver in pounds p 20 Back Help Print Printer Setup Rear deck of car Print i Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Click on the Adjust button for the screen shown below Program now has both a front and rear lift coefficient to split the aerodynamic down force between the front and rear tires C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A17 More Front Suspension Details east Enter both measurements for both front and rear ia Front Suspension Sjecs later attachment points on frame Suspension Type The calculated 2 D mounting point used by program is ey Close this shown here with the current screen 2 D mounting point used by the program from the screen below Load Calculated Mount Load 7 5 Current Mount Calculated Anti Dive Click here on Show Details button to open screen shows above Length Angle Length Upper Arm Dim Lower Arm Dim 195 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A18 Oversteer Understeer Rating 487 HP at 6500 from 355 w 390 4BBL roller cam AFR Comments
39. Types Suspension Type on Specs UNTITLED Suspension Type Shim Comments He Click on Suspension Type to choose the type of Front Suspension layout As you change wf Double amp Arm with Coil S pring Suspension Type various options will be enabled or disabled For example the Shim McPhearson Strut option for inputting the Length and Angle of the Strut are only available for Double A Arm straight Axle w Panhard Bar suspensions Also realize that if you switch Double 4 Arn with Torsion Bars Suspension Types with a current set of suspension dimensions the drawing will look very unusual Figure 2 26 shows major differences for the McPherson Strut Suspension Type 44 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 26 McPherson Strut Suspension Type Roll Center Performance Trends Inc File Options Suspension Type Table amp Graph Camber Gain Definition is lw hown her This is front view of suspension so left side of screen is actualyTight side of car avayeene SIS Camber Gain 50 Gain based on 1 Dive Camber Gain 39 ig degRol Struts replace the arms drawn for the Double A Arm suspension type Strut dimensions replace Roll Center height 2 6 Roll Center Left 7 ihe Upper em a tS oe ii dimensions here also Hpper Strut Loc G Show The Shim option or Lower Strut Loc 24 8 H OYes inputing the Length and Lower Ball Joint 25 lla I No Angle of the St
40. Vehicle Specs with the Calculated Results and are saved with a Front Suspension file and with the complete Vehicle File Comments are a good way to keep track of what each saved file is 58 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 6 Calculate Performance 2 6 1 Running Conditions At the Main Menu you can calculate lap time performance by 1 Clicking on Calculate Performance to open the Running Conditions menu then clicking on Calculate Performance 2 Clicking on the Calc Lap Times button at the top of the Main Menu Figure 2 35 Running Conditions Menu This combo box lets you select the combination of weather instruments vou will use including an altimeter Click on Type and you can pick a Track Specs with typical or specific track or choose Use general layout showing Specs Below to design your own how track looks track w Rurining Conditions Trak Weather Method of Reading Weather Data Fiadio T Report with Rel Hum Corr Barometer Hg Track Layout Bank Angle Air Temperature deg F Relative Humidity Elevation feet Driver Specs describe how Reports Graphs Track Length ft aggressively Infield Width ft you drive or Bank Angle deg how close eae you take the Click on arrow to select how you want to enter Driver car to the weather info and the type of instruments you will imi use or select from the list of Typical weather Type Use Spec
41. Wt Transfer value is 600 Ibs Using the Wt Transfer of 600 Ibs we now calculate that the Max Tractive Force is 3200 Ibs Are assumed Max Tractive Force and calculated Max Tractive Force close enough within 20 pounds No so do again using new Max Tractive Force answer Calculate that the vehicle acceleration could be 85 Gs and the Wt Transfer value is 640 Ibs Using the Wt Transfer of 640 Ibs we now calculate that the Max Tractive Force is 3218 Ibs Are assumed Max Tractive Force and calculated Max Tractive Force close enough within 20 pounds Yes SO an approximate answer is Max Tractive Force 3218 lbs 166 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices E L L_ __SSSExEeeeeees EEE If close enough was 200 lbs our first answer of 3200 Ibs would have been good enough If close enough was 1 lb it may require many more calculations to arrive at an answer which is close enough If the equation is very complex and the inputs are an unusual combination no answer may be reached no matter how many times the calculation is performed This is called not converging on a solution Making the tolerance close enough small will produce more exact answers but will require more calculation time Performance Trends has selected tolerance bands for iterations which give good accuracy with reasonable calculation times and allow the process to converge on a solution Because many of the equations wit
42. aH T B k 11 54am Click here to show History Summary of Important Notes Test History not always shown Commands buttons for analyzing results Tabular Results The Circle Track Analyzer s calculated output is shown in Figure 2 37 above This screen shows the track performance for the current vehicle From this screen you can 65 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions S LL _ e Graph or plot the results versus time by clicking on the Graph menu command or the Graph icon Additional help is available from the Graph Screen e Print the results on a printer by clicking on the Print menu command or the Printer icon Under the Print menu command several other options open up for various types of report and printer options e View the program s Notes about these results by clicking on the Notes button Notes are e useful for pointing out possible problems with the combination of specs you have selected A brief summary of the notes is given in the Notes Summary frame e Display a history of the last 25 runs you have made by clicking on the History menu command e Analyze the suspension by clicking on Analyzer Suspension This displays a screen showing several aspects of suspension motion and handling analysis Several report options are also available at this screen some to give starting point recommendations for springs roll bar rates s
43. another menu where you can calculate the value of a spec from other inputs w Engine Specs UNTITLI D Back File aloulate Lpa tdm Engine dnalyzer Comments Hele i Full Power Curve 100 2000 RPM Tq Engine sizq or displacement in cubic inches Click on commands in the menu bar to e Exit this menu e Open retrieve a set of example engine specs provided by Performance Trends or a set of specs you have previously saved Print this screen Import an Engine Analyzer power curve Display the Engine Comments with other comments describing this vehicle and front amp rear suspension Calculate a power curve from simple inputs Obtain further help on this screen C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 1 Preferences Click on the Preferences item in the menu bar at Figure 2 3 Preferences Menu the top of the Main Menu screen to drop down the Available from Main Menu Preferences shown in Figure 2 3 Here you can brformance Trends LATEMODL adjust some program items to personalize the Preferences program for your needs Beginner Level a w Expenenced Level w Engine Graph Thick Lines Engine Graph Thin Lines a Beginner Experienced Level If you select Beginner the program will lock out Restart Displaying Help Tips the more complicated features make more checks Engine File untitled 355 cubic in on specs ass
44. apples comparison If the Lap Ft is different then you should expect different lap times Infield Is the Infield Width in feet for these results This is useful for determining if you are making an apples and apples comparison If the Infield Width is different then you should expect different lap times MnRPM Is the minimum or lowest engine RPM in the turns MxRPM Is the maximum or highest engine RPM right before braking Lap Time Is the Lap Time is seconds 114 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Imp Is the improvement in Lap Time for this test compared to the test below it usually the previous test run If Lap Time is longer the Imp will be negative MPH Is the average MPH for this test Imp Is the improvement in MPH for this test compared to the test below it usually the previous test run If MPH is lower slower the Imp will be negative Car Length Is the improvement in Lap Times expressed in car lengths The program assumes about 20 feet for a car length If the Lap Time is longer slower the Car Length will be negative 115 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 3 6 Analyze Suspension A powerful feature of the Circle Track Analyzer is its ability to predict suspension movement cornering forces performance and weight transfer as the vehicle goes around the track This information is displayed in the Su
45. based on computer analysis of your particular vehicle or suspension specs Check Appendix 5 for significant new options reports and calculated outputs for this feature 123 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 124 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Chapter 4 Examples Each of these examples become progressively more complex assuming you have performed and understand the preceding example Section 1 5 s example is somewhat more basic than Example 4 1 so it may be a better place to start if Example 4 1 looks complicated The results shown in these examples may be somewhat different than what you obtain with your particular version of the program That is due to minor upgrades in the calculations in later versions 125 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples 126 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Example 4 1 Changing Axle Ratio Example 4 1 will be fairly simple to get you started We will simulate a common modification changing the Rear Axle Ratio We will see the effect on Lap Times MPH engine RPM range etc First start the Circle Track Analyzer program following the procedure in Section 1 4 by either e Clicking on the Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 icon in the Perf Trends program group Windows 3 1 e Clicking on Start Programs Perf Trends then Circle Track
46. change if you change to aluminum components less weight or add a supercharger more weight etc Adding Removing or Shifting Weight e Vehicle Weight e Weight s Rear Left and Cross e Front amp Rear Wheels Tires Weight Changing vehicle height e Height of CG e Suspension Specs like heights o f Frame Mounts Ball Joints etc e Frontal Area sq ft Changing wheels and tires All the Wheels Tires Specs Vehicle Weight lbs Weight s Rear Left and Cross Suspension Specs like heights o f Frame Mounts Ball Joints etc Frontal Area sq ft 172 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Roll Center Several authorities agree that the static Roll Center before any Dive or Roll should be from 2 5 to 4 5 above the ground For road race cars turning both left and right you want to keep the Roll Center near the car s centerline left or right The farther the Roll Center is to the Left the quicker the car will react more it will Roll when going into a Left turn For this reason many asphalt circle track left turning cars locate the Roll Center to the right of center less Roll and dirt cars locate the Roll Center to the Left of center more Roll and hopefully better bite at the right front However the car is more predictable all around if the Roll Center is kept close to the car s centerline Higher banking 20 degrees or more usually requires a lower Roll Center in the 2 3 inch r
47. curve in the right hand section of this screen This is usually the most accurate method however be sure the dyno curve covers a wide RPM range You may have to estimate and enter torque and HP at higher and lower RPMs than was actually run on the dyno For example if your dyno run is from 4500 to 7000 estimate and enter data at 3000 3500 4000 RPM and 7500 and 8000 This is especially important if you run the engine on the track above or below the RPMs of the dyno curve The program assumes power drops off rapidly above and below the RPMs for which you have actually entered torque and HP e Pick an example power curve supplied be Performance Trends This is done by clicking on File at the top of the Engine screen then selecting Open Example Engine This is a good choice if there is an example which matches your engine fairly closely e You could build a power curve in one of Performance Trends Windows Engine Analyzer programs then send it to the Circle Track Analyzer 139 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples e You could Calculate a power curve based on some very simple inputs and engine descriptions This is usually the last resort but can still give reasonable power curves We ll choose to pick an example so click on File then Open Example Engine as shown in Figure 4 14 In the list of example engines click on ones that look promising The program will give a Preview on the right side or RPM range
48. drawn as shown When you release the mouse key this area will fill the whole graph This feature is disabled if the cursor is turned on Also start the upper left corner well away from a graph line or the program may turn on the cursor instead 103 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Figure 3 12 Menu to Specify Graph Axes Scales This menu can be obtained 2 ways You can click on View in the menu bar then Specify Scales axes or click on the Set Scales button the right most button on the screen See Figure 3 11 Graph Scales A P The current scale limits peee are loaded when this Maximum X axis sec Maximum X axis feet menu opens Change Minimum X axis feet 0 A ole el hs Maximum Y axis data Maximum Y axis data Either the left Time or Mini right Distance section inimum Y axis data Minimum Y axis data fo aie eran depending on what is Turn AutoScaling ON computer picks scales graphed on the X axis alina UEE use specs given above Click on OK to have Click on Turn Autoscaling On to let the program pick good scales the graph red rawn to these new scale limits Format Options Click on the Format menu item to be presented with several options which will be briefly discussed here Figure 3 13 Format Options Line Style w Circle Track Analyzer 3 0 BUSC Back File Format iew Help Fl Dat ex Line Style rs
49. finding a suspension layout close to your car s layout Show Dive amp Roll Upper Ball Joint Upper Frame Pivot Lower Ball Joint Lower Frame Pivot Upper Spring Pad Lower Spring Pad Length Angle Upper Arm Dim Lower Arm Dim 16 50 Os Like Engine Specs this screen does have examples to open Click on File then Open Example Front Suspension as shown in Figure 4 23 In the list of example suspensions click on ones that look promising The program will give a Preview on the right side of spring rates camber and comments which describe the suspension If you want you can click on the top suspension then use the down arrow key V to go through the entire list and see the preview of each suspension O Yes Dive inches Roll deg Draw lit a Bic Big Help definition Distance from car centerline to the center of ball joint on upper arm on Right side in inches For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline p18 None of the Example suspensions appear to be closer to your suspension than the current LATEMODL FAB already part of the LATEMODL 355 vehicle Therefore you should measure your front suspension as discussed in Example 4 3 You notice the spring rates and camber is different than your car so you type them in 600 and 550 for right and left springs and 4 and 2 for rig
50. from the Spring Rate you enter in the Other Specs section will not be exactly correct Lower Spring Pad Location X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the mounting pad for the spring on lower right arm in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Tip If you are more interested in shock travel than spring travel enter the lower shock mount location However the Wheel Rate calculated from the Spring Rate you enter in the Other Specs section will not be exactly correct 32 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Upper Arm Length Length of upper right arm from Pivot Center to Ball Joint center as viewed from the front in inches This can be shorter than actual length measured along the arm if arm is swept forward or back See Figure 2 15 This spec is only enabled if you have chosen the Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle option Upper Arm Angle Angle of the upper left arm as viewed from the front in degrees A positive angle means the arm angles up as the arm goes away from the car centerline which is typical Lower Arm Length Lower Arm Angle See Upper Arm Length and Upper Arm Angle explanations above McPherson Strut You can select a McPherson Strut front suspension layout by clicking on Suspension Type at the top of the Front Suspension screen then selectin
51. in this Front Suspension Layout screen are used to predict lap times except those affecting Track Width They are used primarily to display calculated results shown on this screen or with the See Car option available once lap times have been calculated The See Car option displays syspension parameters as the car goes around the track and also produces handling and suspension reports using these specs Although all these specs CAN affect lap times on the actual car this version of the program is simply not smart enough to exactly know these effects with various tires track conditions driving styles etc Future versions or Pro versions of this program may be able to include some of these affects in lap time predictions l Don t show this again 144 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Figure 4 23 Front Suspension Specs This is front view of suspension so left sid Camber Gain 36 Gain based on 5 Dive and 5 deg Roll tf Front Suspension Specs LATEMODL FAB e Liptions Suspension Type Shim Comments Help e OF Streerrsactually right side of car Camber Gain 83 Circle Track Analyzer Other Specs Spring Length Spring Angle Spring Rate Cie Wheel Rate Chapter 4 Examples Click on File then Open Example Scrub Radius Stc Camber deg Dyn Camber deg Track in King Pin Angle Spindle Angle Roll Bar Rate Ib in Roll Bar Length in Front Suspensio n for possibly
52. iron heads view all the details and edit all comments 152 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Example 4 3 Analyzing the Front Suspension The Circle Track Analyzer has several ways for you to analyze your front suspension The Front Suspension input screen has several analysis features itself Then once lap time performance has been calculated the Analyze Suspension option shows you what the suspension will be doing as the car goes around a particular track Start this example by opening the BUSCH car from the Vehicle Library Then go to the Front Suspension screen as shown in Figure 4 34 You may notice a message appears which says the this version of the program cannot accurately predict how suspension changes will affect lap times However it can still estimate how suspension changes will affect weight transfer roll spring deflection front camber change and front roll center location Figure 4 34 Front Suspension Screen for 96 BUSCH V 8 w Front Suspension Specs 96 BUSCH LOW Back File Opties aspension Type Shim Comments Help New Front Suspension f Open Example Front Suspension ID 3 06 Click on Open Saved Front Suspension i Spring Angle 20 3 Fi le then Save Front Suspension Spring Rate several Save As Front Suspension Wheel Rate Bean haa 340 options are Print i 5 0 i P available for 25 t Stc Camber deg Print Blank Work
53. listed at the end of Appendix 2 Menu Options In the Menu Bar at the top of the Front Suspension screen there are 7 main menu commands Back File Options Figure 2 21 Menu Bar Options Available Suspension Type Shim Front Suspension Specs UNTITLED Comments Help These are discussed in this section Figure 2 22 File Options Fj le ont Suspension Specs UNTITLED File Options Suspension Type Shim New Front Suspension Open Example Front Suspension Open Saved Front Suspension NOaRWN gt Back File Options Suspension Type Shim Comments Help Click on File to present several standard Windows File options Save Front Suspension Save As Front Suspension New Front Suspension blanks out all the current spec inputs calculated values comments and changes the current Front Suspension file name to Untitled Print Print Blank Worksheet Open Example Front Suspension presents the Windows Print Setup Circle Track Analyzer s File Open screen where you can open an Example Front Suspension file which was provided by Performance Trends These examples include comments and all measurements for the particular Front Suspension Type These are provided to let you see typical measurements for different types of Front Suspensions and are saved in the XFRONT folder directory Open Saved Front Suspension is much like Open Example Front Suspension command above except 1 You are presented Front Suspension Files that you have sav
54. loaded back into the Engine specs menu These calculations are based on power corrected to the standard aftermarket dyno correction factor of 29 92 mercury and 60 degrees dry air This is the standard assumption used by the Circle Track Analyzer for any power inputs Calc Based On Click on this combo box to select from e Volumetric Efficiency e Engine Description Figure 2 41 Calc Power Curve Calc Power Curve Peak HP Peak Torque ft Ibs 71 0 Peak Torque RPM Performance Specs Calc Based On Engine Cubic Inches Vol Eff Desc 390 48BL Unlimited Heads RPH at HP Peak Notes This calculation will produce approximate power curve specs based on very simple inputs It always uses the Std Dyno Cor Factor Other methods of building power curves include clicking on File then Open Examples or building power curves with one of Performance Trends Engine Analyzer programs Note that restricted engines peak a lower RPMs than unrestricted engines 350 2BBLs peak around 5500 500 2BBLs peak around 6500 Depending on your choice certain inputs will now be enabled 72 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Engine Cubic Inches Is the engine s size in Cubic Inches This is initially set to the Displacement in the Engine menu but can be changed to anything you want Vol Eff Is the engine s volumetric efficiency at the HP p
55. of detail you want to give the program about the NAWAr MIVA w Engine Specs LATMOD 4 BRL file Calculate Load from Engine Analyzer Name of Base Enging Specs current set Displacemenf cu in Cie of Engine Specs You CCs 5820 1 Liters give the specs a name when you save then Holley 4 barr l carb single plane intake no restrictor plate stock il Torq ue and HP graph based on data in table below it Note that HP has a separate scale on the right side Click here to load a power curve from an Engine Analvzer proaram Click here or here to calculate power curve specs from other simple inputs C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Displacement cu in The engine s cubic inch displacement is used to estimate the amount of rotating inertia in the engine and clutch flywheel or converter Because this spec has a Clc button Displacement can be calculated from other inputs See Section 2 7 2 The bigger the cubic inches the larger the assumed rotating inertia Definition of Engine Inertia The engine inertia is a measure of how massive the engine s rotating components are and how difficult it is to accelerate or decelerate the engine itself Most of the engine s inertia is contained in the flywheel clutch assembly for a manual transmission or in the torque converter for an automatic transmission The more massive or th
56. of the inputs simply click on the specification name The definition will appear in the Help frame with a page in this manual for more info Some of the vehicle specifications have Cle buttons One example is Dew Point in the Calculate Performance Conditions menu Clc stands for calculate For example if you want to calculate the Dew Point from wet and dry bulb readings simply click on the Cle button The program will display a new menu listing the inputs and the Calc Dew Point from these inputs For further explanation click on the Help buttons in these menus To use the Calc Dew Point calculated from these inputs click on the Use Calc Value button Otherwise click on Cancel to return to the Calculate Performance Conditions menu with no change to Dew Point Section 2 8 Calculation Menus explains all these calculations Once you feel comfortable changing specifications in the various menus and making various performance calculations read Section 3 3 of this manual called Vehicle Library to learn how to save a set of vehicle specifications or recall information which has been previously saved Then you will know all the basic commands to operate the program For a more in depth knowledge of using these commands and an explanation of the results read this entire manual C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction SS _ __ SSS a ey 10 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyz
57. options and buttons are discussed in this section Figure 3 17 Printer Command and Menu of Printer Output Options The Windows Printer Setup option lets you choose the printer or printer driver being used by Windows and also the page orientation Click on Print or the Printer Button for the Printout Options menu shown to the right we Circle Track Analyzer w2_0 Performance Trem Print Analyze Suspension Analyze F Print Results Print Blank orkshebt Windows Printer Setup Program Printer Setup CtP 93 3 27 Include Vehicle Specs Printout Options x Report Printing Options x Include Vehicle Specs X Include Vehicle Comments Request Report Comment Include Eng amp Susp Comment Print Report Using These Specs l Other Printout Types Print Blank Worksheet Tip Close See page 103 in manual for more info Select this options if you want all the current Engine specs Vehicle specs etc printed with the results This will add 1 or more pages to the printed report 110 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Include Vehicle Comments Select this option if you want all the comments for the complete vehicle printed with the results These are the comments which appear on the Main Screen Requesting this option may require some results to be printed on a second page Request Report Comment Select this option if you want to
58. performance and you confirm these specs do give results as stated by the Match My Lap Times screens and that do match your car just as shown in Figure 4 30 Saving Your Car Return to the Main Menu and click in the Vehicle Comments section and change them to match these specs for your Late Model running 14 3 seconds There are comments which can be entered for the total vehicle at the Main Screen and for the individual components of Engine Front Suspension and Rear Suspension An easy way to show all these comments is to click on the Show All Comments button at the Main Screen Figure 4 31 shows what you could type in for comments 150 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples When finished click on the Save Vehicle button or on File and then Save Vehicle You are first as shown Figure 4 32 You answer No since these specs no longer represent the LATEMODL 355 but that you want to give it a new name Next the screen shown in Figure 4 33 is displayed Change the New Vehicle Name from LATEMODL 355 to something that matches these specs like MY LATMO DEL As Figure 4 31 shows there are individual File names for the Engine Front Suspension and Rear Suspension You should also go into each of these menus and save these components under a new file name one the matches the components on your car If you do then you will want to update the Vehicle file with these new component names a
59. program always graphs in color on the computer screen Click on the Print Now button to print the current plot on the printer the same as selecting the Print menu command Click on the Windows Printer Setup button to see the current printer selection or select a different printer for printing the graph The third section lets you pick the line thickness for the Plot Lines either thick or thin The fourth section lets you pick the color for the Background Color of the graph either black or white Click on OK to return to the Graph Screen with your changes in effect Rear Suspension Screen Figure A14 Symmetric Angled 4 Link Rear Suspension New Type is available of Rear Suspension Specs Metric 4 Link Symetric Angled 4 Link Back File Comments Help Suspension Specs Top View Right Side Type Symetric Angled 4 Link Left Right Spring Rates Ib in Tire to Centerline in Spring to Centerline in Spring Angle deg Spring to Axle in Link AB Link DE Axle to Front Pivot in Axle to Rear Pivot in i o 4 Link Side View ToC L Ht Toca p Plontofcar A 17 D22 J8 A B 165 Ehz la5 p Help Click on down arrow button to pick a Typical Example of a rear suspension or a general design to Use Specs Below where you can enter your own specs p 51 Roll Center Ht 16 7 Roll Center Right 0 0 The new Suspension Type of Symmetric Angled 4 Link lets you find the roll center and roll stiffness of rear
60. quickest lap times However the program has a built in feature to do this automatically Click on Back at the top of the Test Results screen Then at the Main Screen click on Find Best Gear Ratio The program will automatically try a wide range of axle ratios to see which gives the quickest lap times For these LATEMODL 355 specs the program finds the 5 4 axle ratio is the quickest and it asks you if it should load in that ratio Answer Yes and you find that the new lap time is 16 04 seconds 04 better than 5 9 and 12 seconds better than 6 2 However at a different track a different axle ratio would be best Figure 4 13 Finding Best Axle Ratio Click here to have program find quickest axle ratio for current specs q Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL File vehicle CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences Program will automatically Vehicle Specs Yehicle Summary try several Engine Engine File 355 chey i different axle ratios to find Vehicle Fale the one circumference a giving I hCoilSprings Track 64 0 3 Front Suspension i t Gamber quickest lap times A prings Panhard or J Bar oe Distance Traveled feet Match Vehicle Performance Running Conditions Pass amp m Show All Comments Hep The computer will make several runs trying different Click here to open have the gear ratios to find the one giving the quickest lap program pick the best gear rati times For acc
61. smaller the time increment you choose the more detailed the graphs tabular results and Suspension Analysis However the tabular results are much longer up to 100 rows of results which makes for long printouts Track Specs Figure 2 36 Track Specs Type Track Length following Click on arrow to select how you want to line driven describe the race track The first choice by the car of Use Specs Below enables all track specs so you can describe most any track or you can pick from the preloaded Infield Width Typical or specific tracks in the list Track Length ft The distance around the track following the line the car will drive in feet 63 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Infield Width ft The distance across the infield in feet This tells the program how tight the turns are Bank Angle deg Is the banking of the track in the comers in degrees for the line the car drives If the banking is progressive steeper at the top enter the banking for where the car drives low banking if the car stays low Driver Type Click on arrow to select how you want to describe the driver The first choice of Use Specs Below enables both Driver specs so you can enter both individually or you can pick from the preloaded Typical examples in the list Accel Aggressiveness Click on arrow to select how quickly the driver gets on the accelerator out of the turn The more
62. specs to the current file name This is a shortcut to update the current file with the current specs and measurements Save AS presents the standard Circle Track Analyzer Save screen where you can save the file to most any name of your choosing Save As is how you change the name of a Rear Suspension file At this screen you can also click on the Advanced button which presents a standard Windows File Open dialog box not shown in Beginner Level Then you can save a Rear Suspension file to a name of your choosing Certain names are not acceptable including e Names with more than 3 characters to the right or 8 characters to the left of a period e Names over 11 characters long 12 characters if one is a period e Names which include the characters lt gt 3 or spaces You can also select different directories or disk drives for saving files Print prints the Rear Suspension Screen Print Blank Worksheet prints the Rear Suspension screen with blank boxes for all inputs Windows Print Setup opens the standard Windows menu for selecting the printer page orientation etc 57 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Comments Click on Comments for the Comment Editing screen shown in Figure 2 28 for the Front Suspension Comments Comments are printed with your other specs when you request a print of the Rear Suspension screen at least the first 300 characters or so when you print
63. suspensions found in several vehicles including GM Metric and later model Mustangs Because it is 188 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices TE only for symmetric layouts you will only enter measurements for 1 side and they will be used for both sides Engine Screen Edit options have been added to the Calculate menu item to allow factoring the power curve up or down by a certain percent The option is also available to clean up the power curve should you enter RPM increments out of order or leave blank rows in the data Figure A13 New Commands in the Engine Screen E Circle Track analyzer u 5 Derfarmance Tronde lATFMNNI 2551 Engine Specs latemodl 390 Back File AmE Load from Engine Analyzer Comments Help Base Ey __ Calculate Power Curve _ Full Power Curve Dal Add HP isplact Reduce HP CCs 582 peat Re Sort Power Curve Table Clutch Smaller Clutch Flywheel v 189 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices 190 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Appendix 5 New Features in Version 3 6 In Version 3 6 we ve broken the Circle Track Analyzer into 3 different programs Roll Center Calculator RCC which does the Front Suspension only Roll Center Calculator Plus RCC which does the Front Suspension and Rear Suspension plus some front to rear balance analysis The full Circle Track Analyzer CTA wh
64. the torsion bar to the ball joint Bar Inside Diameter in Is the inside diameter of the torsion bar if you have selected a Hollow Torsion Bar in inches 85 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 53 Calc Roll Bar Rate 2 7 10 Calc Roll Bar Rate maps x This Calculation menu is available by clicking on the Calc Roll Bar Hate Roll Bar Rate Clc button in the Front Suspension menu Inputs Type of Bar Solid Bar Typ e of Bar Bar Outside Diameter in Bar Inside Diameter in Click on this combo box to select from the following 3 types of roll bars pee Earn aD e No Sway Bar Arm Length e Solid Bar e Hollow Bar M Note Active Bar Lenath is the lenght of the bar that is designed to twist which usually has a smaller z than the rest of the bar Arm Length is the Bar Outside Diameter in distance from the bar mounts on the frame back to where the bar mounts on the suspension Is the outside diameter of the section of the bar which is designed to twist in inches Take this measurement carefully as it has a large impact on the Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print results Figure 2 54 Roll Bar Measurements Production Style Bar Custom Style Bar Bar Outside Diameter Bar Outside Diameter Arm Length Arm Length Active Bar Length Active Bar Length 86 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Defin
65. top of the Main Menu The Calculate Lap Times button is a shortcut Figure 4 8 shows the results a Lap Time of 16 08 seconds with an average MPH of 84 0 with an improvement 132 of 08 seconds C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 8 Test Results with 5 9 Axle Ratio Improvement of 08 seconds by going to 5 9 ratio from 6 2 ratio ww Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL E Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf Nistor Help F1 Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Ce v Nig ie Ei Click on Notes for more Det Comments Time Foot MPH__ Accel Gs Throttle Clear History 00 65 5 50 D 67 6 1 00 100 72 7 100 1 50 155 77 6 P 100 2 00 214 82 1 E 100 E Click 2 50 276 86 2 5 100 3 00 341 89 7 100 i here to 3 50 408 92 6 100 3 show 4 00 477 95 1 E 100 j Test 4 50 548 97 3 100 z z Hist 5 00 620 98 9 F 63 3 IStory 5 55 700 99 7 3 Log 5 55 700 99 7 5 6 00 763 91 4 z E options 6 50 827 82 7 7 00 885 74 6 7 50 937 68 0 8 04 990 65 5 Astar A G Explo Z Micro Ki Grap e Cir E Test PAG 4 45 a An alternate way to see this comparison and improvement is to display the Test History Log Click on History as shown in Figure 4 8 and select Show History Now You will get the screen of Figure 4 9 with a history and comparison of the last 25 runs Although only 7 runs show you can click and s
66. up in the range of 15 25 for front engine rear drive cars Total Vehicle et Se ee Vehicle Roll Stiffness ft lbs deg The roll stiffness of the front and rear suspension See Front Suspension definitions above Roll axis to CG ht Moment Arm Is the height of the CG above the roll axis at the CG center in of gravity location This is the lever which acts to roll the car as the car corners The greater this Moment Arm the more the car will roll If this height is 0 the car will not roll at all at least from spring j i Level ground roll rate deg G Is the amount of body roll in degrees produced from spring jounce rebound when the car corners at 1 G on level ground The actual car will roll more due to compliance in the tires suspension members bushings etc Distance Behind Front Axle in Is the distance toward the rear from the front axle line joining the center hubs of the left and right front wheels where the CG is located based on the Weight Rear in the 121 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Fs Vehicle Specs menu See Figure 3 22 Distance from Vehicle Is the distance from the car s tire track centerline where the Centerline in CG is located based on the Weight Left in the Vehicle Specs menu Note that this Centerline may not be the same as the Drivetrain Centerline on which your suspension measurements are based Figure 3 22 Roll Axis to CG Height CG on Distance behi
67. usually improves cornering ability because it reduces the moment of inertia of the vehicle For example it is much harder to spin turn an 18 foot 2x4 then a 3 foot 4x12 even they both weigh the same Rear Axle Ratio For most race cars this is the rear axle ratio or final drive For chain drive vehicle s go carts motorcycles etc this is the chain ratio For quick change rear ends this is the total axle ratio rear axle ratio usually 4 88 or 4 56 times the ratio of the spur gears Click on the Cle button to obtain a menu to calculate Rear Axle Ratio based on number of teeth for your particular situation Section 2 7 5 Rear Axle Type This specs tells the program how to estimate the power losses in the rear axle Generally the more heavy duty or the more gears in the rear end the more the power losses 21 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Aerodynamics Type Click on the down arrow key to pick a general body description or to Use Specs Below where you can now enter most any combination of specs you want Then the other aerodynamic specs become enabled so you can change them Beginners should pick a general body description Type Drag Coefficient The coefficient of drag Cd is an engineering term used to describe how aerodynamic a vehicle s exterior design is how easily it slices through the wind A low value for the Cd indicates the car is aerodynamic and requires li
68. 111 113 114 118 121 127 130 131 132 133 134 138 139 140 145 150 151 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 179 189 Engine Analyzer 15 16 17 18 103 140 Engine Cubic Inches 71 73 Engine Graph 13 Engine RPM 68 98 114 127 130 131 132 133 134 168 170 Engine specs 13 14 17 72 110 139 Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle 30 33 42 Enter X amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Jnts 30 42 Examples 5 6 5 15 17 41 42 57 71 90 125 127 138 139 140 145 153 169 171 174 175 179 Extension Lines 43 200 Feet 68 98 118 File 5 1 2 5 6 15 16 28 41 42 47 49 56 57 58 106 107 108 109 113 127 138 139 140 145 151 154 155 174 Final Drive Ratio 70 78 Find Best Gear Ratio 136 FLLD Front Lateral Load Distribution 179 180 181 182 183 191 Flywheel 15 170 171 Format 100 102 104 Friction Circle 64 117 118 119 Front Pivot to Axle 52 Frontal Area 24 25 79 80 165 166 169 172 Gear 1 19 21 25 27 49 78 79 132 143 151 170 171 Graph 1 6 8 13 15 66 97 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 112 113 130 131 132 133 174 184 185 187 188 Graph Labels 187 Graphs 5 63 67 97 100 137 147 Grid Style 104 Gs 68 69 98 133 135 166 Height of C G 20 21 143 168 172 Help 2 3 6 8 9 13 16 41 56 70 144 154 155 175 Highest RPM Before Braking 91 His
69. 15 Calculated Wheel Rates Spring Angle Drawn Roll Center black dot Panhard Bar Heights Roll Center Location Roll Cent r Ak 13 5 Roll Center Right 0 0 50 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Type Click on down arrow button to pick a type of Rear Suspension Layout Your choice here will have a large effect on how this screen looks and what measurements can be entered Truck Arms are nearly identical to Trailing Arms except they are usually longer and they angle in toward the center of the car usually pointing toward the transmission Spring Rate Force required to compress the uninstalled spring inch in pounds The spring is assumed linear that if 500 lbs compress the spring 1 1000 Ibs will compress the spring 2 Click on the Clc button to calculate spring rate for either a coil spring leaf spring or torsion bar See Section 2 7 9 See Appendix 1 for limits of spring movement Tire to Centerline in Distance from car centerline to center of tire patch on the ground inches For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline Spring to Centerline in Distance from car centerline to center of the spring mount pad in inches For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline Spring Angle deg
70. 3 6 Also v3 6 can be unlocked into 3 different versions just Roll Center Calculator v3 6 front suspension only just Roll Center Calculator Plus v3 6 front and rear suspension and the Full Circle Track Analyzer v3 6 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction 1 2 Before You Start What you will need e 128 Meg of RAM e Approximately 8 Megabyte of disk space e Windows 98 Me XP 2000 NT Vista e Printer optional Many terms used by the Circle Track Analyzer and this user s manual are similar to terms used by other publications like Roll Center Tire Traction Factor etc However these terms may have different definitions Therefore read Chapter 2 to see what these terms mean to the Circle Track Analyzer Occasionally it will be necessary to identify typos in the manual known bugs and their fixes etc which were not known at the time of publication These will be identified in a file called README DOC in the Circle Track Analyzer directory or folder To read this file use Windows Explorer to find the Circle Track Analyzer directory usually CTA20 under PERFTRNS PTI Then double click on README DOC Wordpad will display the contents A new feature has been added to read the README DOC file from inside the Circle Track Analyzer program At the main screen click on Help from the Menu bar then select View README DOC File Every effort has been made by Performance Tre
71. 40 053 062 Oo 30 deg Cca 011 o 009 017 _ 023 TE cl 022 o __ 018 031 040 40 deg Cd 020 009 fo 008 013 po a oao 018 fo _ 013 022 50 deg Cd Ss RB 017 o08 o 006 Ci 053 031 013 o _ 009 eee es 60 deg Cd 034 023 013 006 jo po Cf 062 040 022 009 jo Notes concerning Table 2 1 2 2 and 2 3 Spoiler Angle In Table 2 3 Spoiler Angle In Table 2 2 Change the vehicle s attitude from the production i attitude 4 degrees where a negative angle of attack is when the front is lowered and the rear is raised For this table an air dam is defined asa flat plate the Side View of full width of the vehicle projecting vertically down Rear Deck directly below front bumper based on typical 1970s or earlier design Most modern production designs integrate air dams for optimum Cd therefore adding an air dam to a modern vehicle will likely show an increase in Cd but perhaps a reduction in Cl For this table a spoiler is defined as a flat plate extending the full width of the vehicle at the top rear edge of the rear deck trunk lid angled back 20 degrees from vertical See Figure Table 2 2 shows typical effects from modifications Individual vehicle s can differ considerable Advertised Cds are usually the best case For a realistic Cd add 03 to 05 to the advertised Cd for production vehicles Table 2 3 shows effect of changing the spoiler angle on
72. Circle Track Analyzer v3 6 for Windows Users Manual Performance Trends Inc Performance Trends Inc PO Box 530264 Livonia MI 48153 Sales amp Tech Help for Registered Owners 248 473 9230 Fax 248 442 7750 Email feedback performancetrends com Website tips correspond with other users download demos update schedule etc www performancetrends com Copyright Notice Copyright C 2009 Performance Trends Inc All Rights Reserved These software programs and user s manual are reserved by Performance Trends Inc and are intended for the use of the original owner only Copying or duplicating these products except for the personal use of the original owner is a violation of U S Copyright Law and is hereby expressly forbidden Portions Copyright C Microsoft Corp 1993 All Rights Reserved International Business Machines Corp makes no warranties either expressed or implied regarding the enclosed computer package its merchantability or its fitness for any particular purpose IBM PC XT and AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp MS DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED HEREUNDER IS LICENSED AS IS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES FOR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE NO ORAL OR WRITTEN STATEMENTS REPRESENTATIONS OR OTHER AFFIRMATION OF FACT INCLUDING BUT NOT
73. Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Outside Rel Humidity Is the air s relative humidity as reported by a weather service or measured by humidity instruments Dry Bulb Temp deg F Is the temperature of the dry bulb thermometer on the psychrometer in degrees F This is also the temperature of any thermometer mounted in the shade when the Wet Bulb Temp reading is taken The Dry Bulb Temp must not be less than the Wet Bulb Temp Wet Bulb Temp deg F Is the temperature of the wet bulb thermometer on the psychrometer in degrees F The wet bulb has a wick or cloth covering the bulb which is moistened with water The dryer the air the greater the difference between the wet and dry bulb readings Relative humidity or dew point can be manually read off a Psychometric chart from these two readings This calculation replaces reading the chart The Wet Bulb Temp must be less than the Dry Bulb Temp Figure 2 56 Calc Relative Humidit Calc Relative Humidity Calc Relative Humidity Weather Inputs i i now Dew Point 2 7 12 Relative Humidity PP furside Aw Temp geu E Depending on your choice of Method of Recording Dew Poin deg F Weather Data you will be entering either Dew Point or D bT dea F Relative Humidity in the Running Conditions menu ty Bulb Temp deg These humidity inputs at all these menus have a Clc Wet Bulb Temp deg F button This is the Calculation Menu you will get if you are using Relative Hu
74. NT Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages and some states do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you No action regardless of form arising out of any claimed breach of this agreement or performance under this agreement may be brought by either party more than one year after the affected party learns of the cause of action Refer to diskette envelope for full license agreement FASE ISAS GIG GIS WT A R N DN G RRELA k The Circle Track Analyzer makes calculations based on equations and data found in various published and heretofore reliable documents The program is designed for use by skilled professionals experienced with engines and vehicles The following processes are hazardous particularly if done by an unskilled or inexperienced user Obtaining data to input to the program Interpreting the program s results Before making measurements of or modifications to any vehicle engine or driving situation DO NOT FAIL TO Regard the safety consequences Consult with a skilled and cautious professional Read the entire user s manual Obey all federal state amp local laws Respect the rights and safety of others Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1 Overview of Features 1 2 Before You Start 1 3 A Word of Caution 1 4 Getting Started Installation 1 5 Example to Get You Goi
75. Notes for more Details LastLap Time 28 86 124 7 Click on lipprovement 20 and slide slide bar button to display all Test Results Click on and slide slide bar T 1256 button to sna qt 00 dis play busch na z t Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm 86 1 00 ee Er entire busch na zit Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm i History latemodl Thu Feb 25 99 11 50 am Log Click on T st Title 1st column to change it or tp retrieve specs which produced those results Clidk in other columns for definitions Performance Summary Notes Summary and Notes button giving performance tips Command Option Buttons 93 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Figure 3 2 Additional Output Options Click here or here to graph these results Click here or here to print these results Click here to analyze the suspension as the car goes around the track as described in Section 3 6 Click here to create Analysis Report giving performance tips as described in Section 3 1 Click here for History Log options Click here for help on Test Results m Circle Vrack Apalyzer 0 Performance Tiends BUSCH N ZRT iaj x K Bac Greph Pint Andiyze Suspension Analyze Perf History H lp F1 lej x SA i Notes Summary Very Low Lift Coef Engine RPM New Lap Time 28 66 MPH 125 6 IAA _Notes_ High Click on Notes for more Details LastLap Time 28 86 124 7 a Comments Improvement 20 3 Tim
76. PH These are results you do understand If you click on the slide bar button identified in Figure 1 3 and slide the results down to the last row of results you see a time 8 06 seconds exactly half of the Lap Time of 16 12 seconds That is because the program only calculates half of a lap from turn 2 through the straight through turn 3 The program then assumes the other half lap would be exactly the same and just doubles the time for half a lap Figure 1 3 Calculated Results with Lap Time Results ww Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL ri Summary k amp n Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Coef Click on Notes for New Lap Time m a more Details Last Lap Time Comments Improvement Click on slide A bar and slide 65 8 button down 66 6 to see all test 68 1 si E98 F results 71 5 73 3 75 0 76 7 78 4 80 1 81 7 83 4 85 0 z 99 Summary of 86 6 important eT 1 Notes of 91 2 4 Interest Click 92 7 z z on Notes ss z button for A gagag ij Z Mico ji Qy Explo jj K Grap T Cir A Ke e more info C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction K Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Hef la x Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Coef Click on Notes for New Lap Ti Click here or press more Details Last Lap Time 16 12 83 7
77. Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 19 Roll amp Dive Options Choose the Yes option to enable Dive and Roll Type in Dive and or Roll here Or click on Arrow buttons to increment automatically Click here to draw layout big and show spring compression Dive The amount the car s front end drops compared to its static standing still height To simulate the front end rising enter a negative number Roll The amount the car s front end rolls leans due to cornering forces compared to its static standing still angle A positive angle means the car is leaning to the Right typical of Left turns Use a negative number to lean Left Right turns Draw Big This command button lets you select a screen mode where the Suspension Layout is drawn about twice its normal size In this mode you can see things in more detail The Draw Big mode also displays Spring Deflection which is not displayed in the Normal Sized screen Spring Deflection The change in the length of the spring due to Dive or Roll Negative means spring compression from diving positive means elongation from rising Since shocks generally are mounted close to the spring locations shock travel is very similar to Spring Deflection 39 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 4 4 Suspension Layout The features of the Suspension Layout drawing are d
78. Pert po Perf Obtained i 930 Pick Yes and the program o a a will not only adjust vehicle specs and track specs but also the engine power curve to match lap times This is Spec Name Old recommended when you do ngine Pk Tq full curve not have a dyno curve for ngine Pk HP full curve the engine ng Pk HP RPH full curve ire Type nfield Width ft anking deg Specs Which Have Been Changed Driving Style Keep These New Specs Return to Old Specs 91 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 92 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Chapter 3 Output The Circle Track Analyzer provides several ways to view and output the test results including e Tabular calculated Test Results displayed on the screen Check Section 2 6 for definitions of Test Results Analyze Suspension is a powerful graphical suspension analysis tool Analysis Report giving tips warning of safety issues etc High resolution graphs Printer output or reports or graphs Vehicle Library for recording sets of vehicle specs for later use Figure 3 1 Output Options from Test Results Screen Menu Bar showing names of options Vehicle File Name ww Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends BUSCH NA ZR7 E Back Gr ph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 Notes Summary Very Low Lift Coef Engine RPM New Lap Time 28 66 MPH 125 6 High Click on
79. Pivot O Yes A C 23 6 8 75 Lower Ball Joint No oe _Big D Lower Frame Pivot 7 Help definition Elis 1 16 5 Upper Spring Pad Distance from car centefline to the center of ball joint F Lower Spring Pad on upper arm on Right sde in inches For ease of BE consistent measuremergs for front and rear use the Length Angle e center of the drivetrain jengine trans rear axle as 24 78 Upper Arm Dim E 20 76 the car s centerline p l8 16 86 4 9 Lower Arm Dim c F Changing Specs Enter X amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Joints Option First lets try changing a measurement For example lets raise the ball joint on the right upper control arm 1 2 inch This would mean the Right Height measurement for Upper Ball Joint the distance from the ground would increase 5 inches So change 20 4 to 20 9 When you get ready to press lt enter gt after typing in 20 9 watch the drawing especially the right side suspension at point A and Camber Gain Remember this is a front view so the right side of the car is actually on the left side of the screen Important Always remember you are looking at a Front view of the car This means the Right side of the screen actually shows the Left side of the car and the Left side of the screen shows the Right side of the car 155 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 37 Front Susp Screen after Raising
80. Right Spring or both Spring Lonh i springs Thickness of 1 Leaf in Spring Width in Type of Spring Click on the combo box for Type of Spri feos ick on the combo box for Type of Spring to Click on Location to choose which spring you are change the inputs in this menu for the 4 basic calculating the Spring Rate for Choose a types of springs different Type of Spring for Torsion Bars or Leaf e Coil Springs Springs e Leaf Springs e Solid Torsion Bars e Hollow Torsion Bars Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print These inputs will be discussed in the 3 sections below Coil Springs Wire Diameter in Is the diameter of the wire which makes up the coils in inches Take this measurement carefully as it has a large impact on the results Inside Diameter of Coil in Is the inside diameter of the wire coils which makes up the spring in inches The coil diameter ranges from 1 5 to 5 inches for most springs 83 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Number of Active Coils Is the number of active coils in the spring Usually the top and bottom coils of a spring do not move are not active and do not contribute to the springiness of the spring Therefore the number of active or moving coils is usually 2 less than the total number of coils For example for a spring with 12 coils the Number of Active Coils would be 10 Leaf Springs of Leaves at Center Is the num
81. Rt Upper Ball Joint to 20 9 Front Suspension Specs 96 BUSCH LOW Back File Options SuspensionType Shim Comments Help This is front view of suspension so left side of screen is actually right side of car Other Specs Camber Gain 99 Gain based on 5 Dive Camber Gain 92 Spring Length and 5 deg Roll Spring Angle Spring Rate Wheel Rate Scrub Radius Stc Camber deg Dyn Camber deg Track in King Pin Angle Spindle Angle Roll Bar Rate Ib in 250 Roll Bar Length in Upper Ball Joint Show Dive amp Roll sis ike Greer OC Yes Dive inches Roll deg Draw he Big Lower Ball Joint l Help definition Distance from ground up to the center of ball joint on Length Angle i Length Angle 28 30_ Upper Arm Dim 20 76 16 86 14 9 Lower Arm Dim 16 92 upper arm on Right side in inches p18 Table 4 1 After Figure 4 Front nsion Option Upper Rt BJ Hi 05 gure 4 38 Front Suspension Options Roll Center Ht Roll Center Rt 3 7 4 0 puspension Specs 36 BUSCH LOW 2 Options Suspension Type Shim Comments v Enter SHE Readings Frame amp Ball Jnts Enter xX amp Ht 1 End Arm Len amp Angle Draw Extension Lines Don t Draw Extension Lines Stc Camber 2 5 2 05 Upper Arm Len 7 38 Upper Arm Ang 24 78 28 30 Background Car Layout Color Light Gray Background Car Layout Color Dark Gray Camber Changes with New Inputs Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs Press
82. The program has descriptions of vehicles saved in the Library right from the factory The current file from the Vehicle Library is called LATEMODL To get started let s examine but not change the various categories of specs Click on a button for one of the categories like Engine Vehicle etc A new menu will appear displaying the various specs and the current values for the LATEMODL vehicle You can click on the name of any spec and a brief description appears in the Help frame along with a page from this manual for more help You can return to the Main Menu by clicking on OK or clicking on an area outside this menu Now click on the Calculate Performance button in the Main Menu to calculate performance for this LATEMODL vehicle The next menu will show you the Calculate Performance Conditions menu as shown in Figure 1 2 For now leave all the Calculation Conditions as they are and click on the Calculate Performance button This will start the program calculating performance for the specifications of the LATEMODL stored in Figure 1 2 Calculation Conditions Menu wm Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL _ x Eiere D Tee Conditions EE xi _ Open ve Track Weather Track Specs Save Yeh Method of Reading Weather Data Type Use Specs Below x Radio Ty Report with Rel Hum Track Surface 6 Asphalt a Vehicl ale M Corr Barometer Hg Track Layout Bank Angle Air Temperature deg F Relative Humi
83. Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 14 Engine Examples Click on File then Open Example Engine to load in example actual dyno curves w Engine Specs STRT STK 350 Click here to load e Calculate Load frontEngne Analyzer Comments Help an Engine Base Engine Specs ee Power Curve Analyzer power curve E Open Ex Engine File C 23 Ex Engines in Library Chosen Ex Engine Fite g 406 2 bb Click on Calculate to estimate a power curve from 9 RPMs from PkTq 394 z only a couple of Preview 3000 7000 b i CID 406 3 simple inputs like cubic inches and a general Well tuned 406 with Holley 500 2BBL 4412 inti 952 256 flat tappet cam 11 5 1 CR fuly C 0 description ported cattiren Bow Tie heads cast iron intake headers Click on engines to obtain a preview where you can tell by the comments if this engine may be similar to your Engine specs Click on Engine specs at the Main Menu to display the current power specs for the Late Model s 355 Chevy You could enter the cubic inches pick a clutch setup and type in a dyno curve for your engine However you don t know your engine s power curve Fortunately there are several options for building a power curve which include e Use the current curve which came with the Late Model file The engine comments show that this is for a 355 Chevy so this may not be the best choice e Ifyou had a complete dyno curve you could enter the dyno
84. Type Shim Comments Help Lets you choose if imaginary extension lines v Enter x amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Jnts should be drawn in the Suspension Layout Enter x amp Ht 1 End Arm Len amp Angle These extension lines help show how the T Instant Centers and Roll Center are arrived at Dont Draw Estensioni Lines Background Car Layout Color Light Gray Background Car Layout Color Dark Gray Background Car Layout Color Light Gray Camber Changes with New Inputs Background Car Layout Color Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs Dark Gray Camber Gain Definition Specs an Show Spindle Angle Lets you select the color for the background Don t Show Spindle Angle car and suspension drawing in the Layout x Height Left xX Heigh screen The Background Car shows the static position of the suspension and car before any Dive and or Roll Camber Changes with New Inputs Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs For entering a new suspension it may be better to select the Camber Does Not Figure 2 24 Camber Gain Specs Menu Change with New Inputs option This Camber Gain Specs prevents Camber from continually being Camber Gain Specs changed possibly to very unusual values as you enter new measurements Type of Cale Use Specs Below Once you have a new suspension Body Dive inches fi entered choosing the Camber Changes Body Roll degrees 2 with New Inputs option works well to see how su
85. Ublock Program Show All Comments Comments Demo program can now be easily unlocked from Main Screen Windows Printer Setup now available from Main Commands to Open From and Save To floppy drive makes it easy to transfer vehicle files from one comnuter to another 175 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A3 Click on Corner Jacking Button at Upper Right of Main Screen for This Screen Jack on any or all springs at once by typing in the amounts of turns up or down or click on the Up Down button to increment one turn at a time ia Circle Track Analyzer 3 2 Corner Jacking Screen Back Print Help Left Front Right Front Threads Inch Threads Inch m Height Height 00 Fel Turns Down Turns Down D Static Weight Static Weight Pink represents New Settings Spring Rate Spring Rate Lbs 680 Left Rear Right Rear 72 Threads Inch Threads Inch m HOPEN Turns Down Turns Down w Static Weight Static Weight o Spring Rate 225 Spring Rate Static New Enter the number of threads per inch for the jacking screw on this corner of the car 52 38 52 38 Rear 44 67 44 67 Left 54 81 52 55 Cross Height 00 Astar By ctadoc 2 Adobe Acr BH CTAMANL cTa20 mi Cicle Trac t Cireld T HAMZAH 9264M Watch the corner weights change on all corners and see how much the ride height will change
86. _ get bid9G t ng 1996 Busch Thunderbird Front Suspension A The Advanced with spring rates high speed and high button opens up a banking stiff springs standard Windows screen to let you open files from most any folder or disk drive not Open Delete Cancel Help Advanced available in Beginner level C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples For now lets just analyze the current Busch Tbird front suspension If some measurement is not familiar to you click on its name or the spec and a brief description appears in the Help frame along with a page from this manual for more help Figure 4 36 Specs for the File 96 BUSCH LOW w Front Suspension Specs 96 BUSCH LOW Back File Options Suspension Type Shim Comments Help eT Click on most Right Left any This is front view of suspension so left side of screen is actually right side of car Other Specs Camber Gain 81 Gain based on 5 Dive Camber Gain 92 Spring L ngth and 5 deg Roll Sprifig Angle specs pring Rate Cle fora Wheel Rate brief Scrub Radius TN Stc Camber deg o Dyn Camber deg ion to Track in 61 0 be given King Pin Angle 11 17 in the Roll Center height 3 7 Roll Center Right 4 7 ROI Bar Rate fin Cie box at Roll Bar Length in Static Layout Dimensig the Right X Heig i lt i bottom ABAE 204 Upper Ball Joint tho ae amp Roll of this Bis 717 4 Upper Frame
87. a 94 Winston Cup car A different body style and spoiler design would give different results Changes in the rear spoiler angle affect downforce on the front and rear of the car differently and can significantly affect handling To use 23 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Table 2 3 say you were changing the spoiler angle from 40 to 20 degrees on a car with a 38 Cd and a 12 Cl Forty 40 would be the Old Spoiler angle and 20 would be the New This would result in the Drag Coefficient Cd decreasing by 020 resulting in 36 and lift coefficient increasing by 040 resulting in a Cl of 08 Lift Coefficient Like Drag Coefficient the Lift Coefficient is an engineering term which describes how much lift the car s shape develops much like a wing The higher the Lift Coefficient the more the lift However race car s want downforce not lift so you want a low lift coefficient A production car will have a Lift Coefficient in the range from 2 to 3 meaning the car actually unloads the tires somewhat at high speed not good Add some effective spoilers and air dams and this will drop this to close to 0 or that the tires do not unload at high speed better Only when you get into race cars with large wings spoilers air dams close to the ground do you see negative lift coefficients like 1 or 2 which actually develop downforce at high speeds good The ground effects Indy cars of sev
88. a ssa was iae You will now notice that the other Hice F0 deg day at sea level e 29 Cool Ory day at sea lewel weather Specs arg grayed out or HotrH umid dav in Midwest disabled You think Good now I don t O deg ey Coolf Ormy day in Midwest 92 have to worry about them HotfHumid day in mountains Nice FO deg day in mountains in mountains For the Reports Graphs spec of Show Results Every you leave it as is because you are not sure what it means Basically if you want more detailed results suspension analysis and graphs you will select a smaller time increment This will be something you will use when you are more familiar with the program For Track Specs you will select a Type from the list which most closely represents your track Typ 1 4 Mile Low Banks As with Weather Specs the other track specs are now disabled Figure 4 26 Simplified Track Specs For Driver you leave the existing LATEMODL 355 s driver description of Typical Track Specs Aggressive Driver The Running Conditions screen should now look like Figure 4 27 Tup 1 4 Mile low banks F Typ 1 4 Mile medium banks Typ 1 4 Mile high banks Typ 1 3 Mile low banks Typ 1 3 Mile medium banks Typ 1 3 Mile high banks Typ 3 8 Mile low banks Typ 3 8 Mile medium banks 147 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 27 Running Conditions for Your Car w Running Conditions No
89. able again by clicking on Table amp Graph You would produce a Table like in the upper left of Figure A12 Click on the Options menu item and select Specs for Table Rows amp Columns to change the Dive and Roll increments and which is used for rows and which is used for columns You will obtain the menu shown in the upper right of Figure A12 As you change the specs in this menu the Preview at the bottom changes to show what the Roll and Dive increments and the general layout of the Camber Table will look like The program allows only up to 10 rows and 11 columns Your inputs may be changed if a combination produces more than these limits When you are satisfied with the Preview click on OK Exit Click on Cancel to close this menu and return to the original Table layout Note If you change the Table specs any previously saved baseline conditions will be lost because that baseline has different increments for columns and rows which would not match up to the new increments you have selected 185 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A 12 Roll Center Table and Grap Click on Graph to make graph mind as shown below Data in Rows Starting Dive inches Ending Dive inches Dive Step Size Starting Roll degrees Ending Roll degrees Roll Step Size Preview Roll AC Left me Dive inches aon 2 o E 7 E 9 2 2 3 7 3 rows x 7 columns Maximum
90. able by clicking on the Displacement Clc button in the Engine Specs menu When enough inputs have been entered it shows Displacement Liters Displacement in Cubic Inches which can be transferred back to the Engine Specs menu by clicking on Use Calc Value Cubic Centimeters and Calc Based On Bore and Stroke Liters Bore in Displacement CCs 7a ao N 2 l Engine Specs Le Stroke in Calc Based On Number of Cylinders Displacement in CCs Click on this combo box to select from e Bore and Stroke CCs geccecceees soeg e Liters Use e Help Cancel i Depending on your choice certain inputs will now be enabled Displacement in Liters Diki z Bore inches Is the Bore for this engine Bore is the diameter of one cylinder Stroke inches Is the Stroke for this engine Stroke is the distance the piston travels from TDC to BDC Cylinders Is the number of cylinders in this engine For example for a V 8 this would be 8 Displacement in CCs Is the total engine displacement in cubic centimeters CCs that you want converted to cubic inches For example for a 1000 CC motorcycle engine enter 1000 74 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Displacement in Liters Is the total engine displacement in liters that you want converted to cubic inches For example for a 5 0L Mustang engine enter 5 Figure 2 43 Calc Weight
91. ading Weather Data 60 87 88 Milliken 180 181 Motion Ratio 120 Move Weight 184 MPH 7 66 67 68 98 115 118 127 130 132 148 Natural Frequency 121 181 Number of Active Coils 84 Obs Barometer 61 Open 5 15 16 22 41 42 57 106 107 127 138 139 140 145 154 Open Example 15 16 41 57 139 140 145 154 Open Saved 15 16 41 57 Optimize 23 165 173 Other Specs 32 33 34 35 36 156 Outside Air Temp 87 89 Outside Rel Humidity 88 Oversteer 180 181 191 192 P Metric 81 Panhard Bar 34 35 52 54 Panhard Bar Heights 52 PDF 175 192 Peak HP 71 72 Peak HP RPM 71 Peak Torque 71 72 Peak Torque RPM 71 72 PERFTRNS PTI 2 4 109 127 Pinion 27 49 78 79 143 Plot Lines 188 Pnhd Bar to Centerline 52 power curve 16 17 18 70 71 91 139 140 150 151 179 189 Preferences 5 13 67 179 Print 5 1 2 8 16 28 31 42 47 49 57 58 66 93 100 102 110 119 185 187 188 Quick Change 78 143 Radius 68 77 82 120 122 Rating Type 80 81 Ratio of Trans Gear Used 25 README DOC 2 Rear anti roll bar 191 Rear Axle Ratio 21 78 127 132 143 Rear Axle Type 21 143 Rear Suspension 5 1 26 48 50 51 56 57 58 83 106 109 111 120 121 138 146 150 151 174 179 182 188 191 Rear Track Width 80 201 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Registered Owner 3 4 Rel Humi
92. aggressive the rating the closer the driver keeps the tires to the limits of the Friction Circle on the edge of breaking loose Brake Aggressiveness Click on arrow to select how deep the driver goes into the turn before braking then how hard they brake The more aggressive the rating the closer the driver keeps the tires to the limits of the Friction Circle on the edge of breaking loose 64 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 6 2 Calculate Performance Test Results Figure 2 37 Calculated Results Improvement Summary Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL K Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 7 i Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Coef Click on Notes for New Lap Time 16 12 MR more Details Last Lap Time 18 10 l Comments Improvement 1 98 395 i 9 i 395 39 i 381 59 5 358 79 E 327 1 00 100 J 290 1 20 121 256 1 40 143 i 224 1 60 165 194 1 80 88 167 w Test History olx ns IEN istory Clear erase His Noy Print Help Test eat Infeld Berd Me MARM LapTineimp MPH limp Caen al 83 7 E 1 98 66 2 74 4 i 00 83 7 latemodl Thu Feb 11 99 10 46 am i 00 83 7 latemodl Thu Feb 1 99 10 46 am 83 7 Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to retrieve specs Whick produced thoke results Click in other columns for definitions star S 4 BAY gel ho BWM eM
93. and Scrub are displayed here Scrub Radius Stc Camber deg e_o 2s Dyn Camber deg Track in 64 0 32 32 King Pin Angle Spindle Angle Lt Swing Arm 55 4 i a gt Rt Scrub 092 Lt Scrub 207 Roll Bar Rate Ib in Roll Bar Length i Roll Center height 1 5 Roll Center Left 5 sree EE T Static Layout Dimensions Show Dive amp Roll Right X i i Yes Dive inches Roll de D z 5 deg raw A EA Upper Ball Joint a B Upper Frame Pivot J C No isi _ Big Lower Ball Joint Lower Frame Pivot Help definition A Distance from car centerline to the center of ball joint on Upper Spring Pad upper arm on Right side in inches For ease of consistent Lower Spring Pad 21 25 f measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline p 1 Upper Arm Dim Lower Arm Dim Figure A11 shows some of the new features for the Front Suspension Screen Figure A12 shows an example of the new Table amp Graph feature for calculating Roll Center migration for various amounts of dive and roll 184 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices _ L__L__ xx_ Se SE SSS Lt and Rt Scrub shows in Figure A11 is the amount the tire moves out from the center of the car as it goes through the amount of dive and roll you have specified Lt and Rt Swing Arm Length is the distanc
94. ange The more mass in the front of the car heavier engine or engine more forward the higher the Roll Center should be Some authorities believe a lower Roll Center works better on dirt because the higher body roll produces more side bite from the tires Lower Roll Centers require stiffer springs to control Roll However stiff springs hurt traction on bumpy tracks The less the Roll Center moves during Dive and Roll the more predictable the car s handling Most authorities agree that holding the Roll Center position as constant as practical during Dive and Roll is optimum Camber Camber Gain For Circle Track cars turning left reasonable Static Camber values before any Dive or Roll are Left Side 1 to 2 degrees Right Side 2 to 4 degrees the tighter the turn the higher the camber Wider and or stiffer sidewall tires require less Static Camber Camber Gain should be in the range of 1 75 for a flat track 1 25 for a medium banked track 10 15 degrees and down to 1 for highly banked tracks over 25 degrees on the outside tire right tire in a left turn For circle track cars always turning left the desired camber gain on the left side may be less or even a positive number depending on track banking and other factors These Camber Gains are based on the program s standard definition as the amount of Camber Change from 1 of Dive 173 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Appendi
95. anges in Circle Track Analyzer Version 2 are listed below New Features e Mouse driven user interface compatible with Windows 98 through Vista for easier operation and better print capability e Improved Front Suspension layout screen very similar to our popular Roll Center Calculator e Rear Suspension layout screen for simple analysis of rear suspensions e Improved suspension and analysis screen to watch front suspension motion while traveling around the track e Feature to automatically pick the best gear at a particular track e Feature which allows the program to adjust critical specs to best match your lap times and highest and lowest vehicle RPMs at a particular track e Can print most menus and calculation menus separately e Keeps log of last 25 tests run for comparison or recall You can also select to save up to 10 of these tests for as long as you wish You can also select to graph up to 5 of these tests with the current results e Advanced file Open and Save commands let you access any drive or directory with standard Windows File Dialog menu e Better printing of reports e Ability to graph the results These graphs include many options like zoom shift line styles etc e On screen help by simply clicking on any input spec If you require more detailed analysis or more features you may need our upcoming Circle Track Analyzer Pro Check Appendices 3 5 pages 165 198 for Features added in Versions 3 2 3 5 and
96. ar provides for several graph commands and options Graph Title change by clicking on Format then Edit Titles Legend Name of current Engine File Commands to graph the current test results with past test results Last is the previous test results History are up to 6 results from the History Log Graph Legend we Circle Track Analyzer v3 0 BUSCH NAZRT which describes the data graphed isl tO ees ele ele Tei eee This includes Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Eng RPM vs Time Name of test Berean results Type of Eng RPM Data You can also click on Data Type names and the corresponding data line will flash This is useful to find a particular line when several are graphed Names in the Legend can be changed by clicking on Format then Edit Titles oo 15 0 Di Am Shan Seconds t Horizontal X axis The scaling of this axis can be easily chanaed as described in this section Grid lines The style or elimination of grid lines can be changed by clicking on Format then Grid Style Data graph lines The style and thickness of these lines can be changed by clicking on Format then Line Style Vertical Y axis the scaling of which can be changed as described in this section C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output There are 2 basic types of test data which can be graphed e MPH e Accel Gs e Engine RPM e Throttle e Downforce e Cornering Gs Vs on X axis either e Time in Sec
97. art of Turn 2 Mx RPM would be somewher e down in the EngRPM The program is currently predicting your car runs faster than your actual car s 14 3 second laps We should fine tune these specs to get a better match between real lap times and what the program predicts In previous versions of Circle Track Analyzer this would mean doing a lot of cut and try Adjust a spec see if you got a better match on say Mn RPM If you did now did you screw up your Lap Time etc The solution is the Match My Lap Times option available at the Main Menu Return to the Main Menu from the Test Results screen of Figure 4 23 Click on the Match My Lap Times button at the top to display the menu similar to Figure 4 24 Enter in your actual performance including a description of 149 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 your engine You choose 500 2BBL ported heads as the engine description It should look like Figure 4 29 Then click on the OK adjust veh specs to match performance button The program makes several passes adjusting critical specs between each pass fine tuning the specs to find a combination which best matches your actual vehicle s performance After 30 40 passes it arrives at the combination shown in Figure 4 30 At the top of this menu you see how close these new specs will make the performance match In the lower section you see the Old specs and the new ones arrived at which you can either Keep or
98. articular E Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 track Change the Upper Ball Joint Notes Summary Very Low Lift Coef Very Agressive Height back to the original 20 4 es aes a Driving Click on Notes for more Details inches Then click on Back to return Comments to the Main Screen Then calculate Se AEE Z Throttle Eng RPM Turn lap times At the top of the Test 64 6 00 0 4411 24 Results screen click on Analyzer A 68 0 59 100 4646 2 4 Suspension as shown in Figure 4 43 This will produce the screen shown in Figure 4 44 Fig 4 44 Suspension Analysis Screen See Section 3 6 page 116 for details Unlike the Front Suspension Screen where you enter your guess at Dive and Roll Dive and Roll are calculated from track specs and vehicle specs Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Suspension Analysis Screen Continuous Single Step Ahead Single Step Back Help This is a Front View fleft side of screen is actually right side of car 9 deg Bank Angle 4411 RPM 0 0 Brake Gas Dive 0 69 inches Rt Camber 3 65 deg Lt Camber 50 deg Static Dyn 48 5 49 Rear 54 33 Left Accelerating 2 50 53 Cross amp Friction Circle in Gs 64 6 MPH 1378 Feet 9 68 Sec Braking Track Position and Spring compression and tire load other info shown here on all 4 corners shown here 161 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 45 Possible Basel
99. ayout Dimensions Right X Height eig rs i Upper Bal Joint Show Dive amp Roll m Upper Frame Pivot CYes Dive Roll deg 5 1 is Sl 5 6 Bi Lower Ball Joint No 5 ke Big Lower Frame Pivot 7 3 Help definition Upper Spring Pad Distance from ground to center of upper mounting Lower Spring Pad pad for the spring on right side in inches p 19 16 86 43 Lower Arm Dim changed as they would in order to keep the length and angle constant Stc Camber changes just as it did before to 2 04 because the Ball Joint has moved the same as before However the Camber Gain now is 77 because the arm angle stayed at 24 78 where the arm angle changed to 28 30 after raising the Ball Joint Height to 20 5 The choice of which of these options you use Enter X amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Joints or Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle can have a significant effect on how your inputs affect other specs Use the one which makes the most sense for the type of modification you are trying to simulate 158 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Show Dive amp Roll This screen lets you simulate the car going through various amounts of dive and roll To see this feature click on the Yes option for Show Dive and Roll You will see the Dive and Roll text and arrow boxes become enabled so you can enter a certain amount of vehicle Dive in inches and Roll in degree
100. be asked for a comment for each particular report you send to the printer These report comments are useful to identify important points for future reference like modifications weather conditions etc Requesting this option may require some results to be printed on a second page Include Eng amp Susp Comments Select this option if you want all the comments for the Engine Front Suspension and Rear Suspension printed with the results Requesting this option may require some results to be printed on a second page 111 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 3 5 History Log The Circle Track Analyzer remembers the results and the Vehicle specs which produced those results for up to the last 25 runs you have made This can be a very handy comparison of one run to another and saves you the trouble of making notes on pieces of paper It is also handy to be able to go back to some condition which gave very good performance but you don t remember why or what the specs were Figure 3 18 shows the History Log and options Figure 3 18 History Log and Options Click on Test Click on History for History Log Title to change the Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends BUSCH NA ZAT x Titl g K Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf istory HeJfiF1 lj x itle or Nats Not Notes Summary Very Low Lift Coef Yhgine APM Very New Lap Time 30 74 MPH 117 1 retrieve the a Click on Not
101. ber of individual leaves at the center of the leaf spring where the axle attaches For a single leaf this would be 1 of Leaves at Ends Is the number of individual leaves within 2 inches of the front and rear mounting points on the vehicle frame Usually this is 1 Spring Length in Is the length of the main leaf spring in inches usually 20 to 60 inches Thickness of One Leaf in Is the average thickness of each individual leaf in inches Take this measurement carefully as it has a large impact on the results Spring Width in Is the average width of each leaf in inches This usually ranges from 1 to 3 inches 84 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Torsion Bars Figure 2 52 Torsion Bar Specs A Torsion Bar Diameter in renin Is the outside diameter of the section of the bar which is designed to twist in inches Take this measurement carefully as it has a large impact on the results See Torsion Bar Length below Bar Outside Diameter Active Bar Length Torsion Bar Length in Detailed Side View of Arm Length Is the length of the bar which is designed to twist which is usually the thinnest part of the bar See Figure 2 52 O Lever Arm Length in Arm Length Is the distance from the bar to where the bar we attaches or rests on the axle See Figure 2 52 Axle Housing For the Front Suspension this is usually the length of the lower A Arm from the center of
102. ce you single click on a vehicle it is now the Chosen Vehicle File and a preview of the vehicle is given in the Preview section If the file you chose was not a valid Circle Track Analyzer file the program will tell you and you can not choose it Once a vehicle has been chosen you can delete it by clicking on the Delete button or Open it by clicking on the Open button in this window You can also click on a different vehicle to Preview it or close this window and return to the Main Menu without choosing a new vehicle file If you are sure of the vehicle you want to open you can simply double click on it from the Vehicle List This opens the vehicle without a preview and closes this menu Figure 3 15 Engine File Options Click on File in the Engine Front Suspension or Rear Suspension menus to Open a set of saved specs or to save the current set of specs in just Sa eae that screen This allows you to build libraries of Engines Front Suspensions and Rear New Engine _ Suspensions for easily building other complete Open Example Engine vehicles in the future Open Saved Engine New blanks out the current specs and Save Engine comments Save Engine As Open Example opens a library of example Windows Printer Setup specs provided by Performance Trends Print Open Saved opens a library of specs you have l Comments saved Save saves the current specs to the same name as these specs are currently called Save As saves the current specs
103. cents See Section 2 7 3 Height of CG Figure 2 8 Estimate of Height of CG Describes the height of the vehicle s center of gravity from level ground A sports car will have a lower CG than a 4WD truck Increasing the height of the CG installing a lift kit will increase weight transfer from the left to the right when cornering generally overloading the right tires and reducing lap times 5 inches E oe Height of Front This information is not readily of Crankshaft available but can be estimated by measuring the distance from the ground to a spot approximately 5 inches above the center of the engine s crankshaft at the front of the engine typical V 8 camshaft level 20 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions oa K k SSeS SS The Height of C G can also be measured by weighing the front and back of the car level then weighing it again with one of the car raised This data can be analyzed by clicking on the Clc button and is discussed in Section 2 7 4 Important The Height of C G is used in several calculations but is VERY difficult to measure exactly and NOT really critical to know exactly For that reason it is recommended that you just estimate as 5 inches higher than the crankshaft height off the ground If you are still not sure use 20 inches Wheelbase Is the distance in inches from the center of the front wheels to the center of the rear wheels Decreasing the wheelbase
104. cle it would be an indication that the car was capable of more performance than what the driver was asking of it 118 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Things the would improve overall vehicle traction will increase the G level which can be sustained on the vehicle and therefore increase the G level you will see on the Friction Circle This would include e More downforce due to either banking or aerodynamic downforce Stickier tires Keeping the weight between all 4 tires as even as possible not necessarily the case for dirt cars Four wheel drive for accelerating Optimum camber however this is not simulated in this version of Circle Track Analyzer If you are also displaying the Baseline condition the Baseline acceleration is graphed in pink Menu Options Click on Options to allow extension lines to be drawn or not drawn in the front suspension layout screen or to display or not display the Baseline conditions Other options including slowing down or speeding up the Continuous display of the results or renaming the Baseline condition Click on Print to print this screen or change the Windows Printer Setup Click on Continuous for a continuous display of the vehicle moving around the track Click on Single Step Ahead or Single Step Back to advance the results ahead or back data point This allows for more detailed analysis and understanding of the results When you leave
105. click on Use Calc Value Circle Track Analyzer Figure 2 27 Shimming Calc Shim Adjustment Right Side Chapter 2 Definitions Menu for Right Side Shim Thickness Added Estimated New Camber will be Current Camber is 3 Shims Added Add Remove 1 16 Shims i tuviom Thickness Added Notes This menu assumes that Adding shims moves the Frame Pivot farther out from the car reducing negative camber increasing positive camber Some chassis ex left side on some Lefthander Chassis work the opposite adding shims moves the pivot inward If your chassis is like this pick Remove Shims when you are actually adding shims and vice versa Important This menu assumes that Adding shims moves the Frame Pivot farther out from the car reducing negative camber or increasing positive camber Some chassis for example the left side on some Lefthander Chassis work the opposite adding shims moves the pivot inward If your chassis is like this select Remove Shims if you are actually adding shims or Add Shims if you are actually removing shims 46 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Comments Chapter 2 Definitions Click on Comments for the Comment Editing screen shown in Figure 2 28 Comments are printed with your other specs when you request a print of the Front Suspension screen at least the first 300 characters or so when you print Vehicle Specs with the Calc
106. corner e Track Position lower left corner e Friction Circle middle bottom These are discussed below Front Suspension upper left corner This section shows how camber instant centers car dive and roll and roll center change as the car goes around the track Tire camber is critical to getting the most traction out of your tires which is critical to vehicle handling If you are also displaying the Baseline condition the Baseline Roll Dive and Cambers are printed in pink and the Baseline Roll Center position is drawn as a Pink dot 117 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Total Vehicle upper right corner This section shows how each corner of the car is working how much weight is on each tire and how much each spring is compressed from jounce or elongated from rebound The tire weights are displayed with the bar graphs for easy comparisons Static and dynamic Weight s are displayed in the center of the screen Static Weight s are what you input in the Vehicle Specs menu Dynamic Weight s are based on the actual corner weights as the car goes around the track These depend on aerodynamic downforce cornering forces weight transfer etc The top of the screen shows bar graphs for the Brake and Throttle the program assumes the driver is using A tachometer is displayed showing how RPM is changing with the actual RPM reading printed below If you are also displaying the Baseline
107. corr Baro with Dew Pt Pick a typical day This is an easy method to use reasonable weather conditions when you are not particularly interested in how changes weather conditions will affect performance If you change the Method the 4 inputs specs in the Weather section are changed or enabled disabled as necessary to represent the new Method In addition all the input specs are adjusted to what they would be with the new Method For example Corr Barometer of 29 3 at an elevation of 1200 feet is converted to 28 03 Obs Barometer with Elevation disabled Elevation is not important when you are using an uncorrected or observed barometer as this type of barometer shows the actual air pressure at the track If you change from Uncorr Baro to Radio TV Report with a Corr Baro the program will ask for an Elevation for the track since this is needed to make the Barometer Correction All these different inputs are explained below 60 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Barometric Pressure Corr Barometer Hg This input is used for either Radio TV Report with Rel Hum or Radio TV Report with Dew Pt It is the Corrected Barometric Pressure in inches of Mercury you will hear from most any TV or radio weather report This spec is disabled if you picked a Typical day but will display the barometer being used Obs Barometer Hg This input is used for either Unc
108. culate more detailed info on options Performance Proceed with the calculations by clicking on the Running Conditions button in this menu The program will display the Calculation Progress indicator as calculations progress When the calculations are finished the performance results will look like Figure 4 3 You now see a screen with columns of numbers describing the LATEMODL 355 s run around half the track The program assumes the other half is exactly the same as the first half so only calculates half a lap At the top in the right corner is a summary of the run and any improvement between the current run and the last run The Last run can be from the last time you ran the program The program remembers results from different sessions between computer shutdowns and start ups 128 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Help F1 Preferences ehic RGG fin 43 Vehicles in Library Dbl A Arm LF 400 RF 400 LR 200 more detailed info on options Figure 4 3 Test Results wm Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL k Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 Chapter 4 Examples Name of Vehicle the program is currently working with The current specs may have been changed and be different than the Vehicle in Library of the same name Click on the vehicle you want to Open to see a Preview Double click to Open
109. d you can select to install any of our products as demos or the Circle Track Analyzer which is not a demo The button to install Circle Track Analyzer will be highlighted probably in the color green Just click on this button to start the installation then follow the instructions in the installation program For most users just click on OK for each question asked to accept the default answers suggested by the Installation program Once you have installed the Circle Track Analyzer there should be a Circle Track Analyzer icon on your desktop for you to click on Otherwise use Windows Explorer to find the CTA20 folder directory under the PERFTRNS PTI folder directory and click on Figure 1 0 Installation A Performance Trends Installation Wizard g m Engine Performance Programs Install This Program View Engine Analyzer Brochure Engine Analyzer Plus Brochure Engine Analyzer Pro Brochure m Engine Building Tools Install This Program View Comp Ratio Calculator Brochure Cam Analyzer Brochure Port Flow Analyzer Brochure Swirl Meter Brochure Tumble Fixture Brochure Fuel Inj Calculator Brochure Wizard r Drag Racing Tools Install This Program View Drag Racing Analyzer Brochure Drag Race Analyzer Pro Brochure 4 Link Calculator Brochure Practice Tree Brochure 15 x Data Logger Programs Install This Program View Dyno DataMite Brochure Drag Race DataMite Broch
110. d see what you had done Certain file names are not acceptable including e Names with more than 3 characters to the right or 8 characters to the left of a period e Names over 11 characters long 12 characters if one is a period e Names which include the characters E lt gt 3 or spaces e Names with lower case letters These letters will be converted to upper case once the file is saved Vehicle files are saved in the CTADATA subdirectory in the CTA20 subfolder subdirectory under PERFTRNS PTI folder directory Unlike earlier DOS Circle Track Analyzer programs you can copy Windows Circle Track Analyzer files from programs on other computers to this folder directory and they will be found by the program The method of saving Engine Front Suspension and Rear Suspension files is exactly the same as complete Vehicle Files except that you access the Save menu by clicking on File at the top of these individual menus as shown in Figure 3 15 These files are saved to the ENGINE FRONT or REAR folders directories 109 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 3 4 Printer Output The Circle Track Analyzer can print the tabular test results for a permanent hardcopy by clicking on Print in the menu bar or the Printer button The menu of options shown in Figure 3 17 will appear Check the options you want to use for the printout by clicking on any or all of the top for boxes All
111. discard and return to the old specs You see that the program adjusted tire Traction Factor down to about 77 from 85 and HP down slightly to 376 from 387 However the program estimates that a 406 engine with a 500 2BBL and ported heads should make 421 ft Ibs more than the example power curve which had 394 ft Ibs Click on the Keep These New Specs button to keep these new specs Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 29 Match Lap Times Match Vehicle Lap Times Your Yehicle s Actual Performance Lowest Engine RPM in Turns Highest RPM before Braking Lap Time sec Adjust Track Specs if Needed Engine Bip Pick basic engine description from list of engine types carb sizes general head description etc Important Current Specs These are some current settings of critical specs which must be accurate BEFORE using this menu Engine Cubic Inches 406 Track Type Typ 1 4 Mile low banks Track Surface Asphalt Track Length 1320 Track Infield Width 266 Track Banking 5 0 Help Cancel Clear Entries OK adjust veh specs to match performance Note The combination of specs arrived at by the Match My Lap Times feature are just one of possibly many combinations which produce your car s performance They are NOT necessarily the most accurate combination of specs to match your car The menu of Figures 4 29 and 4 30 are now gone At the Main Menu calculated
112. dity Elevation feet Reports Graphs Track Length ft Show Results Every 2 seconds Infield Width ft Bank Angle deg Help Click a hat to select as you want to enter i Dri Click here to weather info and the type of instruments you wil E use or select from the list of Typical weather calculate La p conditions Midwest assumes 1000 ft and mountains Ti me assumes 3000 ft elevations p 50 Br ke Aggressiveness performance shown in Back Help Calculate Lap Time Print Printer Setup Figure 1 3 Mstart 6 BDA Z Mico Qyexplo MGrep t Ciel t Run E34 1 18PM 2 the Vehicle Library with the Calculation Conditions currently displayed A progress bar graph shows how the calculations are progressing The calculations may require several seconds on slower computers 6 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction EeE gt E gt E gt yeeyeE gt gt EE gt e gt gt gt e gt gt gt ee gt gt gt gt xe gt EEE ee ee The final results will appear in a table as in Figure 1 3 The columns are for various types of readings Time MPH etc which occurred at even time intervals during the run The results contain much information some which may not be familiar to you However if you look at the Results Summary in the upper right corner you see a lap time of 16 12 seconds with an average speed of 83 7 M
113. dity 60 61 62 70 87 88 Request Report Comment 111 Roll 1 2 11 28 30 34 36 37 38 39 41 43 44 86 87 117 120 121 122 154 156 159 160 162 168 173 179 182 184 185 187 191 Roll Bar Rate Ib in 120 Roll bar rear 191 Roll Center 1 2 11 28 30 34 41 43 117 121 154 156 159 160 162 168 173 179 182 184 185 187 191 Roll Center Calculator 1 11 28 41 191 Roll Center Calculator Plus 1 11 191 Roll Center Migration 179 Roll stiffness 38 120 121 167 189 191 Roll Stiffness 120 121 Rolling Radius 80 81 82 Roof Height 80 RPM at HP Peak 72 73 RPM at Peak HP 71 Rule of Thumb 119 122 123 179 192 Running Conditions 5 24 59 67 87 88 127 128 132 147 148 Safety 3 Satchell Terry 180 Save 1 5 16 17 41 42 57 108 109 114 151 154 185 Save As 42 57 154 Scales 103 104 Scrub 34 37 120 122 185 192 Scrub Radius 34 37 120 Sec 67 Setup 16 100 119 144 188 Shim 41 44 45 Show Dive amp Roll 27 38 159 Single Step 119 Spindle Angle 34 38 44 Spoiler 22 23 24 191 Spring 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 51 52 53 54 83 84 120 121 154 160 Spring Compressn 160 Spring Deflection 39 Spring Front Height 52 202 Spring Length 35 36 84 Spring Rate 32 33 35 36 37 51 52 54 83 120 121 Spring Rear Height 54 Spring Rear to Axle 53 Spring to Axle 51 Spring to Centerlin
114. e Fest _IMFH_ Acvel Gs Throttle Eng APM Tum Curvature Dowmf oren Comori lt 1 00 1 50 2 00 2 50 3 00 3 50 4 00 4 50 722 Ann RIR w Test History Don t Show History Clear erase ai Print Mis na zit Sat Feb 47 99 10 27 am busch na zrt Sat Feb 2 99 10 26 am busch na zrt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm busch na zrt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm busch lo udn Fri Feb 26 98 5 26 pm latemodl Thu Feb 25 99 11 50 am Click on Test Title 1st column to change it pr to retrieve specs which produced those results Click in other columns for definitions Click here to view and or edit the Vehicle Comments or the Engine Front Suspension or Rear Suspension comments Click here to return to the Main Menu C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 3 1 Analyze Perf Reports When calculated test results are displayed on the screen you can obtain an Analysis Report by clicking on Analyze Perf in the menu bar The Analysis report consists of 1 3 pages of suggestions for improving performance safety warnings etc concerning the performance results calculated See Figure 3 3 and 3 4 for examples Figure 3 3 First Portion of Analysis Report Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends BUSCH NA ZRT K Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 8 x 7 Notes Notes Summary Very Low Lift Coef Engine RPM NewLap Time 28 66 MPH 125 6 lle E High Click on Notes for mo
115. e 51 52 Spring Width 84 Sprocket 78 79 Static Camber 173 Static Layout 27 28 34 35 Stiffness 38 120 121 167 189 191 Straight Axle 34 Suspension 5 6 1 8 11 20 26 27 28 29 30 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 54 55 56 57 58 63 66 76 83 85 86 87 93 106 109 111 116 117 119 120 121 122 123 138 144 145 146 147 150 151 153 154 155 156 159 160 161 162 163 164 167 168 172 174 175 179 182 184 185 189 191 192 Suspension Calculations 119 120 Suspension Layout 27 30 39 40 43 44 55 120 121 Suspension Library 154 T Bar Rate 36 T Bar Arm to Centerline 54 Tech Help 3 4 Test Results 5 17 24 65 93 98 99 112 116 117 118 119 129 130 132 133 134 136 149 161 162 Thick Lines 13 Thin Lines 13 Tire Change 184 Tire Diameter 26 80 179 Tire Scrub 179 Tire to Centerline 49 51 52 Titles 102 Torsion Bar Diameter 85 Torsion Bar Length 85 Torsion Bar Rate 35 36 37 Torsion Bars 35 37 54 83 85 Total Vehicle Weight 76 Total Weight with Driver 20 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Track Length 63 137 162 Track Weather 60 Traction 2 25 26 68 82 90 117 118 119 144 150 160 166 167 168 169 171 173 179 Traction Factor 2 26 82 90 144 150 169 Trailing Arm 49 50 51 52 54 Transition 180 192 Transmiss
116. e Click on the down arrow of this combo box to pick a general description of the transmission This choice only affects power losses All choices assume a clutch is used between the engine and transmission not a torque converter even if an automatic transmission is used Ratio of Trans Gear Used Is the gear ratio for the single transmission gear used during the race The Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 assumes the entire race is done in 1 gear If this is top gear in a non overdrive transmission 3rd for a 3 speed 4th for a 4 speed etc this gear ratio is usually 1 If you are using a Pinto 2 3L SR4 wide ratio transmission in 3rd gear this could be 1 66 The program also assumes anything different from 1 produces additional power losses Rear Wheel Tire Specs Type Click on this combo box to select general tire type This choice will have a large effect on overall tire traction and cornering ability Wheels amp Tires Wt Ibs This is the weight of one wheel tire assembly which can be obtained by weighing the tire mounted on the wheel on a weighing or bathroom scale 25 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 10 Tire Circumference Tire Circumference inches Left Right The circumference of the Left and Right tires is the distance around the tread as measured with a tape measure See Figure Circumference 2 10 The difference between the left and right tires is know as s
117. e Preferred method is to use center of engine X gt crankshaft Half the distance between the lower arm mounts can jpa also be used as centerline _ Alternate Car Centerline Half the Track Width the distance between the center of the tire patches can also be Savy used as the centerline lt __ _ Track Width 29 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions TE For entering dimensions 2 other options can be important Enter X amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Jnts Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle If it is easier to measure the lengths or the A Arms and the angle of the A Arms choose the Arm Len amp Angle option You still have to measure the X and Height of one end of the arm but not both For the Upper Arm you will enter the Ball Joint X and Height and the Length and the Angle For the Lower Arm you will enter the Frame Mount X and Height and the Length and the Angle Changing this option will Enable and Disable the appropriate dimension specs so you know which values to enter This option is not available for McPherson Strut suspensions See Figure 2 13 Camber Changes with New Inputs Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs For entering a new suspension it may be better to select the Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs option This prevents Camber from continually being changed possibly to very un
118. e changes you ve made the results of most any Click on No to save the current vehicle specs to a new name Click specific vehicle on Cancel to stop saving e The program has several css for entering specs 3 No Cancel like picking example specs from preloaded examples preloaded lists or by calculating them using Calculation menus from other known information or measurements e You can make most any file from the Vehicle Library match your vehicle s specs following this procedure Then you can save all these specs under a new name in the library for use at any time in the future Figure 4 33 Screen for Entering New Vehicle Name for Saving 2 Click on File then Save As or Save Vehicle button to save specs aw Cire Trick Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL 355 E vehiclef CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences Type in most any Op n Vehicle Library name then click OK ts New Vehicle Name Vehit The program will tell you if it must change it to be a valid file MY LATMO DEL prings Panhard or J Bar name for the Do you want to use this name com puter as E No Cancel shown here 06 cubic inches n DA Show All Comments Help This section shows a summary of T Click here ows d Baseline of my Late Model on a 174 mile track with fabricated front the curent settings in each menu and rear suspension to show Click on the menu s button to 376 HP at 5500 from 406 cid w 500 2BBL ported cast
119. e from the center of the wheel tire to its instant center Long lengths indicate that camber will change little with dive and or roll Camber Gain will be low Table amp Graph If you click on Table amp Graph at the Front Suspension Screen you will obtain a screen similar to to the top picture in Figure A12 This screen shows you 2 tables of Roll Center Height and Roll Center Left distance left of center for a set on Dive and Roll combinations Distances right of center are labeled as negative Negative in not bad it is just a way to indicate right the opposite of Left You could have also chosen to do a Camber Table Then the top table would be for the Right side and the bottom would be for the Left side You can also select to have a Baseline condition displayed in the Table Show Baseline Data This is useful to compare 2 different suspension layouts A Baseline is some previous condition which was shown in the Table To save the current Table as a Baseline click on Baseline then Save This Data as Baseline The program will ask you for a Comment to describe the Baseline condition This Comment will be printed with the Table when you print it if you are Showing the Baseline condition This comment can also be edited by clicking on Baseline and then Baseline Comment After saving a baseline Table you could close the Table by clicking on Back in the Menu Bar make a change in the suspension and create the t
120. e given the notice shown in Figure 1 6 and see that the Upper and Lower Arm Dim Dim is an abbreviation for dimensions are now enabled so you can enter them directly The Upper Frame Mount and Lower Ball Joint inputs are disabled printed in light gray meaning these values will be calculated from the other inputs You may notice that the Height of the Lower Ball Joint change slightly from 8 75 to 8 74 which is due to slightly rounding differences in the math This hundredth inch difference will not produce any significant error in the results See Figure 4 40 Now change the Upper Ball Joint Height from 20 4 to 20 9 and press lt enter gt Notice how the Length of the arm stays at 7 16 inches and the Angle stays at 24 78 degrees Frame Pivot X and Height have 157 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 40 Changing Upper Ball Joint Height with the Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle Option Selected Front Suspension Specs 96 BUSCH LOW Back File Options Suspension Type Shim Comments Help This is front view of suspension so left side of screen is actually right side of car Other Specs Camber Gain 77 Gain based on 5 Dive Camber Gain 92 Spring Length and 5 deg Rall Spring Angle Spring Rate Wheel Rate Scrub Radius Ste Camber deg Track in 61 0_ 305 King Pin Angle Spindle Angle Roll Bar Rate Ib in Roll Bar Length in Static L
121. e larger the diameter the flywheel or any rotating engine component the larger the inertia value Under this input the engine s displacement is shown for CCs and Liters Clutch Click on the down arrow button to pick a general description of the clutch and flywheel used with this engine This choice will only affect the rotating Engine Inertia the program assumes The larger the clutch and flywheel the more the engine inertia See Displacement above Power Curve Data There are several ways to load in RPM torque and HP data into the table on the right side of the Engine menu You can e Pick an Example dyno curve supplied by Performance Trends by clicking on File the Open Example Engine e Pick a set of specs you have previously saved by clicking on File the Open Saved Engine e Calculate one based on simple inputs by clicking on Calculate in the Menu at the top e Load an Example curve you can load a curve calculated from one of our Windows Engine Analyzer Programs e Simply type in readings as from a dyno curve If you type in readings as soon as there 2 readings for any set of 3 inputs the 3rd one is automatically calculated and filled in and the new point is added to the graph The graph always shows a sharp drop in power after the highest RPM point in the table This is to remind you that this is what the program assumes for calculations that engine power drops significantly like it ran into an overspeed after the highest RPM
122. e number of teeth on the upper top spur gear in the quick change Teeth Bottom Spur Gear This is the number of teeth on the lower bottom spur gear in the quick change 2 7 6 Calc Frontal Area This calculation is available from the Vehicle Specs menu and allows you to estimate a vehicle s frontal area 79 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Track Width inches Figure 2 47 Calc Frontal Area Calc Frontal rea sq ft Is the distance from the center of one front tire to the center of the other front tire This value is Calc Frontal Area sq ft 19 79 initially set to the Rear Track Width in the Body and Axle specs menu but can be changed to most anything you want ehicle Dimensions Track Width inches Roof Height inches Roof Height inches Note The distance in inches from the ground to highest This calculation is only an approximation of portion of the roof or vehicle in inches which Frontal Area based on 2 easily obtained t ly the full width of the vehicle measurements For most situations MPH less eens Beaty he tall wiih ob me yete than 150 Frontal Area will not have a large effect on performance and this approximation is For example for a truck with a roll bar behind the cab measure to the top of the roll bar but not to the top of one of the spot lights mounted on the Cancel bar However if so many lights are mounted on the ba
123. e program will limit the accuracy Environmental conditions driver performance track conditions etc are rarely constant and repeatable The software should be used as a guide to Help you understand how an vehicle works what parameters are important how parameters interact what are the tradeoffs etc Point you in the correct general direction for making modifications This direction should be verified by other sources like known authorities race results books etc Never trust one single source if it does not make sense to you Make you think not think for you If unexpected results are obtained take a minute to e Double check all your data input e Refer back to this manual e Ask someone else skilled and experienced in the particular area e Give the retailer or Performance Trends Inc s Tech Help Line a call for an explanation Computer programs are written by normal people who can make mistakes It s always possible there may be an error in the calculations Your phone call may help us correct it Please also read the Warranty and Warning at the beginning of this manual and on the diskette envelope C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction 1 4 Getting Started Installation You must install the Circle Track Analyzer from the distribution CD To do this simply place the CD in the CD drive and it will auto start the Performance Trends Installation Wizard From this Wizar
124. eak Volumetric efficiency means what is the amount of air which this engine pulls in one cycle compared to how much it could under ideal conditions Generally this is less than 100 but can be up to 130 for highly tuned race engines or up to 300 on supercharged or turbocharged engines Generally this is not the engine s peak volumetric efficiency which usually occurs at the torque peak but is close to it Click on the down arrow of this combo box to select from the following choices e 65 Bad Production 75 Typ Production 80 Good Production 85 HiPerf Production 90 Poor Street Strip 95 Typ Street Strip 100 Good Street Strip 110 Good Race Engine 115 Very Good Race Engine 120 Excellent Race Engine 125 Unrestricted Winston Cup Desc Is a general description of your engine Note that the numbers for many descriptions are the CFM rating of the carburetor not the cubic inches RPM at HP Peak Is the RPM at which the HP peak occurs This is initially set to the RPM at HP Peak in the Engine menu but can be changed to anything you want Note Most any modification which increases HP will also increase RPM at HP Peak If you have no information about your RPM at HP Peak use an RPM 500 RPM lower than your highest RPM on the track 73 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 22 Calc Displacement 2 7 2 Calc Displacement Displacement cu in This menu is avail
125. eak around 5500 500 2BBLs peak around 6500 Use Cale Value _Help Cancel Print Engine Specs menu with the Power Curve specs unchanged If you click on Use Calc Value you will be returned to the Engine Specs menu with a new power curve which includes the Calculated Peak HP Peak Torque Peak HP RPM and Peak Torque RPM shown in this menu If you had changed the Cubic Inches from the 355 entered from the Engine Specs menu you would also be asked if the new Cubic Inches should also be used in the Engine Specs menu also 71 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 7 1 Calc Power Curve This calculation is available from the Engine specs menu and lets you estimate an engine Power Curve Initiate this calculation by clicking on the Calculate menu item at the top of the Engine Specs Screen Peak HP Peak Torque ft Ibs Peak Torque RPM Are the values calculate from these inputs If you select Vol Eff the Peak HP value is calculated using the following assumptions e 85 mechanical efficiency at RPM at HP Peak e 35 thermal efficiency e Gasoline as the fuel with an energy content of 19 000 BTU Ib e Dry air density of 0764 Ibs cu ft dry air at 29 92 and 60 degrees The other Power Curve specs are derived from Peak HP and RPM at HP Peak and an assumed shape of the torque curve based on the Cubic Inches The RPM at HP Peak input at the bottom of the menu is always
126. ear Tires Estimated Traction Factors x For the Rear Tires specs click on the Type combo Estimated Traction Factor boxes down arrow key to see your choices Typical Racing Tire average traction seems the Pick Tire amp Suspension Description closest match for your 10 tires You re not sure of the Wheel amp Tire weight but the current setting of 85 Average Suspension Setup 40 seems about right so you leave it 40 You enter 100 Best Possible Suspension Setup in your Left and Right rear tires circumferences of has Good Suspension Setup ood Suspension Setup 87 and 89 and the program shows you the Stagger reer ors of 2 Enter in the Tread Width of 10 Click on 80 Below Average Suspension Setup the Clc button by Traction Factor to be shown the 70 Poor Suspension Setup Calculation Menu of Figure 4 21 Click on the 50 Ver Poor Suspension Setup combo boxes down arrow key for your choices traction tires and choose Average Suspension Setup Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print Click on the Back button to return to the Main Screen Front Suspension Click on Front Suspension to open the Front Suspension Specs menu shown in Figure 4 23 You may first be given an important notice shown in Figure 4 22 The Circle Track Analyzer can not analyze all details of handling and vehicle performance Figure 4 22 Tip on Limitations of Circle Track Analyzer Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Tip None of the specs
127. ear ratios track specs etc See Inertia discussion below Rotating Inertia The difference between stationary and rotating mass is important for a racer to understand Ever racer knows that the less a car weighs the faster it can accelerate However not every racer knows that removing 30 lbs from the vehicle s rotating components wheels tires engine flywheel will show a larger improvement in accelerating performance than removing 30 lbs from the frame or body This is because not only do you have to accelerate the tires down the quarter mile you have to get the tires to spin faster also The spare tire in the trunk is easier to accelerate than the same tire mounted on the axle The tire on the axle has both mass and rotational inertia Rotational inertia is a part s resistance to changing its rotational speed Jack up the axle and try to spin the wheel Neglecting friction a heavier wheel requires more force to spin than a light wheel In addition if the mass is concentrated in the tire and less in the wheel it will require even more force to spin That is because rotational inertia depends on mass and the distance the mass is from the center of rotation See Figure Al For this reason Figure A1 Changing Rotation Inertia rotating components with small Base Inertia diameters which concentrate the mass close to the center of rotation Reduce weight 50 have much less Same Diameter inertia These Inertia is reduced 50 componen
128. ed See the Save commands below These are saved by default to the FRONT folder directory 2 You can click on the File Open screen s Advanced button and be presented with the standard Windows File Open dialog box From there you can open a Front Suspension file or even a Roll Center Calculator another Performance Trends program file which you have saved somewhere else You can select different directories or disk drives 4 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions E _ _ _x _x__ _ _ SE SS SS SS for files You can choose most any file but if the program senses the file is not a Front Suspension or Roll Center Calculator file you will be given notice and the file will not be opened Save saves the current Front Suspension specs to the current file name This is a shortcut to update the current file with the current specs and measurements Save AS presents the standard Circle Track Analyzer Save screen where you can save the file to most any name of your choosing Save As is how you change the name of a Front Suspension file At this screen you can also click on the Advanced button which presents a standard Windows File Open dialog box not shown in Beginner Level Then you can save a Front Suspension file to a name of your choosing Certain names are not acceptable including e Names with more than 3 characters to the right or 8 characters to the left of a per
129. eer or Understeer including the rating and RA difference between this and the Baseline condition Check Section 3 6 in book Analyze Suspension Handing 289 UndeSteer Sight Less Tight for more info on this screen This Dynamic Handig 4386X4UndeSteer by 1 47 Handling rating is for the vehicle at the transition point between braking and accelerating no fore or aft acceleration 196 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Figure A19 Oversteer Understeer Rating Around the Entire Track and Big Bar Soft Spring Starting Pont Suggestions E Circle Track Analyzer v3 6 Performance Trends LATEMODL 355 B gt Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension analyser History Hep ERA n eme ETE _Comments After you Calculate p Times click on Analyze Suspension for the screen below Circle Track Analyzer v3 5 Suspension Analysis Screen LATEMODL 355 Back Options Print IRESE Continuous Single Step Ahead Single Step Back Help Suspension Calculations n is actually right side of car fresuits shown in pink Suspension Calculations with Comments Rule of Thumb Suggestions Std Setup Rule of Thumb Suggestions BBSS Setup Rule of Thumb Adjustments ik Angle We ASCH Ff BASELINE Wheel Loads Click on Reports then Rule of Thumb Suggestions for either a Std Setup or the new BBSS Setup The program will create the report like shown below with spring rol
130. elp Cancel Print This is the number of teeth on the smaller pinion gear or drive gear which attaches to the driveshaft in the rear axle If you selected Gear Reduction amp Chain Drive as the Type this is the teeth on the sprocket or drive gear on the engine s crankshaft In almost all cases this number will be smaller than Teeth Ring Gear Teeth Ring Gear This is the number of teeth on the larger ring gear or driven gear which attaches to the axle shafts through the differential in the rear axle If you selected Gear Reduction amp Chain Drive as the Type this is the teeth on the sprocket or drive gear on the transmission input shaft or clutch shaft In almost all cases this number will be larger than Teeth Pinion Gear 78 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Teeth Drive Sprocket This is the number of teeth on the smaller drive sprocket on the engine or transmission for chain drive systems In almost all cases this number will be smaller than Teeth Wheel Sprocket Teeth Wheel Sprocket This is the number of teeth on the larger driven sprocket on the wheel or axle for chain drive systems In almost all cases this number will be larger than Teeth Drive Sprocket Ring and Pinion Ratio This is the ring and pinion ratio for the quick change usually 4 56 or 4 88 but you can change this to most any ratio Teeth Top Spur Gear This is th
131. er Chapter 2 Definitions Chapter 2 Definitions 2 0 Basic Program Operation Figure 2 1 shows the Circle Track Analyzer s Main Menu with explanations of your options here Figure 2 1 Main Menu Options Menu bar Click here for drop down Buttons to display menus of program options some being individual menus the same as the Command Buttons containing vehicle and driving specs Name of current vehicle file Command Circle Tack Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trerds LATEMODL buttons to File vehicle CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences Save or Open Open fehite tirar a vehicle file Save oils to Libro erea performance Vehicle Specs Wehicle Summary and perform z Engine File untitled 355 cubic inches i l Engine 319 ft Ibs at 5250 RPM and 400 HP at 7500 RPM other special Vehicle Weight 3000dhs_ 52 rear 60 left 55 cross calculations Axle Ratio 6 2 i Tires 87 5 and 87 5 circumference Front Susp File untitled for a Dai Arm with Coil Springs Track 64 0 __ Front Suspension Rt Spring 400 Lt Spring 400 Rt Cambara Lt Camber 1 This area gives z Rear Susp File untitled for Trailing Arms Coil Springs Panhard or J Bar _ Rear Suspension _ Track 64 0 Lt Spring 200 Rt Spring 200 a general description or summary of Running Conditions Show All Comments each of the 4 Comments Click on Vehicle Specs buttons Limited Late Model menus of to see Vehicle specs Click on 500
132. er will automatically fine tune certain critical specs to match a particular vehicle s lap times See Example 4 2 The Match My Lap Times process consists of 1 You set all specs to match the vehicle you are building as close as practical This is very important for accurate results 2 Click on the Match My Lap Times button at the top of the Main Menu to bring up the Match My Lap Times menu shown in Figure 2 57 3 Fill in the Match My Lap Times menu with your vehicle s performance Then click on OK adjust veh specs to match performance to start the process 4 The program will adjust e Engine Power Curve e Tire Traction Factor e Tire Type if it needs more traction than 100 Traction Figure 2 57 Match My Lap Times Menu seen pes provide Match Vehicle Lap Times e Driver Aggressiveness e Track Bank Angle Your Vehicle s Actual Performance e Track Infield Width To find a combination giving the Lowest Engine RPM in Turns closest match to the vehicle s Highest RPM before Braking performance Lap Time sec If the program can not arrive at acceptable Adjust Track Specs if Needed Yes specs in 100 passes around the track it will give you a notice You may then want to Engine 850 48BL Unlimited Heads ba double check your entries in the Match My Pick basic engine description from list of engine types Lap Times menu or some of the other specs in carb sizes general head description etc the other menus
133. eral years ago actually had lift coefficients in the range of 1 0 to 2 0 generating tremendous amount of downforce Check Tables 2 2 and 2 3 to see how Cl coefficient of lift is affected by modifications To see the amount of downforce or lift being generated from a set of vehicle specs set the Bank Angle to 0 in the Running Conditions menu Then the Downforce column in the Test Results will be due only to aerodynamic downforce which depends on Lift Coefficient Frontal Area vehicle speed and air density Technical note Lift Coefficient is multiplied by Figure 2 9 Frontal Area top area of the car the square feet of the car from a top or plan view We do not ask for the top area in the Vehicle Height program but estimate it as 3 times larger than the Frontal Area In v3 6 there is now a Front and Rear Lift Coefficient See Appendix 5 Frontal Area sq ft Track Width The frontal area is the area in square feet the vehicle s silhouette occupies when viewed from the front Use ihe fermanlatn Rie 251040 Frontal Area sq ft Vehicle Hei itn X Track Width in 24 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions pese SS eS Se estimate frontal area Frontal areas are in the range of 16 sq ft for a small passenger car to 30 sq ft or more for a full size pick up truck Also see Section 2 7 6 for calculating Frontal Area sq ft by clicking on the Cle button Transmission Typ
134. es for more Detaj LastLap Time 28 66 125 6 specs which Comments Improvement 2 08 8 5 produced Feet MPH Accel Gs x Throttle Jeng RPM Turn 0 92 6 5 these results 68 93 9 138 97 1 211 100 2 k 286 103 2 History Log 363 106 1 is displayed 442 108 8 E 523 111 4 2 below the 605 1138 i columns of Gao mao 72 test results KNN 77C 110 Test History iof x p shots History ear erase History Print Help Click and est The as a ae Leo F Infield Bank MORE Mehl LapTineline MPH__lImp Carlen lid sa na zit Sat 4 27 99 3 31 pm 5280 4978 7 7168 2081171 85 192 4 Move side busch na 2rt Sat Feb 27 99 12 06 pm 4973 20 1146 9 1 9 bar to busch na zrt Sat Feb 27 99 12 05 pm 841 4918 y 00 1247 0 Kr busch na 2rt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm 841 4918 86 00 1247 0 0 display a Il busch na zrt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm 841 4918 124 7 25 tests in busch lo udn Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm 446 0 3481 73 4 latemodl Thu Feb 25 99 11 50 am 500 5054 83 7 the H istory Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to retrieve specs which produced those results Click in other columns for definitions Log 7 The History Log can be displayed from either the Test Results screen shown in Figure 3 18 above or in the Graph screen as shown in Figure 3 19 on the next page The Log is presented slightly differently in each instance showing and hiding columns which are most appropriate for each use 112 C Perfo
135. es on dirt tracks 26 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 4 Front Suspension Specs The Front Suspension menu has 4 major sections each which will be discussed in this section Static Layout Dimensions Other Misc Specs Show Dive amp Roll Suspension Layout Drawing PON a See Appendix 3 4 and especially 5 for significant new features added to this Front Suspension screen 2 4 1 Static Layout Dimensions Before we define the inputs in this section lets take a minute to describe Figure 2 11 Static Layout Dimensions how you will make these Section of the Main Screen measurements Static Layout Dimensions Right Height Left Height y A Upper Ball Joint Taking Suspension Upper Frame Pivot Measurements Lower Ball Joint Lower Frame Pivot Upper Spring Pad You enter the measurements from your Lower Spring Pad car s front suspension members into the Layout Screen To start park the car on Length Angle Tea ee Length Angle a flat level surface First we must apa cers ower Arm Dim decide on what we will call the car s centerline Many people use a distance half way between the left and right tire patches The disadvantage of this method is if you change rim widths or wheel offsets your centerline can change This means all your measurements are now off also Therefore we usually recommend the center of the drivetrain which would be the center of the engine for m
136. g McPherson Strut The screen will change somewhat The Upper Ball Joint and Frame Pivot inputs are changed to Upper and Lower Strut locations The calculated Upper Arm Dim specs have been changed to Strut Dim For inputs not shown in this section see the definitions in the previous Double A Arm section 33 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions PL _ _ _ a EE eee y Upper Strut Loc X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the upper mounting point of the strut on either the right side or left side in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Figure 2 16 Lower Strut Location Do Not use mounting holes if Lower Strut Loc they do not lie on the line of action of the strut X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the lower mounting point of the strut on either the right side or left side in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location The line of action of the strut must pass through this point Use a point which does lie Therefore if the mount is to the side of the strut s line _ on the line of action of action choose the point at the mount s height but of the strut the X distance should be at the strut s centerline or e line of action See Figure 2 16 See pages 27 30 for a definition of p
137. ge it then click OK to save it to the new name Name of current vehicle file you are working with Circle 7rack Analyzer v7 0 Performance Trends BUSCH NA ZRT File vehicl CalcLapTimes Help F1 Preferences gt Ope Vehicle Library iG Calculate Lap Find Best Gear Rz Save Ve Ba AL BUSCH NA ZRT ed Cancel Help Advanced 54 left 50 Enter a New Vehicle Name and click on OK The current 85 and 85 ehicle name is given should you choose to modify it i slightly for the new name Use the Delete key to erase the ouble Arm name if you want a completely new name Rt Camt iling rms Coi Track 61 0 Lt Spring 375 Rt Spring 37E 108 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output _ x _ _ xxeee eee ee SS Se Menu If you want to save your changes to the same name simply click on OK This will update the current vehicle file with your latest changes If you want to save the current set of vehicle specs with your changes to a new name and leave the current vehicle file in the Library unchanged then click on the suggested file name and modify it as you want For example in the window shown on the next page you may want to add 2 to the current name MUSTANG to create MUSTANG 2 to indicate this is the 2nd revision of MUSTANG This is the safest way to make changes because you can always return to an earlier version an
138. ggestions Rule of Thumb Adjustments i Spring Write ASCII File of BASELINE Wheel Loads 35 Suspension Report txt Notepad File Edit Format Yiew Help Your current rear roll center height is 12 66 inches above ground A good starting point for Front Lateral Load Distribution FLLD for a car with 56 6 Front weight distribution would be 55 6 This is based on the Rule of Thumb that FLLD should be 5 higher than the Front Wt To obtain this with the recommended spring rates The Rear Roll Center Height should be 12 68 inches above ground The new v3 5 Transistion Handling Rating options on the main screen will let you adjust other specs to obtain this or other FLLDs Ln 54 Col 1 P Suspension Report txt Notepad File Edit Format View Help Distance Behind Front Axle in 51 6 Distance from Vehicle Centerline in 5 1 Left Comments Your FLLD of 43 4 is Much Lower than typically used A suggested starting point is 55 Front Lateral Load Distribution or FLLD This is based on adding 5 percentage points to this vehicle s 56 Front Weight Distributi gt Ln 1 Col 1 If you find settings which you want to keep click on OK Keep and they will be loaded back to the vehicle specs screen For the Front and Rear Roll Center Heights for some suspension types you must make a mental note of this setting and go back into the Front or Rear Suspension Screen and try various setting to arrive at this he
139. h 4 88 Ring amp F Ring and Pinion Ratio Teeth Ring Gear Teeth Top Spur Gear Teeth Bottom Spur Gear Note For drivetrains with a Primary gear drive between the engine and transmission Select Primary Ratio amp Chain Drive as the Type if you know the Primary Ratio Select Primary Gears amp Chain Drive if you know the Teeth on the Primary Gears Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print choose Typ Late Model Notice how the aerodynamic specs are now grayed out and you can t change them That s because your choice of Type is telling the program all it needs to know To enable these specs so you can change them you would have to choose the top choice in the Type list of Use Specs Below Type B Transmission Good GoCart Poor Winston Cup Poor Winston Cup good downforce Y Figure 4 20 Aerodynamic Type Choices Aerodynamics Click here to drop down list of choices Click on these arrow buttons to see entire list of choices Typ Late Model A For the Transmission specs click on the Type combo boxes down arrow key to see your choices Std Duty Manual seems reasonable so you choose it trans in top gear with a 1 1 ratio For Ratio of Gear Used enter 1 since you run your 143 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 21 Calculation Menu to Help Estimate Tire Traction Factor R
140. h lines are which colors The graph is always autoscaled which means the program picks the scales for drawing it to display all data with good detail Print the graph on your printer using your Windows default printer by clicking on the Print menu command You can change settings labels and Windows printer setup by clicking on the Options menu command See Figure A13 You can return to the Camber Table screen by clicking on the Back menu command Figure A13 Graph Options Menu gt Graph Options for Making Graphs Graph Labels Use Standard Labels Use Labels Given Here Exusert Run s Label a Baseine Buns Label zs Print Black amp White Color Plot Lines Thick Thin Windows Printer Setup Black White Background Color The Graph Options screen is divided into 4 sections The first section is called Graph Labels Click on Use Standard Labels for standard labels to be printed on the graph Click on Use Labels Given Here and the program will use the labels which you can enter or change Click on any of the 3 text boxes and type in your chosen titles or labels 187 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices E The second section of the Graph Options is called Print Click on Black and White or Color to tell the program how to print the graph Unless you have a color printer you should choose Black and White The
141. hat if the effective length of the lever arm changes the Torsion Bar rate also changes This includes just moving the torsion bar closer or farther from the axle T Bar Arm to Centerline The distance from the center of where the Torsion Bar s arm rests on the axle housing to the car s centerline in inches See Figure 2 32 Jacob s Ladder If you select Trailing Arm Torsion Bars Jacobs Ladder for a Suspension Type the layout is similar to the Trailing Arm Truck Arm shown in Figure 2 30 The 3 major differences are 1 The round coil spring is drawn as a torsion bar with an arm the rests on the axle 2 The input Spring Rate is switched to T Bar Rates Ib in 3 The Panhard Bar or J bar specs are replaced by the Jacob s Ladder inputs shown in Figure 2 32 54 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 32 Torsion Bar with Jacob s Ladder Suspension Layout Lett Side Top View Right Side e T Bar Arm to Centerline Rea Yiew Lt Wheel Rate 200 RAtWheel Rate 200 Roll Center Location To C L measurement for point D Other measurements done is a similar fashion If a point lies to the left of the centerline enter a negative number Ht measurement for point D Other measurements done is a Roll Center Ht 14 0 Roll Center Left 6 0 similar fashion Jacobs Ladder Layout The 2 mounting points on the 2 links of the Jacobs Ladder are identified by the letter
142. he Oversteer Understeer rating described above For this transition condition you can also save a baseline condition for comparison to some modification you have made to the vehicle This way you can actually see the effect you modifications will have on wheel loads and the handling rating CTA only The oversteer understeer rating is displayed as the car goes around the track on the Analyze Suspension screen By saving a condition as a Baseline you can compare your current conditions to a saved Baseline This is the same as what is described in the preceeding paragraph except it is done at all locations on the track This is also the same as the Analyze Suspension feature in previous versions except now it includes the front and rear aerodynamic downforce and the handling rating CTA only The Rule of Thumb Suggestions for a good starting point for a setup now includes suggestions for a Big Bar Soft Spring BBSS setup The BBSS theory is you use significantly softer front springs to better handle bumps in the track and to lower the car in the corners for less aerodynamic drag and less weight transfer inside to outside Then to counteract the additional roll these soft springs would allow the anti roll bar is stiffened significantly Other adjustments include a much stiffer than typical right rear spring paying more attention to Anti Dive and shock valving CTA only Improved the Tire Scrub calculation for a Double
143. he Circle Track Analyzer and other sophisticated simulation programs A simple program could involve calculating top speed from HP and frontal area 1 3 Top Speed K1 x Frontal Area x HP 165 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices You enter an engine HP and a Frontal Area and obtain a Top Speed value The answer you obtain on the left side of the equation has no effect on the inputs on the right side of the equation However lets look at a simplified version of the equation which the Circle Track Analyzer uses just to calculate the maximum potential tractive force traction the tires can produce to accelerate the car forward Max Tractive Force Tire Friction x Wt on Rear Tires Wt Transfer Where Wt Transfer depends on the vehicle s acceleration rate which depends on the tires Max Tractive Force In this case the Max Tractive Force answer you get on the left side has an effect on the inputs to the equation on the right The only way to solve equations like this is through iterations Iteration is a process where you assume an answer use that answer in the right side of the equation calculate the actual answer and see if the actual answer is close enough to the answer you assumed Iteration Process For this example we will not use actual numbers since the calculations are quite complex Assume Max Tractive Force is 3000 Ibs Calculate that the vehicle acceleration could be 8 Gs and the
144. he center of the tire patch on the ground to the car s centerline When picking a centerline the most important thing is to be consistent from front and rear on the same vehicle from setup to setup on the same vehicle and from vehicle to vehicle Once you decide on a centerline for a particular car you must make all measurements from this same centerline With the plumb bob place the string on the center of a new suspension point to be measured and drop the bob until it just touches the floor Measure the distance from the car s centerline to where the plumb bob points on the floor This is the distance to Centerline for that particular suspension point You can print a blank worksheet for recording your measurements by clicking on File at the upper left of the screen in the Menu Bar then clicking on Print Blank Worksheet Be sure you have first selected the correct suspension Type Trailing Arms Leaf Springs etc by clicking on Type at the top of the inputs to obtain the correct worksheet for your car 49 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Trailing Arm Truck Arm Measurements Figure 2 30 Trailing Arm Rear Suspension Layout Lett Side Top View Right Side Axle to Front Pivot Spring to Centerline Spring to Axle positive direction ahead of axle Spring to Axle negative direction behind axle Tire to Centerline Rear View Pnhd Bar to Centerline Lt Wfheel Rate 2
145. hen selecting Double A Arm with Torsion Bars The screen will change somewhat The Spring Pad specs are removed from the Static Layout Dimensions In the section called Other Specs calculated specs like Spring Length and Spring Angle are removed and the Spring Rate input is changed to T Bar Rate torsion bar rate Note that Torsion Bar Rate can be calculated by clicking on the Clc button next to these inputs See Section 2 7 9 Torsion Bar Rate depends on the bar and the lower A arm length Should you calculate a Torsion Bar Rate for a certain lower A arm length then change dimensions to simulate a different arm length the program will automatically adjust the Torsion Bar rate for what it would be assuming the same bar is used with the new arm length However this may not be what you want to be simulating Therefore it is best that you completely layout all the Static Layout Dimensions first Then calculate the Torsion Bar Rate or enter the rate directly For inputs not shown in this section see the definitions in the previous Double A Arm section 35 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions T Bar Rate Is the force required to move the ball joint on the lower arm 1 inch in pounds The torsion bar is assumed to be linear that is if 500 lbs compresses the spring twists the bar 1 1000 Ibs will compress twists the bar the spring 2 See Assumptions in Appendix 1 for limits on bar spring move
146. hin the Circle Track Analyzer must be solved by iterations there is no one exact answer All calculations are an approximation Therefore do not be alarmed if a Lap Time improvement of 02 seconds is shown for changing in Dew Point from 67 to 66 but changing from 66 to 65 showed a 00 second improvement These results are basically saying lowering the Dew Point results in a very small gain in Lap Time Major Assumptions To make the Circle Track Analyzer and the specifications which describe the vehicle containable on a personal computer several simplifying assumptions are made which are listed below Other approximations and assumptions exist as identified in Section 1 3 A Word of Caution and scattered throughout this manual Also see Assumptions in the Index e All vehicle components are assumed to be perfectly stiff which means that suspension members do not bend tires do not deflect squat or shift suspension bushings do not deform or move e All tires behave about the same as far as how cornering ability changes with load on the tires Actual tires vary greatly between designs Tires can continually handle all the heat buildup caused by pushing them to their limits Maximum cornering traction occurs when all 4 tires are evenly loaded There is no delay in engine torque getting to the tires due to driveshaft axle or tire wrap up There are no shock absorber effects There are no bumps or roughness in the track If spring compres
147. his is an input which you enter and effects the Wheel Rate described below Click on the Clc button next to these specs to calculate a spring 36 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions rate or Torsion Bar Rate from other inputs See Section 2 7 9 Also see Double A Arm with Torsion Bars suspension type on previous page and Assumptions in Appendix for limits on bar spring movement Figure 2 18 Illustration of Camber King Pin Wheel Rate Axis and Scrub Radius The force required to move wheel center Camber Angle 1 inch up while the chassis does not negative angle shown here move in pounds This is a calculated spec can not be entered directly and Spindle Angle depends on the Spring Rate and suspension geometry Scrub Radius S King Pin Axis The distance from where the king pin axis hits the ground and the center of the tire patch See Figure 2 18 for King Pin Axis This is a calculated spec can not be entered directly Camber The degrees of tilt of the wheel with respect to the ground as viewed from the front in degrees Negative camber means the top of the wheel tilts in towards the car which is typical of most race cars This is an input which you enter See Figure 2 18 Dynamic Camber The new Dynamic camber of the wheel caused by Dive and Roll See Camber above Track in Track is the distance from the centerline to the center of the tire patch on the g
148. ht and left static camber Note that if the suspension s layout is significantly different than your car s the effective wheel rate could be much different for your car even if you type in the correct spring rate However for the other specs you will leave these specs as the example vehicle had them When you have more time you will measure up your front end Click on the Back menu item in the upper left corner or click on the X button in the upper right corner to return to the Main Screen 145 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Rear Suspension Click on Rear Suspension to open the Rear Suspension Specs menu shown in Figure 4 24 You may first be given a similar important notice as in the Front Suspension menu shown in Figure 4 22 Again the Circle Track Analyzer can not analyze all details of handling and vehicle performance You go through these measurements and make changes to more closely match your car You type in your spring rates of 200 and 225 for the left and right Note that if the suspension s layout is significantly different than your car s the effective wheel rate could be much different for your car even if you type in the correct spring rate Rear suspension measurements are usually not a critical as front suspension measurements When you are finished click on the Back menu item in the upper left corner or click on the X button in the upper right corner to return
149. ich does everything the old Circle Track Analyzer v3 5 did plus all these new features Here is a listing of the major new features added in Version 3 6 of full Circle Track Analyzer Note that unless these new features specifically mention Roll Center Calculator they do NOT apply to the Roll Center Calculator versions The program now lets you enter a rear anti roll bar This input changes the front to rear roll stiffness which affects most all of the handling ratings the program will calculate RCC CTA The program now lets you enter both a front and rear aerodynamic Lift Coefficient Many times when you make an aerodynamic adjustment you only affect 1 end of the car like a rear spoiler adjustment This adjustment not only affects overall road holding ability of the car and therefore lap times it also affects handling the tendency to oversteer or understeer CTA only The program has a new Calculation Menu utility called Adjust for the front and rear Lift Coefficient and Drag Coefficient You can choose a type of vehicle modification enter the starting and modified condition and the program shows you how the current lift and drag coefficients would change This way you have an estimate of how certain vehicle modifications would affect the entire aerodynamics of the vehicle CTA only You can now enter more details about the front suspension both for Double A Arms and McPhearson Strut suspensions This added detail lets you
150. igh Click on Notes for more Details LastLap Time 28 86 124 7 i A on a Iranravemant w Analysis Report x The program shows an engine RPH of 8300 at the end of the straightaway This RPM may not show in the RPM column if more than 100 rows are shown in the output If your car s RPM goes higher than this at the end of the straight First make sure the Tire Circumference Rear Axle Ratio Trans Gear Ratio Used in the Vehicle Specs menu are correct as mentioned above Second make the program match your minimum RPM in the corner following the previous suggestions If all these are correct and the program is still predicting a lower RPM at the end of the straight try If Thrttl is low during much of the acceleration out of the corner try increasing tire Traction Factor or better Tire Type in the Vehicle Specs menu to simulate a car with stickier tires Increase the Accel Agressiveness in the Running Conditions 9 50 1748 150 7 18 100 8101 17 10 00 1860 152 4 100 8194 17 Aswan SAY open cme dt BE tose 96 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output 3 2 Graphs Graphs are obtained by clicking on the Graph button or the Graph name in the menu bar as shown in Figure 3 1 Figure 3 5 shows a typical graph and a descriptions of some of the basic graph screen items Figure 3 5 Basic Graph Screen Items Command buttons perform action as pictured with 1 click of mouse Menu b
151. ight The program can not make this change automatically for you Figure A9 shows 2 reports which now also include references and suggestions based on balancing the FLLD 182 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Corner Weights Figure A10 Corner Weight Screen from Clicking On Button in Fig A7 Two New Options in Version 3 5 Circle Track Analyzer v3 5 Comer Jacking Screen LATEMODL 355 Back Back keep changes Print He 5 Pink represents New Settings Jacking Tire Change Move Weight ee Static New ire to Change Right Front X Height 50 00 50 00 Rear Height What to Change Circumference X 00 58 00 58 00 Left 0 02 58 00 57 11 Cross 2 __ Height Height 00 00 14 11 Current Tire New Tire Circumference Circumference Lbs ea 700 Help Definition Chose the type of weight change you want to make Important The estimates made in this screen are based on several assumptions two of the most important being the chassis is Lbs perfectly stiff and the tires are perfectly stiff 924 The screen in Figure A10 is used to determine how static corner weights change as you make adjustments to the car These adjustments include turning jacking screws to adjust the preload on springs changing tire diameter circumference and moving weight around like ballast Click on one of the 3 tabs at the top to choose your option The first tab Jacking is the same a
152. ikely to match your vehicle s response to modifications We will calibrate the program for a Late Model with a 406 motor The car runs 16 second laps at the local low banked quarter mile track Ideally you could just go to the Vehicle Library and find an exact match for this car However there probably is not an exact match for any car already in the library so we will have to build one by adjusting the specs for a car from the Vehicle Library You can start with a completely blank screen for all vehicle specs by clicking on File then New at the Main Screen You can also blank out just the Engine Front Suspension or Rear Suspension by clicking on File then New at their respective screens However for most beginners it is recommended you always start with a example vehicle This way for specs you don t know there is already a spec entered which may be close to matching your vehicle The LATEMODL 355 in the Vehicle Library would be a logical choice It actually doesn t matter which vehicle you start with Once you have entered in the specs for your car you will get the same lap times even if you start with a Quarter Midget or Busch car The advantage of starting with a car close to your car is that its specs are more likely to be accurate for specs you don t know Click on LATEMODL in the Vehicle Library then click on Open to open it Now you will start to actually enter specs for your car 138 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle
153. ile Save menu where you can save the current set of Engine Specs and Engine Comments under a name of your choosing This name then appears at the top of the Engine Specs menu This name should not be confused with the Vehicle Name which appears at the top of the main screen The Vehicle Name includes the engine specs and therefore the Engine Name e Print lets you print this screen e Windows Printer Setup lets you change printer selection paper orientation etc e Calculate will calculate a power curve from simple inputs See Section 2 7 1 on this Calculation Menu e The Load from Engine Analyzer command will be discussed in more detail below e Help brings up a series of help screens on the Engine Specs menu Load from Engine Analyzer The Circle Track Analyzer can load engine power curves created by the proper Windows versions of Engine Analyzer EZ the standard Engine Analyzer and Engine Analyzer Pro Generally you will start this process by running the Engine Analyzer program first Once the Calculated Performance results have been calculated and displayed on the screen click on the Send button in the Engine Analyzer This Engine Analyzer menu looks similar to Figure 2 5 It will ask what program do 16 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions you want to send the power curve to where you could click the Circle Track Analyzer option There are other options which you can refer to your Engine
154. immediately Preview of chosen highlighted vehicle Click here to show Vehicle Library Performance Summary New Lap Time Y Last Lap Time 16 16 Improvement 00 Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Coef Engine RPM High ENE E ee Click on Notes for more Detail Comments showing Lap Time amp MPH Notes pointing out important things about this run Click on Notes button or Analyze Perf for more info Click here or here to Graph Data columns showing car performance at requested time intervals 129 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples TE Note the Lap Time of 16 16 seconds with a MPH of 83 5 at the top of the report with the current 6 20 axle ratio In the columns of numbers in the last row you see a time of 8 08 sec exactly half of the lap time of 16 16 This is because the program only calculates results fro half a lap assuming the other half of the lap would be exactly the same Other important things to look for in the Test Results screen include Notice that the Notes Summary is pointing out a couple of things Low Lift Coef and Engine RPM High If you click on the Notes button you obtain the screen shown in Figure 4 4 These notes can be useful for understanding your performance and safety considerations Figure 4 4 Notes Screen Produced by Clicking on the Notes Button Hotes on Calculations ae You have specified a low Lift Coefficient in the Aerodyna
155. ine Notice when Entering Suspension Analysis Screen Before entering the Suspension Analysis Screen you may get a notice like Figure 4 45 The CTA Analysis Screen lets you compare the The current results are for a 2756 foot Track with a 439 foot Infield The suspension of the current test results saved Baseline conditions are for a 1375 foot Track with a 280 foot Infield with some previous test results you have saved as a baseline However this comparison is only possible if the previous test was run on the same type of track same Track Length and Infield Width but Banking can be different These Baseline conditions can not be accurately shown with the current results One important feature of Figure 4 44 is watching the Front Suspension go through computer predicted Dive and Roll and watching Camber and Roll Center Location of the Front Suspension change This avoids you having to guess at reasonable combinations of Dive and Roll to enter in the Front Suspension screen Figure 4 46 Baseline Question Asked when Exiting The Suspension Analysis screen Suspension Analysis Screen displays lots of information and aoa ae Banana x has several options Read Section 3 6 starting on page Do you want to save these conditions as the new baseline Click 116 to understand all the on Cancel to return to this screen possibilities For now click on the X box in the upper right 7 y i i i N Cancel corner or the
156. ing to the Figure 2 5 Menu to Start Up an Engine Circle Track Analyzer you can also start Analyzer Program the process by clicking on the Load from Switch to Engine Program Engine Analyzer menu command You will get the screen of Figure 2 5 l Windows Engine Program Engine Analyzer EZ iLook For it Engine Analyzer v2 51 Look For It Engine Analyzer 3 Look For 8 Engine Analyzer Pro Look Fox i Other custom configuration Prowram EXE Name ha iL ce es 17 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions EE gt E gt E gt EeE gt gt gt Eey gt EeEeE gt E gt E gt E gt EEe _ SSSSSSE__ _ ea a Troubleshooting If this process of loading power curves into the Circle Track Analyzer from the Engine Analyzer does not work like described above consider the following e You do not own the correct Windows version of Engine Analyzer program e You have renamed the Circle Track Analyzer or Engine Analyzer executable EXE file The Circle Track Analyzer should be CTA EXE e Inthe Engine Analyzer program click on the Look for It button by the Circle Track Analyzer option to see if the program can find a correct Windows version e You are trying to help the programs transfer control to each other Do not minimize one of the programs then activate the other program as this can confuse the process Figure 2 6 Optional Engine Analyzer Send
157. ing Traction Factor in This menu is different than other Calculation menus in that there is not calculation performed but you are simply picking a Traction Factor from a list of descriptions The Traction Factors in this list are very general Figure 2 50 Traction Factors You will probably have to fine tune this spec Estimated Traction Factors x based on your vehicle s actual lap times The E a program can also determine Traction Factor with Estimated Traction Factor the Match My Lap Times command at the Main Menu Pick Tire amp Suspension Description 90 GoodS uspension Setup Note Click on the down arrov button on the right side of the combo box above to select a general description of how well your suspension lets your tires hook up in the comers for the current tire specs of 10 wide Typical Racing Tire average traction tires Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print 82 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 51 Calc Spring Rate 2 7 9 Cale Spring Rate This Calculation menu is available by clicking on Calc Spring Rate id the Spring Rate Clc button in the Front Suspension or Rear Suspension menu Inputs Spring Location Right Side Spring Location Type of Spring Leaves at Center Click on this combo box to select which spring location you are calculating a spring rate for Leaves at Ends either the Left spring
158. instrument is at 850 feet elevation and the closest weather station reports 30 46 barometric pressure your barometer should read approximately 85 850 100 x 1 less or 30 46 85 29 61 It is useful to keep records of information like this what your actual barometer reads versus what this simple calculation says it should approximately read to see if the comparison is constantly jumping around If you always make the check at the same place same elevation like your home or shop and the difference is varying high by 1 than low by 2 etc you may want to have the barometer or altimeter checked out e Ifyou find that you are making many adjustments to your weather station you are probably doing something wrong A barometer which reads low but consistently reads low is better for predicting performance trends than one you are trying to keep accurate by constantly adjusting it 62 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions _ L _ _ _ _ L_ _ eEE SSSSS SS e Unless you are racing in very different air you are probably better off not changing jets Unless you know if you were on the rich side or lean side to start with you may actually be making things worse Also constant carb adjustments are just one more thing to go wrong and cause inconsistency Reports Graphs Reports Results Every Click on this combo box to select how often to report results The
159. iod e Names over 11 characters long 12 characters if one is a period e Names which include the characters lt gt or spaces You can also select different directories or disk drives for saving files Print prints the Front Suspension Screen Print Blank Worksheet prints the Front Suspension screen with blank boxes for all inputs Windows Print Setup opens the standard Windows menu for selecting the printer page orientation etc Options Click on Options for the list shown in Figure 2 23 Enter X amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Jnts Enter X amp Ht at 1 End Arm Len amp Angle If it is easier to measure the lengths or the A Arms and the angle of the A Arms choose the Arm Len amp Angle option You still have to measure the X and Height of one end of the arm but not both For the Upper Arm you will enter the Ball Joint X and Height and the Length and the Angle For the Lower Arm you will enter the Frame Mount X and Height and the Length and the Angle Changing this option will Enable and Disable the appropriate dimension specs so you know which values to enter This Len amp Angle option is not available for McPhErson Strut suspensions For more details see the Example 4 3 42 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Draw Extension Lines l Figure 2 23 Main Screen Options Menu Don t Draw Extension Lines Buspension Specs UNTITLED Options Suspension
160. ion 15 19 25 51 78 79 143 171 Tread 26 80 81 144 Tread Width 26 80 81 144 Truck Arm 48 50 51 52 54 Turn 66 67 68 118 Type 16 21 22 25 28 33 34 35 41 44 45 48 49 51 54 57 63 64 78 81 83 86 90 130 143 144 147 169 189 ndersteer 180 181 191 192 pper Arm Angle 33 pper Arm Length 33 pper Ball Joint 31 33 155 156 157 158 161 162 pper Frame Pivot 31 pper Spring Pad 32 pper Strut Loc 34 eC ee ohare Vehicle Library 6 9 93 106 108 114 129 138 152 153 Vehicle Weight 20 70 75 142 171 172 Version 2 1 Vol Eff 71 72 73 Weather 5 9 60 61 62 88 89 111 127 147 Weight s 70 75 118 142 171 172 Wet bulb 88 89 Wet Bulb 88 89 Wheel Rate 32 33 36 37 120 Wheel Rim Diameter 82 Wheel Tire 25 Wheelbase 21 76 143 Wheels amp Tires Wt 25 Wind Resistance 22 Windows 1 2 4 5 15 16 18 22 41 42 56 57 100 109 117 119 127 140 174 179 187 188 192 Windows Print Setup 42 57 Worksheet 28 42 49 57 X amp Ht Readings 155 157 158 203
161. ions you would Vehicle Weight is currently set to 3000 pounds answer this question Yes Do you want the Vehicle Weight for the weights you entered here of 2920 pounds to be used as the Vehicle Weight in the Vehicle Specs menu 142 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples You don t know your car s Height of CG so leave in the current height Wheelbase you measure at 102 inches with a tape measure the same as the example LATEMODL 355 Rear Axle Ratio you know is a quick change with a 4 88 ring and pinion and 47 tooth top gear and 34 tooth lower gear Click on the Clc button by Rear Axle Ratio to obtain the menu of Figure 4 19 Type in your information to obtain a calculated 6 03 axle ratio then click on Use Calc Value to load 6 03 back into the Vehicle Specs menu For Rear Axle Type you click on the combo boxes down arrow key to see your choices Of the choices choose Quick Change more losses best matches your car You may not have realized it before but there is a downside to a quick change rear axle Quick change rear axles have more HP losses in them due to the additional gears Aerodynamics For the Aerodynamic specs click on the Type combo boxes down arrow key to see your choices There are many choices and you Figure 4 19 Calculation Menu for Quick Change Rear Axle Ratio Calc Final Drive Ratio x Calc Final Drive Ratio Inputs Type Quick Change wit
162. ire patches The disadvantage of this method is if you change rim widths or wheel offsets your centerline can change This means all your measurements are now off also Therefore we usually recommend the center of the drivetrain which would be the center of the engine for most car s front suspensions This is a point which will usually will stay in one place The other advantage of this choice is the front suspension s centerline is now the center of the engine This ensures consistency front and rear for most race cars and provides an easy reference for most left and right measurements On cars without a front engine rear drive drivetrain layout use the distance half way between the frame rails or the frame mounts on the lower arms Then be sure to project a line straight back parallel to the frame to mark the rear centerline for the rear suspension You can also use the center of the front tire patches being aware of the problem if you change some tire offset specs Once you ve decided on the method either e Drop a plumb bob pointed weight on a string down from the center of the driveshaft or pinion gear e Use a tape measure to mark a point on the floor which is halfway between the your references This will now be your car s centerline All measurements asking for a distance from something to Centerline is a measurement from this centerline our to either the left or the right For example Tire to Centerline is the distance from t
163. is Le sen Comments Improvement 00 D the F1 key for general help on what ket pn your options are at 65 8 F this point in the 666 program 68 1 69 8 m5 733 By clicking on a 5 0 number in the a Definitions of Results results an Accel Gs 40 at the conditions explanation and ee ah 80 sec 68 1MPH 59 feet from start of Tum 2 definition is given including a page 284 j Pa TU A Definition of Accel Gs Vehicle acceleration rate in Gs 1 G is 22 f 309 MPH second If the tires are at the limits of traction capable of spinning the number in this 335 Gs value is followed by an S and Throttle and available engine torque are manual for more 361 teduced from 100 p58 387 i 415 3 80 442 4 00 470 32 100 7366 Asta g a 1 ij Mio i y Explo see e Cir The menu bar and the command buttons at the top of the screen shows some of the options for various formats for data output information e Analyze Perf will produce a report of performance and safety tips on the test results e Analyze Suspension will show the car traveling around the track and how the corner weights and front suspension members are changing e Graph will produce various types of graphs You can also compare the current results to results of the previous run or some other Baseline you have saved e Print lets you print these results on your printer If you have a printer hooked up to y
164. iscussed in Figure 2 20 below Figure 2 20 Major Features of the Suspension Layout Screen Camber Gain and the motion on which it is based is given in this line Right Instant Center drawn in blue just like the right side suspension The arrow drawn in this Figure not on the computer screen shows how it has moved from its static location gray dot with blue outline Left Instant Center drawn in red just like the left side suspension The arrow drawn in this Figure not on the computer screen shows how it has moved from its static location gray dot with red outline The red arrow pointing off the screen shows its actual location is off the screen Roll Center drawn in black The arrow drawn in this Figure not on the computer screen shows how it has moved from its static location gray dot with black outline his is front view of suspension so left side of screen is actuall Gain based on 1 Dive Rall Center height 6 7 Roll Center Left 2 9 Dynamic Roll Center location due to Dive and Roll is shown in black Static Roll Center location is shown in black unless the car is in Dive and or Roll Then it is shown in gray as shown here for comparison to the Dynamic Roll Center Letters A L relate to dimensions listed in Static Layout Dimensions section See page 27 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Tips for understanding Roll Center and Camber Gain discussed in Figure 2 20 are
165. itions Bar Inside Diameter in Is the inside diameter of the torsion bar if you have selected a Hollow Roll Bar in inches Active Bar Length in Is the length of the bar which is designed to twist which is usually the thinnest part of the bar See Figure 2 54 Arm Length in Is the distance from the bar to where the bar attaches to the suspension See Figure 2 54 2 7 11 Calc Dew Point deg F Depending on your choice of Method of Recording Weather Data you will be entering either Dew Point or Relative Humidity in the Running Conditions menu These humidity inputs at all these menus have a Clc button This is the Calculation Menu you will get if you are using Dew Point Figure 2 55 Calc Dew Point Know Relative Humidity y Calc Dew Point deg F If you know the relative humidity of the air and Calc Dew Point the air temperature select Yes Otherwise select No to input Wet and Dry bulb temperatures from a psychrometer Depending on your choice the appropriate inputs are enabled Know Relative Humidity Weather Inputs Outside Air Temp deg F Outside Rel Humidity Outside Air Temp deg F Dig Bub Temp deg E Is the outside air temperature when the relative Wet Bub Temp deg E humidity measurement was made For example if the weather service or weather report gives a lize Calc Walaa relative humidity of 56 and a temperature of 68 degrees use 68 degrees C Performance Trends Inc 1999
166. ke and what inouts are used i Name of current Rear Suspension File w Rear Suspension Specs TRUCK AR MS Ed Back Fil Comments Help Suspgnsion Specs Top View Right Side Truck Arms Coil Springs Panhard or J B M Left Right Spring Rates Ib in cite 200 j200 Tire to Centerline in Spring to Centerline in Spring ngle deg Spring to Axle in Axle to Front Pivot in Pnhd Bar to Centerline in Rear View Lt Wheel Rate 188 Rt Wheel Rate 188 Panhard Bar Heights in End of Panhard Bar that i Attaches to Axle Left Right l Help Click on down arrow button to pick a Typical Example of 4 rear suspension or 4 general design to Use Specs Below where you can enter your own specs p 34 Roll Center Ht 12 0 Roll Center Left 0 6 Layout screen shows how program is using your measurements This is handy way to spot errors in inputs Screen also shows calculated results like Wheel Rates and Roll Center Location Help box gives brief description of spec you have clicked on 48 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Taking Suspension Measurements You make measurements and enter them into this screen much as you do for the Front Suspension Start by parking the car on a flat level surface First we must decide on what we will call the car s centerline Many people use a distance half way between the left and right t
167. kground Car Layout Color Light Gray Background Car Layout Color Dark Gray Camber Gain Definition Specs 30 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Double A Arm Measurements Upper Ball Joint Location Figure 2 14 Measuring Ball Joint Locations X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the ball joint on the upper arm on either Measure to what you the right side or left side in inches visualize to be the center Height is the distance from the of the ball inside the joint ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Note If you are using Moog Auto part of Cooper Industries ball joints you can call them at 800 323 5473 and they will send a print of the joint to let you more precisely locate the center of the ball Upper Frame Pivot Location X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the pivot on the frame mount on the upper arm on either the right side or left side in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location Figure 2 15 Measuring A Arm Length Top View of A Arm Showing How to Measure Length of A Arm Draw a line to the Correct Incorrect other ball joint e a Length of arm is where this line intersects the axis of the arm Axis of the arm is a line joining front and back mounting points For Strut Suspensions this line should also pass thro
168. l reen Righ tue scree Spring Compression inches 1 33 Yes Dive inches Roll nege Camber degrees O No I 1 5 E New Camber degrees King Pin Angle degrees Click on Draw Normal button to return to original screen Tips for understanding Roll Center Camber and Camber Gain discussed above are listed at the end of Appendix 2 Another option at this screen is the Draw Big button next to the Dive and Roll inputs Click on this button to draw the suspension layout larger as shown in Figure 4 42 Again the Dive and Roll inputs are available but now you may see some details better The Draw Big screen has a calculation which is not available on the normal screen called Spring Compression Spring Compressn Positive spring compression means the spring is compressed from its static standing still before any Dive or Roll position or the car is diving Negative spring compression means the spring is elongated or the car is rising By making spring compression match the motion shown by your shock travel indicators you ensure you are moving the suspension through somewhat the same motion which your car sees on the track 160 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Analyze Suspension Figure 4 43 Click here to Analyze Suspension as shown in Figure 4 44 You can also analyze the suspension we Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends 96 BUSCH V 8 actually going around a p
169. l bar stagger anti dive and other recommendations for either type of setup you want to run z Aero Downforce 75 58 Rol 0 11 deg 038 Dive 1 52inches 0 51 Pt Camber 4 97 deg 3 42 LtCamber 63deg 1 72 Dyn 40 Rear 42 Left 2 Cross Friction Circle in Gs Spying Accelerating Aero Downforce a 0 Handing 27 12 UnderSteer Very Much Tighter Handing 274 UnderSteer by 24 38 Report is shown in Notepad so you can easily copy and paste email or print it on most any printer P Suspension Report txt Notepad File Edit Format Yiew Help Big Bar Soft Spring BBSS ASPHALT Track Recommendations for LATEMODL 355 These recommendations should work well as a starting point for beginner racers Experienced drivers may want to adjust these specs for their own driving preferences The following recommen dations are based on the current vehicle front and rear suspension and track specs These recommendations are based on rules of thumb 197 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices 198 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices 4 Link 48 179 189 Accel Gs 68 98 Accel Aggressiveness 64 Acceleration 68 118 119 133 165 166 171 180 Active Bar Length 87 Adobe 192 Advanced file Open 1 Aerodynamics 21 143 Air Temperature 61 62 Analysis Report 66 93 95 96 Analyze Perf 5 8 66 95 Analyze Suspension
170. levels at race conditions e Do the entire test more than once and average the C G height results This procedure can be dangerous if not done with care and using good equipment Take the proper precautions especially if you raise the car significantly Wheelbase in Wheelbase of the car in inches Total Vehicle Weight lbs The total weight of the vehicle ideally with the driver and all fluid levels at race conditions 76 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 45 Calc C G Height Total Front Rear Weight Ibs Calc C G Height in The weight on the front tires or rear tires if the front of the car is raised on level ground in pounds before pic DR Ses pee the car is raised Wheelbase Total Vehicle Weight Ibs Raise Front or Rear Total Front Weight Ibs Choose which end of the car is raised for this test Raised Vehicle Measurements usually the rear Raise Front or Rear Rear Front Tire Radius in Front Rear Tire Radius in Distance Raised in The radius of the front tire or rear tire if the front of New Total Front Weight Ibs the car is raised Note See diagram and procedure in Section 2 8 4 in manual page xxx Distance Raised in The distance the one end of the car is raised in Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print inches New Total Front Rear Weight Ibs The new weight
171. licking on Help at the top of the main screen then Display User s Manual The manual is in a high quality PDF format e The Performance Trends website is now available from inside the program by clicking on Help at the top of the main screen then Performance Trends on the Web Figure A2 New Options at Main Screen Corner Jacking Example Vehicles are now stored brings up screen separately from vehicles you create of Figure A3 A Circle Track Analyzer 3 2 Performance Trends LATEMODL 355 File vehicle CalcLapTimes Help Preferences Reg To Kevin Gertgen ew Ctrl N Open Example Vehicle from Performance Trends Find Best Gear Ratio i Open One of My Saved Vehicles Ctr O Save Vehicle CtrleS Quit Program Corner Jacking Save As Ctrl e Open from Floppy Disk an A Saye toFloopy Disk odl 390 355 1 cubic inches PPY RPM and 487 HP at 6500 RPM Print Main Screen 50 rear 58 left 58 cross Print Blank Worksheet Rear Tires 82 and 85 circumference indows Printer Setup atemodl fab Double A Arm with Coil Springs Track 64 0 Spring 325 Rt Camber 3 Lt Camber 2 5 atemodl fab for Trailing Arms Coil Springs Panhard or J Bar Exit Progiam t Spring 150 Rt Spring 180 Super Late Model on a 1 2 mile track with fabricated front and rear ning Conditions suspension k on Help in menu line for 487 HP at 6500 from 355 w 390 4BBL roller cam AFR heads gre detailed info on options
172. lide the slide bar to see all 25 The History Log is a convenient way to keep track of your results to watch trends We could use it here to find the best axle ratio Graph these results with the Baseline 6 2 axle results for the graph in Figure 4 10 Figure 4 10 points out a couple of things e Engine RPM is lower throughout the run with the 5 9 axle ratio This keeps the engine in a higher HP RPM range for better acceleration and better performance Figure 4 11 graphs acceleration Gs for these 2 conditions showing the 5 9 axle ratio shows higher acceleration for nearly the entire time the vehicle is accelerating power On e By clicking on a graph line with the mouse you can bring up the cursor vertical line The value of the Engine RPM lines at the cursor near maximum RPM is 7315 for the new 5 9 axle ratio and 7545 for the 6 2 axle ratio 133 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 9 Test Results with Test History Log Circle Track Analyzer v2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL aj x B Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 l x Notes Notes Summary Low Lift Coef Engine RPM High NewLapTime 16 08 MPH 84 0 Click on Notes for more Details Last Lap Time Je 83 5 H istory Log E etii showing 2 0 and 3 08 axle results and improvement Click and move slide bar to view all 25 of the last tests Clear erase Print Help Tes Tik Mon Mar 1
173. locate both the front and rear A Arm mounts on the frame and the angle of the McPhearson Strut when viewed from the side These details let the program more precisely locate where the A Arm attaches to the frame in the 2 dimensional layout They also determine how much Anti Dive is built into the front suspension Anti Dive is the vehicle s resistance to diving the front end due to braking Reasonable starting points for Anti Dive for most all circle track asphalt cars in the 2000 3500 Ib range are 10 on the Right Front and 5 on the Left Front RCC RCC and CTA We ve taken the concept of balancing the Front Lateral Load Distribution FLLD with the rear lateral load distribution a step farther We ve developed a Performance Trends exclusive called Oversteer Understeer rating It is based on how evenly the tires on the 4 corners of the car are loaded If they are equally loaded left to right and loaded front to back the same as the front to 191 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices 192 back weight distribution we say that is a 0 Oversteer rating or Neutral handling Several factors go into this rating including banking forces aerodynamic forces dynamic weight transfer left to right and front to back CTA only You can display the actual wheel loads for the car in transition on the track at the point where you are neither braking or accelerating It is at this point where the program determines t
174. long tracks Higher Banking Wider Infield Width Higher Traction Tire Type Higher Tire Traction Factor Higher Driver Aggressiveness Braking and or Accelerating Lower Lift Coefficient larger negative numbers especially big tracks Lower Drag Coefficient especially long tracks Lower Frontal Area especially long tracks Using Dynamometer Data for Engine Power Curve Specs Engine Power Curve specs are discussed in Section 2 2 Dynamometer tests which measure engine performance can be done in different ways How the test is done can over estimate or under estimate the engine s torque and HP in the vehicle The Circle Track Analyzer works best if you enter steady state dynamometer results with the engine equipped exactly as it will be in the vehicle Equipped means with the full exhaust and intake system 169 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices l k ES all accessories running like water pump fan etc Steady state means that engine RPM is stable not changing when the torque and HP are measured This is sometimes called a step text Accelerating dynamometer tests where the engine speed is constantly increasing i e 300 RPM sec can under estimate an engine s steady state performance You may think an accelerating test best represents an engine accelerating in a vehicle However the Circle Track Analyzer calculates the power loss due to accelerating the engine which changes with g
175. lso At the Main Figure 4 30 Results of Match Vet Perf Modifications Required to Match your Performance Performance from New Specs nfield Width ft anking deg riving Style Important This combination is just one of many to produce these results Other combinations may more accurately match your car Return to Old Specs Screen click on File then Figure 4 31 Editing all Comments Save to update MY All Yehicle Comments LATMO DEL with these new component file names Now you are ready to check Hisn EN various modifications on your Comments for vehicle like changing gear ratios tire size or power curves etc Rear Completely fabricated 3 link rear suspension with Suspension panhard bar for late model Comments for LATEMODL FAB Total Vehicle Baseline of my Late Model on a 1 4 mile track with Comments for fabricated front and rear suspension 376 HP at 5500 from 406 cid w 500 2BBL ported LATEMODL 355 cast iron heads OK keep changes p 3 Allow Editing any Comments 151 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Conclusions Figure 4 32 First Screen for Saving Vehicle e After accurately entering Save Changes to Same File Name x specs and then fine tuning them with the Match My Q Do you want to update the current vehicle Lap Times feature the L TEMODL 355 Circle Track Analyzer s results can closely match With th
176. ly half a lap graphs are shown for the full lap r F F F f r Click on Back File Format View Help F1 Data_To_Graph l ale last hence a El E U ati type and data 2 i current type for X axis 400 DownFore seconds or feet Check mark shows current selections Downforce is a minimum on the straightaway because banking effect in turns is minimum However program still assumes banking on straightaway Seconds which reduces 131 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Changing the Rear Axle Ratio Now for the good part lets change the gear ratio and see what happens Get back to the Main Menu by clicking on Back in the menu bar or pressing lt ESC gt at the graph screen Figure 4 5 then clicking on Back or pressing lt ESC gt again at the tabular Test Results screen Figure 4 3 Click on Vehicle to bring up the menu shown in Figure 4 7 Because the Note in the program said the Engine RPM was high lets try a lower axle ratio which will reduce the RPM range Lets try a 5 9 axle ratio as shown in Figure 4 7 With wrenches money parts and a race track this could take several days On the computer we will be done in a few seconds with clean fingernails and money left in our wallet Figure 4 7 Vehicle Menu for Changing Rear Axle Ratio Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends LATEMODL iej x File vehicle Open Sa
177. may be at the bottom of the Log and not be visible now C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Other Graphing Features The graph screen has several features including e Printing Cursor to pinpoint the value of a particular point on the graph Changing titles and legend names Changing the scales Miscellaneous Format Options to change the appearance of the graph These are discussed in this next section Printing Figure 3 8 shows the options for printing graphs and how to access these options It also shows the screen for changing the Windows Printer Setup Figure 3 8 Printing Graphs Clicking on the Printer button is the same as clicking on File and then Print Click on File to display the two print menu options Click here to print the graph with solid lines This Circle Track Analyzer 3 0 BUSCH NA ZF works best for printing graphs in color i gt Data_To_Gra Print Colored Lines Click here to print the graph with dashed lines This pe eee ee arr works best for printing graphs in black and white where different dashed line styles let you distinguish between different graphs Click here change the printer or printer driver page orientation etc as shown below currently LaserJet III on LPT1 Windows standard Specific Printer Options Printer Setup menu HP LaserJet III on LPT1 Orientation Paper A Portrait Size Letter 8 172 x 11 in O Landscape Sou
178. ment Click on the Cle button next to these specs to calculate a spring rate or Torsion Bar Rate from other inputs See Section 2 7 9 2 4 2 Other Specs Spring Length Installed or Static length of the spring measured along spring centerline before any Dive or Roll You can not enter this value directly This length is calculated from the X and Height for the Upper and Lower Spring Pad Locations This value is useful to check that your X and Height measurements are entered correctly as it should closely match your installed spring length Spring Angle Figure 2 17 Other Dimensions amp er E Ira Specs Section of ed angle of spring measured between spring centerline and vertical in degrees You can not enter this Main Screen value directly This angle is calculated from the X and Other Specs Right Height for the Upper and Lower Spring Pad Locations Spring Length This value is useful to check that your X and Height Spring Angle measurements are entered correctly as it should closely Spring Rate match your installed spring angle Wheel Rate Scrub Radius Stc Camber deg i j Dyn Camber d Spring Rate T Bar Rate for Torsion ee er deg Bar Suspensions King Pin Angle Spindle Angle Is the force required to compress the uninstalled spring 1 inch in pounds The spring is assumed to be linear that Roll Bar Rate Ib in is if 500 lbs compresses the spring 1 1000 lbs will Roll Bar Length in compress the spring 2 T
179. mic Specs in the Vehicle Specs menu Low Lift Coefficients tell the program your car developes a great deal of downforce difficult to achieve unless the car is professionally designed Lift Coefficients are difficult ta measure and if you are overestimating this effect the program will predict faster cornering speeds and lap times than the vehicle can actually do Highest engine APM at the end of the straightaway is 7372 APM well above this engine s HP peak which is high and potentially hurting perormance Click on Analyze for more details To obtain a graph of these results click on the Graph button or Graph menu item The program will present a graph similar to that shown in Figure 4 5 of Engine RPM If you do not see a graph of Engine RPM click on Data Types at the top of the graph and select Engine RPM Since the Notes pointed out Low Lift Coefficient you might want to try the Downforce Graph Data Type Here you can see how much downforce in pounds the Low Lift Coefficient is generating on this track Note that track banking also generates downforce and the downforce is a combination of banking effects and aerodynamic effects 130 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Figure 4 5 Engine RPM Graph Click here for other options Click here to change data to be graphed Circle Track snalyzer v3 0 LATEMODL current Eng RPM Although results are calculated and reported for on
180. midity Use Calc Yalue 88 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Know Dew Point If you know the dew point of the air and the air temperature select Yes Otherwise select No to input Wet and Dry bulb temperatures from a psychrometer Depending on your choice the appropriate inputs are enabled Outside Air Temp deg F Is the outside air temperature when the Dew Point measurement was made Dew Point deg F Is the air s Dew Point in degrees F as reported by a weather service or measured by humidity instruments Dry Bulb Temp deg F Is the temperature of the dry bulb thermometer on the psychrometer in degrees F This is also the temperature of any thermometer mounted in the shade when the Wet Bulb Temp reading is taken The Dry Bulb Temp must not be less than the Wet Bulb Temp Wet Bulb Temp deg F Is the temperature of the wet bulb thermometer on the psychrometer in degrees F The wet bulb has a wick or cloth covering the bulb which is moistened with water The dryer the air the greater the difference between the wet and dry bulb readings Relative humidity or dew point can be manually read off a Psychometric chart from these two readings This calculation replaces reading the chart The Wet Bulb Temp must be less than the Dry Bulb Temp 89 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 8 Match My Lap Times The Circle Track Analyz
181. n due to braking is about same for both tests E Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F Click on Test Fg ial af lems Esai ee Namen Comments i i History Log to Tiag MPH EME i change the oes z Enter a Test Title name to 66 8 j something 68 6 p more moz Fj descriptive than the program s default name Enter name onal nere then latemodl Mon Mar 1 99 3 03 pm 3 click OK Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to tetrieve specs which produced those results Click in other columns for definitions 135 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples TE Click on Back to return to the Test Results screen then click on History and Show History Now A useful feature of the History Log is the ability to change the Test Title in the first column to anything you want Click on the Test Title for the 5 9 axle ratio run then answer No to the question Retrieve the specs which produced these results You will be shown a test input box like that of Figure 4 12 You will find the ability to Retrieve specs which produces certain results in the History Log to also be a very useful feature Another useful feature is to click on History then Clear History Log This lets you erase all the History rows which is useful when you are starting on a new project We could continue to try different axle ratios through cut and try to find the ratio giving the
182. n characteristics 1 Tire track change tire scrub as the front suspension goes through dive and roll 2 Swing Arm lengths the length from the tire center to its instant center e Changed the name of the Corner Jacking button at top right of main screen to Corner Weights That s because 2 new options have been added letting you do Tire Diameter Circumference changes and weight ballast movement to check the affect on corner weights e Screen colors are now more compatible with Windows XP e Added ability to save a vehicle file to or open a vehicle file from a floppy disk or CD with a default drive letter from A to Z selectable in Preferences e New Example files have been added like GM Metric 4 Link Rear Suspension e Added Edit options to the Calculate menu item in the Engine Specs screen The new Edit options let you factor the power curves up or down or re sort the table if there are blank rows or RPM increments out of order FLLD Front Lateral Load Distribution When a car makes a turn weight is transferred from the inside tires to the outside tires However how this weight transfer is split between the front and rear has a huge impact on the feel and handling of the car If more weight transfer occurs on the front of the car the outside front tire is being overworked more than the rear outside tire causing less cornering traction at the front This is more likely to produce understeer or a push Very simplistically
183. n 2 7 11 and 2 7 12 Dew Point is a less confusing way of describing the air s moisture level than relative humidity Relative humidity readings are only meaningful if the air temperature when the reading was made is also known However the air s dew point remains constant even when the air temperature changes For example 40 degree air with a 80 relative humidity has only a 10 relative humidity when the same air is heated to 100 degrees However the dew point remains at 36 degrees for both air temperatures Elevation Elevation ft The elevation of the track above sea level in feet This spec is only used if you are using a Corrected Barometer like from a TV or radio station weather report If the elevation is below sea level enter a negative feet for this reading This spec is disabled if you picked a Typical day but will display the elevation being used Notes on Weather Readings and Weather Stations Many racers will use weather stations a collection of temperature humidity and barometric pressure measuring devices When using these instruments here are some things to keep in mind e Unless you are very close to sea level an actual observed or uncorrected barometer will usually read less than a TV or radio weather report barometer For elevations less than 5000 feet an uncorrected barometer should read approximately 0 1 Mercury less for each 100 feet of elevation above sea level For example if your barometer
184. nd Engine Cubic Inches Select the Calc Based On choice from this Combo box Since you may not know what Volumetric Efficiency means select Engine Description All specs except Vol Eff are now enabled printed in black not gray All you have to do is pick a general description of your engine for the Desc input Since you are using a 350 Holley 2 barrel carb with no restrictor plate but better than stock heads pick 350 2BBL Ported Heads as the description You would be ready to Use Calc Values if the RPM at Peak HP was correct From reading the comments in this menu you see that a good estimate of RPM at Peak HP could be around 5500 for an engine with a 350 CFM 2 barrel carb You now see the calculated Peak HP Peak Torque and Peak Torque RPM displayed at the top of the menu If you click on Cancel you will return to the Figure 2 20 Typical Calculation Men Peak HP Peak Torque ft Ibs Peak Torque RPM Performance Specs Calc Based On S Engine Cubic Inches w ooo ed RPM at HP Peak Notes This calculation will produce approximate power curve specs based on very simple inputs It always uses the Std Dyno Corr Factor Other methods of building power curves include clicking on File then Open Examples or building power curves with one of Performance Trends Engine Analyzer programs Note that restricted engines peak a lower RPMs than unrestricted engines 350 2BBLs p
185. nd front axle Rule of Thumb Suggestions Moment Arm This report gives some recommendations for spring rates and front roll bar rate based on the desired wheel rates and knowing the motion ratios and spring installation angles It also compares your car s roll center height and scrub radius with typical values and recommends a starting point for rear tire stagger and cross weight Front Roll Center Rear Roll Center As the beginning of the report states these recommendations are based on general racer experience and not detailed computer analysis of your particular set of suspension specs or suspension layout You will likely have to adjust these recommendations to work with your particular car and driving style This report gives recommendations for spring rates assuming the front and rear springs will be installed into the same suspension geometry and angle as is currently specified If you are going to change the geometry or installation angles of the springs do this first Then obtain a new report of recommendations 122 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Rule of Thumb Adjustments This report is a handy guide listing vehicle modifications to correct various handling problems The modifications are listed with those usually having the most effect first This report is exactly the same each time it is printed and is based on racer and chassis builder experience It is NOT
186. nds Inc to provide you with an accurate cost saving high quality tool at a very reasonable price We do not copy protect our software to allow our customers full freedom to make back up copies for their own personal use Please respect the programmer s copyright and do NOT give out copies to your friends C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction 1 3 A Word of Caution The Circle Track Analyzer is a comprehensive software package which estimates a vehicle s performance based on limited user input These estimates can be used for analysis of circle track performance A vehicle is a very complex system which makes exact calculations of all details impossible Therefore several simplifying assumptions are made to reduce the calculations to a manageable level See the Assumptions in Appendix 1 The user must recognize The software can not predict the safety of a vehicle modification or driving situation Done correctly with the proper quality parts and safety precautions extreme vehicle conditions can be safe Done by inexperienced racers with standard or low quality parts a race car can be a disaster waiting to happen Please read and follow the Safety Notes as highlighted in this manual The software like any computer model can NOT make exact predictions because Much of the input data to the software is estimated Even if the input data were exactly correct the simplifying assumptions within th
187. ng Chapter 2 Definitions 2 0 Basic Program Operation 2 1 Preferences 2 2 Engine 2 3 Vehicle 2 4 Front Suspension 2 5 Rear Suspension 2 6 Calculated Lap Times Performance 2 6 1 Running Conditions 2 6 2 Calculate Performance Test Results 2 7 Calculation Menus 2 8 Match My Lap Times Chapter 3 Output 3 0 Test Results 3 1 Analyze Perf Reports 3 2 Graphs 3 3 Vehicle amp File Library 3 4 Printer Output 3 5 History Log 3 6 Analyze Suspension aRwWN gt Chapter 4 Examples Example 4 1 Finding the Best Axle Ratio Example 4 2 Calibrating Circle Track Analyzer for Your Car Example 4 3 Analyzing the Front Suspension Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Index Accuracy and Assumptions General Tips New Features in v3 2 New Features in v3 5 New Features in v3 6 125 127 138 153 165 169 174 179 191 199 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1 Overview of Features The Circle Track Analyzer program by Performance Trends Inc is a software system to let circle track racers performance enthusiasts and even the average driver understand and predict many aspects circle track racing and vehicle handling The Circle Track Analyzer Version 2 has been designed to be easier faster and more accurate Several new features have been added and other features enhanced The major ch
188. ng on Help Open Vehicle Library Introduction to basic Windows C mma Sere gt top of 5 Vehicl Lib About Circle Track Analyzer ain ocreen GLE GNIS Display the User s Manual Display the the Readme doc file Vehicle Specs Other Performance Trends Products Performance Trends on the Web hes ti Sa an at 6000 RPM Weight 3066 5 Ibs 49 1 rear 55 1 left 51 5 178 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Appendix 4 New Features in Version 3 5 Here is a brief listing of some of the features added since v3 2 was released Some we added to later versions of v3 2 and some are new in Version 3 5 e A major new feature is the concept of balancing the Front Lateral Load Distribution FLLD with the rear lateral load distribution This concept can be used to find a balanced setup by adjusting spring and roll bar rates and roll center heights This is discussed in detail below e The Rule of Thumb Suggestions for a good starting point for a setup now includes a suggestion for the rear roll center height This is based on obtaining a recommended FLLD See details below e The program can now do an angled symmetric 4 link rear suspension as used in the late model Mustangs and GM Metric chassis e Added the ability to do Camber Change and Roll Center Migration tables and graphs in the Front Suspension Screen e The Front Suspension Screen now calculates and displays 2 additional suspensio
189. ngle See Front Suspension Specs Definitions See pages 31 40 Instant Center Height in Height of Instant center of that side of the suspension See Front Suspension Specs Screen Definitions See pages 31 40 Wheel Rate Ib in Spring rate at tire See list of Definitions in Front Suspension Specs Screen See pages 31 40 Instant Center Arm from Tire in Distance from the tire s centerline to the Instant center of that side of the suspension See Front Suspension Specs Screen Definitions See pages 31 40 Scrub Radius in Tire s scrub radius See Front Suspension Layout Screen Definitions See pages 31 40 Roll Bar Rate Ib in Is the Roll Bar Rate from the Front Suspension Specs menu See pages 31 40 Roll Bar Motion Ratio Is the motion ratio of the roll bar or what fraction of the tire s motion at its centerline does the roll bar move Like the spring s motion ratio this also corrects for the instant center location of the suspension of the Roll Bar Rate which is actually felt at the tires effective roll bar rate Natural Frequency cycles sec Is the number of cycles per second the car naturally wants to bounce at If you removed the shock and jumped on that particular corner of the car this is the number of bounces you would see in 1 second Soft sedans have lower 120 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output frequencies of 1 to 1 3 where race cars have frequencies of 1 8 2 2 Frequencie
190. nsions section When picking a centerline the most important thing is to be consistent from front and rear on the same vehicle and from setup to setup on the same vehicle Once you decide on a centerline for a particular car you must make all measurements from this same centerline Then with the plumb bob place the string on the center of a new suspension point to be measured and drop the bob until it just touches the floor Measure the distance from the car s centerline to where the plumb bob points on the floor This is the X distance for that particular suspension point You can print a blank worksheet for recording your measurements by clicking on File at the upper left of the screen in the Menu Bar then clicking on Print Blank Worksheet Be sure you have first selected the correct Suspension Type Double A Arm McPherson Strut etc by clicking on Suspension Type in the Menu Bar to obtain the correct worksheet for your car Your choice of Suspension Type will have a large effect on what the Front Suspension screen looks like Because Double A Arm is so popular it will be discusses first The other suspension types are discussed only as to what inputs are different than the Double A Arm inputs 28 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Figure 2 12 Finding Car Centerline and Measuring Front Suspension Points typical X and Height measurement shown for Lower Frame Pivot Car Centerlin
191. nt and rear natural frequencies for the springs If these frequencies are significantly different than those typically used the program will warn you Typically the front natural frequency will be in the range of 1 4 to 2 0 and the rear will be 1 to 5 points lower than the front For many vehicle combinations the program can not find settings to match your requirements Many times this is due to the Front or especially the Rear roll centers being too high High roll centers transfer 181 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices more weight laterally through the suspension linkages and less through the springs making the springs and roll bar have less effect on this tuning factor You may then want to have the program adjust the Rear Roll Center to find the FLLD you desire After you adjust the Rear Roll Center and keep this change click on OK Keep then you can go back into this screen and try adjusting springs and or roll bar and they are likely to have more affect Fig A9 Other Features using the FLLD Conc At the top of the Analyze nsion screen th Circle Track Analyzer v3 5 Suspension Analysis Screen LATEMODL 355 Suspe Slot seis il Meee Back Back keep changes Options Print GESIS Continuous ahigle Step Ahead Single Step Back 3 reports are all improved This is a Front View left side of sci Suspension Calqut4ti using the FLLD concept Suspension C lculations with Comments Rule of Thumb Su
192. nts Help i 15 00 117 90 Upper Frape Pivot 23 80 Lower Ball Joint 7 3 i Upper Arm Bim Lower Arm Dim Show Dive amp Roll yYes Dive inches Roll deg D4 C No eis e Big l Help definition Distance from car centerline to the center of ball joint on upper arm on Right side in inches For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline p18 4 42 Click on arrow buttons to increment Dive amp Roll up or down or just type in Car is shown diving and rolling to the right your positive Roll which is what the car desired would do braking into a left hand turn Dive amp Roll 159 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Dyn Camber deg Dynamic Camber is the camber the tire will see due to Dive and or Roll Camber has a large impact on the tire patch on the track and therefore tire traction By optimizing camber you can produce higher traction in the turns and therefore faster lap times Figure 4 42 Screen of Figure 4 42 Drawn Big Spring Front Suspension Specs 96 BUSCH LOW Compressio Back File Options Suspension Type Shin Comments Help nis only fit displayed on n e a fol i the Front Suspension screen in Draw Big Mode Click here to return to Roll Center height 3 3 original Other Dimensions amp Specs Show Dive amp Rol
193. of 10 rows by 11 columns Click on Options for screen to the right to choose OK Exit Help Cancel Print increments for dive and roll for table 7 RC Offset Left left side graph right side car like Front Suspension screen 186 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices T Click on the Graph menu item and you can Graph the selected data from the Table To select data you highlight various rows by clicking and dragging the mouse in the top Table for the Right Side These selected highlighted rows AND the corresponding rows in the bottom table for the Left side will be graphed If you have selected more data than the Graph can hold you will be told and the top and bottom rows only of what you ve selected will be graphed This screen graphs of Camber in degrees on the vertical Y axis versus either Roll or Dive on the horizontal X axis The data graph here is based on what was highlighted in the Camber table when you clicked on the Graph menu item Data is always graphed for the Left side as well as the Right side for whatever conditions you have selected highlighted If you make graphs of Roll Center Height and Roll Center Left as done if Figure A12 this graph will show the actual location of the roll center and how it moves Height is on the vertical Y axis and Left is on the horizontal X axis Read the labels in the legend at the right side of the graph to see whic
194. of C G in g cee Tro wi ks Whee in i Eg H ircumference in cra Ere Rear Axle Ratio Eia Stagger in Rear Axle Type Standard Duty Tread Width in cid Aerodynamics Traction Factor Eie Type Use Specs Below x Help Diag Coefficient The weight of the vehicle with the driver in pounds p 26 ift Coefficient po o e tal rea sq ft iat Cte Back Help Printer Setup Click here to print this screen Aerodynamic specs usually do not have a large effect until vehicle speeds start to exceed 100 MPH 19 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions General Vehicle Specs Total Weight with Driver lbs Total vehicle weight in pounds with the driver ballast and the amount of fuel you want to analyze Rear Left Cross These 3 specs describe the vehicle s weight distribution indicating the of the vehicle s total weight which is on the rear tires on the left tires and the right front left rear tires A typical street car same suspension left and right are designed for having 50 Left and 50 Cross weight and only perhaps 42 Rear Note that the result of these weight percents combined with the Vehicle Weight are displayed as the corner weights next to these inputs If you know your car s corner weights but not the percents click on one of the Cle calculation buttons to calculate these per
195. on the front tires or rear tires if the front of the car is raised when the car has been raised TI C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 7 5 Calc Rear Axle Ratio This menu is available by clicking on the Rear Axle Ratio Clc button in the Vehicle specs menu Type Click on this combo box to select from e Ring amp Pinion Gear Only typical of most rear wheel drive rear axles e Quick Change with 4 56 Ring amp Pinion e Quick Change with 4 88 Ring amp Pinion e Chain Drive Only typical of go carts most motorcycles etc e Gear Reduction amp Chain Drive typical of motorcycles where there is a chain reduction between the engine and the transmission and then there is the chain ratio between the transmission and rear axle Depending on your choice certain inputs will now be enabled hidden or changed Teeth Pinion Gear Figure 2 46 Calc Final Drive Ratio Calc Final Drive Ratio Ed Calc Final Drive Ratio Type Quick Change with 4 56 Ring amp F Ring and Pinion Ratio Teeth Clutch Primary Gear Teeth Top Spur Gear Teeth Bottom Spur Gear Note For drivetrains with a Primary gear drive between the engine and transmission Select Primary Ratio amp Chain Drive as the Type if you know the Primary Ratio Select Primary Gears amp Chain ae if you know the Teeth on the Primary ears Use Calc Value H
196. on will explain how to graph test results for tests in the History Log Figure 3 7 History Log see Section 3 5 for more details Click on the History Button or the History menu item todisplay the History Log w Circle Track Analyzer 3 0 BUSCH NA ZRT Back File Tema View oo Data_ To Scr cr 7 busch na zrt 10 27 am Eng RPM busch na zrt 10 26 am Eng RPM busch na zrt 5 26 pm Eng RPM busch lo udn 5 26 pm Eng RPM ro gee f na zit Sat Feb 27 99 10 27 am nazit 10 27 busch na zrt Sat Feb 27 99 10 26 am Yes busch na zrt 10 26 busch na zrt Fri Feb 2699 5 26pm Yes busch na 2rt 5 26 busch na zrt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm busch na 2rt 5 26 busch lo udn Fri Feb 2699 5 26pm Yes busch lo udn 5 26 latemodl Thu Feb 25 99 11 50 am latemgdl 11 50 am busch be ech Sun Feb 21 99 8 56 busch be ech 8 56 busch be ech Sun Feb 21 99 8 54 busch be ech 8 54 latemodl Sun Feb 14 99 1 20 pm latempbdl 1 20 pm Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to retrieve specs which produced those results Click in other columns for definitions Click in this column to Choose a Graph option oo as oF ae from the menu bar to close i GS ae ea res the History Log and graph wipe grapned the tests identified by the This column shows name meny option you pick A program will display in graph Click and drag slide bar to display entire Legend for this test Click on History Log Some tests marked Yes name to change it
197. onds e Distance if Feet There are 3 basic types of tests which can be graphed e Current test results These are the test results displayed in the Test Results screen for the current Vehicle specs e Last test results These are the test results from the previous calculation By comparing the current calculated results to the last results you can easily watch how each modification has effected performance e Test results from the History Log The History Log is a list of 25 tests some of which you have specified you want saved long term some of which are simply some of the last tests you have run Data_To_Graph You can switch between data types as shown in Figure 3 6 Figure 3 6 Switching between Data Types Click on Data_to_Graph w Circle Track Analyzer v3 0 BUSCH NA ZRT for drop down menu Back File Format View Help F1 history LAST Then select type of data ka v Horizontal x Axis is Time seconds to graph and what to Horizontal x Axis is Distance feet graph against time or MPH distance for the X axis Accel Gs Your current choices are Throttle eerie shown with check marks Down Force Comering Gs Circle Track Analy 98 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Graphing Current Last and History Log Test Results The Current and Last Test Results were defined earlier The History Log is explained in some detail in Section 3 5 starting on page 112 This secti
198. ont Suspension options Save As Front Suspension Print Print Blank Worksheet Windows Print Setup New Rear Suspension blanks out all the current spec inputs calculated values comments and changes the current Rear Suspension file name to Untitled 56 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Open Example Rear Suspension presents the Circle Track Analyzer s File Open screen where you can open an Example Rear Suspension file which was provided by Performance Trends These examples include comments and all measurements for the particular Rear Suspension Type These are provided to let you see typical measurements for different types of Rear Suspensions and are saved in the XREAR folder directory Open Saved Rear Suspension is much like Open Example Rear Suspension command above except 1 You are presented Rear Suspension Files that you have saved See the Save commands below These are saved by default to the REAR folder directory 2 You can click on the File Open screen s Advanced button and be presented with the standard Windows File Open dialog box From there you can open a Rear Suspension file which you have saved somewhere else You can select different directories or disk drives for files You can choose most any file but if the program senses the file is not a Rear Suspension file you will be given notice and the file will not be opened Save saves the current Rear Suspension
199. orr Baro with Rel Hum or Uncorr Baro with Dew Pt It is the actual or observed Barometric Pressure in inches of Mercury at the track These barometers measure the actual air pressure at the track and will read approximately 1 inches of mercury less than the barometric pressure you will hear from a TV or radio weather report for each 100 feet of elevation This spec is disabled if you picked a Typical day but will display the barometer being used Air Temperature Air Temperature deg F Air temperature in degrees F of the air at the track This spec is used for all Methods of Recording Weather Data This spec is disabled if you picked a Typical day but will display the temperature being used Humidity Relative Humidity Describes the air s humidity level in percent of humidity the air could hold at its present temperature Relative Humidity can be calculated from either wet and dry bulb temperatures or from dew point and air temperature readings by clicking on the Clc button See Section 2 7 11 and 2 7 12 61 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Dew Point deg F The dew point in degrees F of the air at the track which describes the air s humidity level The Dew Point deg F must be less than the Air Temperature Dew Point can be calculated from either wet and dry bulb temperatures or from relative humidity and air temperature readings by clicking on the Clc button See Sectio
200. ose traction being overpowered by the available torque the G value is followed by an S and you should see Throttle being less than 100 Engine RPM Is the engine RPM Thrt Is the percent of the engine s HP being allowed to be delivered to the clutch This will be reduced from 100 to prevent tire spin it tire spin is likely due to lack of tire traction Turn Since the program calculates only half the track assuming the other half is exactly the same two values are displayed When a dash is displayed the car is on the straight away Curvature The radius of curvature for the line the program assumes the driver is driving in feet The smaller the number the sharper the turn at that point Downforce Downforce is the force in pounds pressing the tires onto the track due to banking and aerodynamics above normal vehicle weight If this value is less than 0 it will be shown as a negative value 68 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Corner Gs Corner Gs is the cornering force which is throwing the car and the driver to the outside of the turn measured in Gs Figure 2 38 Diagram of Downforce and Corner Gs Corner Gs Downforce 69 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 f Calculation Menus The following section explains the user input for specs listed with Clc buttons and the Calculate power curve men
201. ossible centerlines Straight Axle You can select a Straight Axle front suspension layout by clicking on Suspension Type at the top of the Front Suspension screen then selecting Straight Axle The screen will change significantly Only the Upper and Lower Spring Pads are common with the Double A Arm input specs for Static Layout Dimensions The only other inputs concern the Panhard Bar or J bar which locates the front Roll Center In the section called Other Specs calculated specs like Scrub Radius King Pin Angle and Spindle Angle are removed For inputs not shown in this section Spring Pad locations see the definitions in the previous Double A Arm section 34 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions ee ee O a Panhard Bar X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the Panhard Bar mounting points on either the right side or left side in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Panhard Bar is Attached to Axle on Which Side Select the option which identifies which side end of the Panhard bar or J bar is attached to the straight axle The other end is then attached to the body Double A Arm with Torsion Bars You can select a Double A Arm with Torsion Bars front suspension layout by clicking on Suspension Type at the top of the Front Suspension screen t
202. ost car s front suspensions This is a point which will usually will stay in one place The other advantage of this choice is the rear suspension s centerline is now the center of the driveshaft and the pinion gear This ensures consistency front and rear for most race cars and provides an easy reference for most left and right measurements 27 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions eEeEe _ _ _ __LL_L_L___E Ee eee eS SS In our Roll Center Calculator program which deals with the front suspension only we recommend a distance half way between the frame rails or the frame mounts on the lower arms This is usually very similar to the center of the drivetrain On cars without a front engine rear drive drivetrain layout use the distance half way between the frame rails or the frame mounts on the lower arms Then be sure to project a line straight back parallel to the frame to mark the rear centerline for the rear suspension You can also use the center of the front tire patches being aware of the problem if you change some tire offset specs Once you ve decided on the method either e Drop a plumb bob pointed weight on a string down from the center of the crank pulley e Use a tape measure to mark a point on the floor which is halfway between the your references This will now be your car s centerline and is 0 in the X horizontal direction in the Static Layout Dime
203. ou may want to customize a graph by printing labels of your choice Click on Format and then Edit Titles Legend to bring up the menu shown in Figure 3 10 which will allow you to do this Figure 3 10 Menu to Edit Title and Legend This is the list of Standard names the program uses unless you click on the Use New Titles button below Select click on a Standard name you want to change The Standard Name appears in the edit box along with the current New name if there is one Once you have selected a name from this list that row will be highlighted it is easier to use the up and down arrow keys to select the next item to edit than clicking the item with the mouse This is the list of New u Edit Graph Tile and Legend names the program will use if you click on Use List of Std Names List ofMew Names New Titles If a title in Title ircle Track An the List of New Names Grp 1 Current Bafeline is blank the program Itm 1 Eng RPM will use the Standard Grp 2 Last Results name Itu l Eng RPM Standard name from Tip emer J row selected Click on the item in the list above you wa New name for you to edit Other options include clicking on the Copy Std Name to New or Blank Out Copy Std Name to New Blank Out New Name New Name buttons Click here to close this Copy All Std to New Names menuand se the New names you have Use Std Titles entered Where New names have been left blank the Standard name will be used
204. our computer try the Print command by clicking on Print in the menu bar or on the Printer button A small menu of printout options are presented These options allow you to enter a report comment include vehicle specs and comments in the printout etc These options are explained in Section 3 4 For this first time accept the default settings and print the report by clicking on Print Results To help explain the other columns of output simply click on those results A definition of that particular data will be presented in a Message box as in Figure 1 4 Then click on OK when you have read the definition 8 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 1 Introduction _SSSSSS ae ey For a detailed explanation of all the results Calculation Conditions and output options go to Section 2 6 and Chapter 3 Clicking on Back or pressing the lt ESC gt key will return you to the Main Menu From the Main Menu you can modify the LATEMODL to see the effect on performance For example you could go into any of the component menus and e Change to a different rear axle ratio e Install stickier tires e Change weather or driving conditions The beauty of the program is that it repeats exactly each time This lets you find differences which would be clouded by changes in track conditions or driver variations Many of the input specifications you see in the various menus may not be familiar to you For a brief definition
205. r that they are nearly continuous for the full width of the vehicle it may be more accurate to then measure to the top of the spot lights 2 7 7 Tire Circumference Tread Width This calculation is available from the Wheel amp Tire Specs menu and allows you to estimate either a front or rear wheel s Tire Diameter and Tread Width for certain Tire Rating Types Note For all Rating Types except Rolling Radius the Calc Tire Diameter is approximately 3 less than what you would calculate based on the exact dimensions This is to allow for some tire wear deformation and slip 80 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Rating Type Click on this combo box for the following rating types e P Metric ex P225 60 15 e Letter ex G 60 15 e Rolling Radius inches e Diameter inches Depending on your choice certain specs will become enabled If you choose the P Metric or Letter Type you will also be able to calculate the Tread Width P Metric Tire Size ex 225 Identifies the tire s cross sectional width in millimeters and is also related to the tire s load carrying capacity Letter Tire Size Identifies the tire s load carrying capacity Click on this combo box to select on of the letters This Figure 2 48 Calc Tire Circumference Calc Tire Circumference inches Calc Tire Circumference inches Calc Tread Width inches Rating Type Le P Metric ex P225
206. rce 100 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Cursor The cursor feature is very useful for determining or comparing the value of the graph lines at various places See Figure 3 9 for explaining the use of the cursor Figure 3 9 Cursor Features and Commands Click here to turn Cursor On Click here to turn Cursor Off Cursor line usually pink or Click on these buttons to move the cursor left or green right Hold down the lt shift key gt while clicking depending on these buttons and the cursor moves farther background You can also enable the cursor by clicking on View then Turn Cursor On x te Circle Track Analyzer 3 0 TE NA ZRT ETA f Back File Format View HeplFi Dd Za Toj J fristo LAST The value of each He Ss Tet CT EE 20h Ine atthe cursor is 7608 displayed here last results 1 Eng RPM 7643 15 00 20 00 25 00 30 00 Seconds 7 5f The X value of the cursor is shown here in this case the RPM of 7 5 seconds You can also enable the cursor by single clicking on a graph line at a data point This also provides a quick way to move the cursor from 1 area of the graph to another Do not drag the mouse while clicking or you will zoom in on that area If you click on a graph line in between data points the cursor will not appear 101 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Changing titles and legend names Many times y
207. re Details Last Lap Time 28 sad 124 7 i Cammanta Iranravemant q w Analysis Report E3 Analysis Report The program predicts 28 second laps for this vehicle on a 1 mile track with 10 deg banks and approximately 1290 foot straightaways If this description does not seem to match the track you want to simulate look at the Track Specs in the Running Conditions menu The program shows the lowest RPM in the corner of 4978 RPH This is the first RPM reading in the RPM column If your car s RPM does not fall this low in the corner First make sure your rear tire s Circumference your Rear Axle Ratio Ratio of Trans Gear Used ratios are entered correctly in the Vehicle Specs menu If the above specs are correct and the program is still 80 83 3 1 12652 153 R134 192 95 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output IMPORTANT The Circle Track Analyzer can NOT anticipate all UNSAFE and poor performing situations Do NOT rely only on the Analysis report to point out problems and SAFETY HAZARDS You must use your own judgment expert advice from experienced engine builders and the manufacturer of the components Figure 3 4 Another Portion of Analysis Report Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Performance Trends BUSCH NA ZRT K Back Graph Print Analyze Suspension Analyze Perf History Help F1 le x 5 Notes Notes Summary Very Low Lift Coef Engine RPM NewLap Time 28 66 MPH 125 6 fel al H
208. red the menu will display the Weight s for your car Click on the Use Calc Value s button to load in these Weight s Figure 4 17 Corner Weights Calculation Menu As menu is first opened with corner After you enter your car s corner weights weights for current car specs menu shows Weight s for your car Calc Wt on Rear Tires Calc Wt on Rear Tires Calc Rear Weight Calc Rear Weight Calc Left Weight Calc Left Weight lt Calc Cross Weight Z Calc Cross Weight Current Vehicle Wt Ibs Current Yehicle Wt Ibs Veh Wt from these Inputs Ibs Veh Wt from these Inputs Ibs Vehicle Weights Vehicle Weights Left Front Weight Ibs Left Front Weight Ibs Right Front Weight Ibs 7 Right Front Weight Ibs Left Rear Weight Ibs Left Rear Weight Ibs Right Rear Weight Ibs Right Rear Weight Ibs Note l Note These weights should all be obtained with driver These weights should all be obtained with driver in vehicle on a very FLAT surface in vehicle on a very FLAT surface Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print Use Calc Value Help Cancel Print Click on Use Calc Value to use the calculated Weight s gt to a x If your corner weightsadd Figure 4 18 Question After Calculating Weight s up to a different weight p z z than already entered for Use This Total Yehicle Weight Also Vehicle Weight you would get the message in Figure 4 18 For most situat
209. rmance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Test Title Figure 3 19 Clicking On Test Title Click on Test Title and you are asked if you want to retrieve the specs which produced these bas es the specs which produced these results Answer Yes and the specs are retrieved i Answer No and you can then change the Test Click on No to edit Test Title Title This is useful for making notes about this particular run modifications you made etc No Graph Click in this column to have a Yes inserted or removed All test rows with a Yes will be graphed if you click on Graph These Tests in the menu bar This column is only visible in the History Log displayed in the Graph screen See Figure 3 20 Figure 3 20 History Log from the Graph Screen am These Tests Graph Clear msi itom Print Help Test Tiie rr eeh Greoh Tie Savo Lep Aileen MAEN coin MPH Mea Tes na zit Sat Feb 27 99 3 31 pm nazit 3 31 busch na zrt Sat Feb 27 99 12 06 pm busch na zrt 12 06 busch na zrt Sat Feb 27 99 12 05 pm busch na 2rt 12 05 busch na zrt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm busch na 2rt 5 26 busch na zrt Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm busch na zrt 5 26 busch lo udn Fri Feb 26 99 5 26 pm busch lo udn 5 26 latemodl Thu Feb 25 99 11 50 am latemodl 11 50 am busch be ech Sun Feb 21 99 8 56 busch be ech 8 56 busch be ech Sun Feb 21 99 8 54 busch be ech 8 54 Click on Test Title 1st column to change it or to retrieve specs which produced tho
210. rmance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output The only way to return to the program from this screen is by clicking on the X button at the upper right corner or the icon button at the upper left corner In Windows 3 1 click on the button in the upper left corner then select Close This screen is very important to understand how suspension changes will affect suspension motion tire camber tire corner rates roll center motion all of which are critical for handling and fast lap times From this screen you can e Watch the car s performance from the current Test Results e Compare the current Test Results to a Baseline condition some previous Test Results you told the program to save as a Baseline Baseline conditions are printed or drawn in pink so you can easily see the difference between the Baseline and the Current conditions Note that Baseline conditions can only be displayed if the current Test Results and Baseline results are for the same length track and same infield width This is because the Baseline and current conditions are compared and displayed for the same place on the track Another important feature of this screen is the Reports option Reports give summary analysis of the suspension and provide some starting point recommendations for this suspension setup on this particular track This screen is divided into 4 sections e Front Suspension upper left corner e Total Vehicle upper right
211. round 37 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions King Pin Angle King pin axis is the line intersecting the upper and lower ball joints The angle is the angle between this axis and a vertical line See Figure 2 18 This is a calculated spec can not be entered directly Spindle Angle Spindle Angle is the angle total of the king pin angle and the camber angle As long as you are using the same spindles the spindle angle must stay the same as you change arm lengths mounting points or shim the arms in and out Spindle Angle is not displayed unless you have selected the Front Suspension option of Show Spindle Angle See Figure 2 18 Roll Bar Rate Is the force required to move one arm of the roll bar 1 inch in pounds while the other arm does not move The bar is assumed to be linear that is if 500 Ibs moves the arm 1 1000 Ibs will move the arm 2 This is an input which you enter and effects the vehicle s roll stiffness Click on the Clc button next to this spec to calculate a Roll Bar Rate See Section 2 7 10 Roll Bar Length Is the length of the roll bar in inches This length tells the program where the bar attaches to the lower arms and therefore lets the program determine the motion ratio of the bar 2 4 3 Show Dive amp Roll As shown in Figure 2 19 you must first select the Yes option in this section before any of these inputs or command buttons become enabled 38 C
212. rut are not Lower Frame Pivot g5 5 J available for this 21 16 5 K 22 L Upper Spring Pad Help suspension type Lower Spring Pad The cist wheel s Length Angle by layine Strut Dim measurir Lower Arm Dim Shim Click on Shim when this option is enabled and then select from the choices of shimming the left or right arm You are then presented with the menu shown in Figure 2 27 This menu lets you move the Frame Pivot point of the upper A arm in or out as is usually done by adding or removing shims The software keeps the length of the arm constant and calculates where the Ball Joint end will be after the adjustment 45 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 First select whether you want to Add or Remove shims from the first Combo box Then select whether you want to use standard sixteenth 1 16 and eighth 1 8 inch shims or to enter some other Custom shim adjustment After your selection the lower inputs will become enabled as appropriate Selecting No Shims disables the lower inputs An estimate of the new Camber is given at the top for the shim adjustment currently entered with the Current Camber also given for comparison If you have Not selected the option at the Main Screen that Camber should be adjusted with changing dimensions you will be asked if you want Camber to be adjusted before it is The entries and suspension layout on the Main Screen are not updated until you
213. s Spring Front to Axle Distance from axle centerline forward to the leaf spring front mount on the frame in inches Spring Front Height Distance from the leaf spring s front mount down to the ground in inches 52 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Spring Rear to Axle Distance from axle centerline back to the leaf spring s shackles rear mount on the frame in inches Figure 2 31 Leaf Spring Measurements Lett Side Top iew Right Side Spring to Centerline Spring Front to Axle Spring Rear to Axle Side View Lt heel Rate 210 At heel Rate 210 Roll Center Spring Rear Height measure to where shackles attach to frame Spring Front Height Roll Center Ht 11 9 Roll Center Right 0 0 53 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Spring Rear Height Distance from the leaf spring s shackles rear mount on the frame in inches Torsion Bars If you select Trailing Arm Torsion Bars Panhard Bar for a Suspension Type the layout is very similar to the Trailing Arm Truck Arm shown in Figure 2 30 The only difference is the round coil spring is drawn as a torsion bar with an arm the rests on the axle The input Spring Rate is switched to T Bar Rates Ib in T Bar Rates Ib in The spring rate of the Torsion Bar with its lever arm This can be calculated by clicking on the Cle button as described in Section 2 7 9 Note t
214. s The arrow boxes let you increment Dive and Roll up and down by clicking on the appropriate arrow You will also see the suspension drawing move just as it would in the real vehicle The suspension in the static position is drawn in light gray for comparison or dark gray if you have chosen that Option The static Instant Centers and Roll Center are also drawn in light gray so you can see how much they have moved due to Dive and Roll To the right of the drawing you will see Dyn Camber also change as you go through various amounts of Dive and Roll Figure 4 41 Analyzing the Suspension Motion with Dive and Roll Dynamic suspension is shown in Black Blue and Red Static suspension is shown in gray for comparison Dynamic l Camber shows how tire SSE suspension so left side of screen is actually right side of car Other Specs camber Gain based on 5 Dive Spring Length J and 5 deg Roll Spring Angle ay A pis ss Spring Rate 770 4724 wi Ive Wheel Rate ca 335 amp Roll 7 Scrub Radius 5 0 15 2 Stc Camber deg 2 05 2 Dyn Camber deg 3 82 07 Pa t Trackin 30 5 305 Y Click here King Pin Angle 10 70 Bonema maaezoe porcen man aal peta Raw hin EA more more Roll Center height 3 3 Roll Center Richt 10 7 POl Bar Rate mnie Ete 20 detail like Roll Bar Length in 38 Static Layout Dimensions Fig ure w Front Suspension Specs 96 BUSCH LOW Back EJET Suspension Type Shin Comme
215. s A B D and E as shown in Figure 2 32 Enter the measurements for each mounting point as described below 55 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions To C L Distance from car centerline going Right to the mounting point of Upper Link or Lower Link of the Jacob s Ladder mounting points in inches Enter a negative number if this point is to the left of the car s centerline For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline Ht Distance from the ground to the mounting point of Upper Link or Lower Link of the Jacob s Ladder mounting points in inches Enter a negative number if this point is to the left of the car s centerline For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s centerline Menu Options Figure 2 33 Menu Bar Options Available w Rear Suspension Specs JACOBS LDA In the Menu Bar at the top of the Rear Suspension screen there are 4 Back File Comments Help main menu commands 1 Back 2 File 3 Comments 4 Help These are discussed in this section Figure 2 34 File Options ont Suspension Specs UNTITLED File Options Suspension Type Shim Fj e New Front Suspension Open Example Front Suspension Open Saved Front Suspension Click on File to present several standard Windows File Save Fr
216. s Below limits of the conditions Midwest assumes 1000 ft and mountains tire s traction assumes 3000 ft elevations p 50 Accel Aggressiveness Moderatly Agaress Show Results Every 2 seconds Brake Aggressiveness Moderatly Agaress Back Help Calculate Lap Time Print Printer Setup 59 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions _ _ LxL_L_ _LL__L_L_ EEE If you click on Calculate Performance you will first be presented with a menu of conditions which describe how you will run this vehicle These conditions include e Weather and wind conditions e How often to report results in the output for example every 0 5 seconds e Track specs like length banking etc e How you drive your vehicle with respect to accelerating and braking Track Weather The weather conditions affect both the air s oxygen density which affects engine power and the air s total density which affects aerodynamic drag Many racers use their own personal weather stations In these cases be sure you read the Notes on Weather Conditions at the end of this section page 62 Method of Recording Weather Data Click on the down arrow button of this combo box to be presented with this list of options e Radio TV Report with Rel Hum Radio TV Report with Dew Pt Uncorr Baro with Rel Hum Un
217. s it was in v3 2 For most all inputs on this screen click on the name or input box and its definition is given in the section at the bottom of the tab page For the Tire Change tab choose which tire to change and which dimension you want to work with The program will then display the Current Tire dimension from the Vehicle specs screen You are allowed to change this should it not be set exactly as you want Then enter the New Tire dimension and see the effect on Cross Weight Rear and Left percents are not affected by changing tire diameter 183 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices For the Move Weight tab choose the type of weight change and the amount of weight to change Then type in the Current Location of the weight and or the New Location of the weight after the move Cross Rear and Left percents can all be affected by moving weight Click on Back keep changes at upper left of this screen to return to the main screen while keeping your changes to corner weights tire sizes vehicle weight etc Front Suspension Screen Figure A 11 New Front Suspension Screen Features New Table amp Graph features are explained in Figure A12 ront Suspension Back File Options Edit Suspension Type Shim MESES Comments Help This is front view of suspensior Camber Table ually right side of car Other Specs Right Left Gain based ola Roll Center Table Spring Length 10 98 10 98 an eg Roll Swing Arm Length
218. s much higher than this would make the driver s eyes blur and are extremely uncomfortable to the human body Roll Center Height in Roll Center Height See Front Suspension Layout Screen Definitions See pages 31 40 Roll Center Offset in Roll Center X location See Front Suspension Specs Definitions See pages 31 40 Front Roll Stiffness ft lbs deg Is the amount of torque ft lbs applied to the car it takes for the front springs to allow the car to roll 1 degree A real car will roll more than this due to compliance in tires suspension members bushings etc Front Stiffness from Roll Bar The of the Front Roll Stiffness contributed by the roll bar Total Vehicle Roll Stiffness The of the Total Vehicle s Roll Stiffness contributed by the front suspension This usually ends up in the range of 75 85 for front engine rear drive cars Rear Suepension i Spring Rate Ib in Rear Spring Rate from Rear Suspension Specs menu Natural Frequency cycles sec Natural frequency of the rear suspension See Front Suspension definitions above Roll Center Height in Height of the Rear Roll Center Most all cars are designed with the Rear roll center higher than the front for improved stability Rear Roll Stiffness ft lbs deg The roll stiffness of the rear suspension See Front Suspension definitions above Total Vehicle Roll Stiffness The of the Total Vehicle s Roll Stiffness contributed by the rear suspension This usually ends
219. se results Click in other columns for definitions Graph Title Is the title which will appear in the graph legend for this test The program creates a simple title based on the Engine File Name and the time the test was run but you can click on this name and the program will ask you to enter a new name perhaps something like 3 in Stagger This column is only visible in the History Log displayed in the Graph screen See Figure 3 20 The first time you type ina Test Title the Graph Title will be changed to the first 16 letters of the Test Title 113 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Save Click in this column to have a Yes inserted or removed All tests move toward the bottom of the log as new tests are run and eventually fall off the list However tests with a Yes move to the bottom but do not fall off the list and are saved on the list until you remove the Yes in this column Tip If you want to save a test but do not necessarily want it on the History Log click on it to retrieve it and the engine specs which produced it At the Main Screen make notes of what this test and engine are Then save it to the Vehicle Library Although the test results are not available for graphing you can open this engine file and recalculate the test results at any time in the future Lap Ft Is the Lap Distance in feet for these results This is useful for determining if you are making an apples and
220. sheet Windows Print Setup Dyn Camber deg Ope ning gets 30 5 saved re e suspension pindle Angle j nar Roll Bar Rate Ib in ciel 250 _ file printing Roll Bar Length in blank worksheets Show Dive amp Roll etc for C Yes os is dagt Draw entering Ne S sol Specs or Help definition H Distance from car centerline to the center of ball joint evaluati ng on upper arm on Right side in inches For ease of other consistent measurements for front and rear use the suspens ion Length Angle Length Angle center of the drivetrain engine trans rear axle as 24 78 Upper Arm Dim 20 76 the car s centerline p 18 setu ps 16 86 4 9 Lower Arm Dim 16 92 153 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples From this menu you can e Enter or edit any of the measurements and specifications displayed and watch calculated specs and the layout drawing be updated automatically e Open or Save a file of complete front suspension measurements by clicking on the File menu item then either Open Save or Save As e Add edit or review comments to describe the front suspension measurements currently displayed e Produce various amounts of suspension Dive and Roll and watch Camber Roll Center and Spring Compression change You must be in the Show Big mode to see Spring Compression e Change the Options to somewhat customize this screen for you e Get
221. sion as shown in the Suspension Analysis screen in Section 3 6 exceeds 1 5 inches additional spring stiffness is added to somewhat simulate the springs coils touching and to avoid the suspension encountering some impossible situations e Tire camber and camber changes are not used to estimate tire traction and cornering ability at different parts of the track e Steering inputs and therefore tire slip angle are not used to estimate tire traction and cornering ability at different parts of the track e The brakes are assumed to be large enough and capable of dissipating all heat to be able to continually brake at levels capable of the tire s maximum traction e In this version Roll Center Offset from car centerline left or right is not used to predict lap times traction corner weights or suspension motion Most text books and authorities do not address the effect of Roll Center Offset but all discuss how Roll Center Height affects vehicle roll 167 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices e There is no change in the Height of CG due to pitch rotation or the body lifting or squatting Accuracy From reading the assumptions above and scattered throughout this manual it is obvious several important aspects of vehicle performance are glossed over Therefore it is impossible to make exact predictions of what will happen to your vehicle when modifications are made There are many combinations of vehicle
222. specs which can produce the same lap times and even the same maximum and minimum engine RPMs Therefore do not assume that if you have gotten the lap times to match your car that now you have your car simulated correctly Also especially do not assume that you now have the program simulating your suspension motion correctly This program should be used as a guide to help you visualize what can happen on your car when you make general not detailed modifications IN no way does it exactly simulate your car on a particular track or can it predict exact changes in handling 168 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Appendix 2 General Tips The following tips will show you how to change the Circle Track Analyzer calculations by adjusting various inputs Calibrating Tips Calibration is the process of adjusting the program s inputs to produce results which closely match a certain vehicle s drag strip results Example 4 2 shows this process in some detail including the Match My Lap Times feature Here are some tips on how to adjust vehicle specs to get the computer s predicted lap times to match your lap times if the Match My Lap Times feature cannot come up with a good solution Obviously many inputs affect lap times Here are the ones which are difficult to measure or know for certain and have a large effect on lap times To Decrease Lap Times faster laps More Engine Power especially
223. spension Analysis screen shown if Figure 3 21 You obtain this screen by clicking on Analyze Suspension at the Test Results screen Check Appendix 5 for significant new options outputs for this feature Figure 3 21 History Log and Options Front Suspension shows how suspension is moving as vehicle travels around track Menu commands Graphic showing Click here to A estimated RPM throttle k lor vanpus aptars and brakina position close this fe Circle Track Analyzer 2 0 Suspension Analysis Screen iMt Reports Continuous Single StepAhead Single Step Back Help Estimated spring This is a Front View left side of screen is actually right side of car a compression jounce or elongation rebound 6090 RPM reported as a 0 negative hi number D o e e Tire load in Roll 0 08 deg Dive 0 75 inches pounds and bar Rt Camber 4 27 deg Lt Camber 26 deg Static gra ph of tire Friction Circle in Gs ie Spring load Black line Accelerating 78 A 2 in bar graph indicates static load 10 deg Bank ngle 115 3 MPH 2384 Feet Static car standing still and Dynamic Weight s 13 50 Sec Braking The dot shows the current vehicle acceleration combination Friction Circle shows how much of the available tire traction is beina used how hard the tires are beina pushed Track postion shown with the MPH distance and time for the current position C Perfo
224. spension adjustments or modifications will change tire camber Notes Camber Gain is calculated based on how camber changes from static road height to some new combination of dive and roll Standard Conditions are Camber Gain Definition Specs 1 Dive and 0 degrees Roll Click on this option and you get the menu of Figure 2 24 This menu lets you change the amount of body movement the program uses to determine Camber Gain 43 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions First you select the Type of Calc which means either to use the program s standard definition of 1 of Dive with No roll or to Use Specs Below in this menu If you select to Use Specs Below the Body Dive inches and Body Roll degrees specs become enabled so you can enter or change them If you click on the OK Exit button while Use Specs Below is selected the Camber Gain at the Main Screen will now be based on these custom specs This definition is always displayed in the Suspension Layout screen as shown in Figure 2 20 Click on Cancel to close this menu and return to the original specs used for calculating Camber Gain Tips on Camber Gain are listed at the end of Appendix 2 Show Spindle Angle Don t Show Spindle Angle Lets you select whether Spindle Angle is displayed Some users may find Spindle Angle confusing so the program comes from the factory with these specs not displayed Figure 2 25 Suspension
225. st by moving weight around on the vehicle not moving it to change traction Engine Inertia Engine inertia is more complicated than other rotating inertia on the vehicle However for cars which do not shift or do not start from a stand still circle track racing in 1 gear only it is almost always best to reduce engine inertia to improve acceleration The Circle Track Analyzer estimates the rotational inertia of the engine and clutch flywheel or converter and transmission parts based on e Displacement in the Engine Specs menu the higher the displacement the higher the inertia e Clutch Description in the Engine Specs menu Tips on Simulating Modifications The previous inertia examples point out an error most users will make When you make a modification always think of how it could affect each specification The example of removing 32 lbs from the wheels and tires not only affected Wheels Tires Wt but also Vehicle Weight and possibly the Weight s Rear Left or Cross Below is a list of common modifications and the specs they may affect 171 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Engine Modifications Engine modifications can change all Engine Power Curve specs and Displacement If the engine is naturally aspirated not supercharged turbocharged or uses nitrous oxide and you increase the HP generally the RPM where the HP will peak will increase also Vehicle Weight and Wt on Rear Tires may also
226. tagger etc These options are a powerful part of the Circle Track Analyzer s analysis e Analyze the results in an Analysis Report by clicking on the Analyze Perf menu command The analysis report gives tips on what to look for in the results to improve performance or warning e of unsafe conditions to be aware of e Return to the Main Menu by clicking on the Back menu command e You can obtain definitions for most results by clicking on that area of the screen with the mouse For example click on the column with MPH results and a definition of MPH appears with a page in the manual for more info This also works for the History report in the lower area of the screen if it is currently being displayed Improvement Summary The Improvement Summary section compares the final results of the current run with those of the previous run This saves you from writing down Lap Times and MPHs to see how much effect a given modification has on performance Lap Time Is the time for the car to travel around the track The results only show what happened from start of Turn 2 through the straight away then through Turn 3 The assumptions is that the other half of the track is exactly the same and those results are not calculated or shown MPH Final Velocity in Miles per Hour Is the vehicle s average velocity around the track in miles per hour 66 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions Improvement
227. tagger which is calculated from your 2 inputs and displayed here Since Tire Diameter has a Clc button see Section 2 7 7 for calculating Tire Circumference from production tire sizes like P225 60 15 Tread Width Is the width of the tire s contact patch on the ground This number will have a large effect on overall tire traction and therefore lap times especially on short tracks Traction Factor Traction Efficiency describes how well the tires hook up to the road surface It is affected by road surface condition tire conditions temperature pressure compound etc and suspension setup Unfortunately this version of the Circle Track Analyzer is not smart enough to know how to use all the suspension inputs in the Front and Rear Suspension input screens to estimate overall tire traction Therefore use this Traction Factor to dial in how well your suspension is working your tires Obviously this spec has a critical impact on overall tire traction Because it depends on so many variables it is difficult to estimate You can click on the Cle button to obtain a general list of estimates Most likely you will have to fine tune this estimate based on your vehicle s actual lap times at a particular track You can also use the Match Your Lap Times option from the Main Menu to have the program estimate Traction Factor Dirt track conditions can be somewhat simulated by adjusting this Traction Factor down to match your lap tim
228. te vehicle calculations Rear Susp File latemodl fab for Wie ini a Track 64 0 Lt Spring 150 Transistion Handlin i Running Conditions Lateral Load Transfer 44 4 Front some oversteer loose Note Understeer a number above 50 is Safer than Oversteer Help Move mouse over item for Show All Comments description ta be guen here Super Late Model on a 1 2 mile track with fabricated front and rg Click on Help in menu line for suspension ei iat RUE 487 HP at 6500 from 355 w 390 4BBL roller cam AFR heads Comments Find button brings up screen of Figure A8 to let you quickly find combinations producing different FLLDs Figure A8 is displayed if you click on the Find button shown in Figure A7 This Find FLLD screen lets you find a certain Front Lateral Load Distribution FLLD which can be a good indication of how the car will handle at the apex or transistion of the turn no power no braking 180 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Pick the Adjust factor to tell the program what vehicle component s you want to adjust Enter your desired For This FLLD then click on the Find Now button For perfect theoretical Balance the FLLD should be 50 However from experience Milliken suggests a target starting point FLLD value of 5 percentage points higher than the percent weight on the front tires 100 Rear Wt Front Wt By default
229. this screen you are asked if you want to save the current Test Results as the Baseline This is the only way to change the Baseline Condition Reports One important Menu Option is the ability to produce Suspension Analysis reports of 4 types e Suspension Calculations e Suspension Calculations with Comments e Rule of Thumb Suggestions e Rule of Thumb Adjustments These are discussed below 119 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Suspension Calculations Suspension Calculations with Comments These reports show calculations concerning the suspension specs some not found anywhere else in the program like Roll Stiffness Distribution Roll Stiffness in degrees per G etc Table 3 1 gives definitions of these calculations The report with Comments includes the comments for the Front and Rear Suspensions which you ve entered at those screens Table 3 1 Suspension Calculations Definitions Front Suspension Spring Rate Ib in Front Spring Rate from the Front Suspension Specs menu See pages 31 40 Motion Ratio Motion Ratio for Spring is the ratio between an inch of spring motion to wheel motion This ratio is corrected for the instant center location which makes this calculation more accurate and possibly different than what other programs would calculate Motion Ratio Squared Motion Ratio squared for Spring See Motion Ratio above Spring Angle deg Spring s installation a
230. tice how most Track Weather Track Specs Method of Reading Weather Data Type Typ 1 4 Mile low banks M Typ Nice 70 deg day in Midwest Corr Barometer Hg Track Layout straights 220 ft Bank Angle Air Temperature deg F Specs and Relative Humidity 25 mi Driver catagories Weather Track Show Results Every 25 seconds gt baseni so Bank ngle deg f Help z Click here to Click on arrow to select how you want to enter Ip Iculate weather info and the type of instruments you will caculate tap use or select from the list of Typical weather Typical Aggressive Driver hal time or return conditions Midwest assumes 1000 ft and mountains to Main Screen E bdccel Aggressiveness s v assumes 3000 ft elevations p 50 H and elickon Calculate Lap Back Help alculate Lap Time Print Printer Setup Time button there Reports Graphs Track Length ft Brake Aggressiveness Calculate Lap Time Performance Whew we re finally done Now for the fun stuff lets see how this car performs Click on the Calculate Lap Times button in the Running Conditions menu or click on the Back button to return to the Main Screen then click on the Calculate Lap Times button at the top of the Main Screen The program calculates a lap time of 14 04 seconds with a average MPH of 64 1 MPH The results also show the Mx and Mn maximum and minimum
231. to a new name that you will enter Circle Track Analyzer v2 6 Performance T File vehicl Current Engine File Name 107 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 3 Output Save a Vehicle File Before we discuss saving an engine file it is important for you to understand how the program opens and uses vehicle files When you open a vehicle from the Vehicle Library you are only using a copy of the vehicle The original vehicle file is kept in the library As you make changes to the vehicle they are only made to this copy The original file is not changed If you want to delete your changes you can simply open a fresh unchanged copy of the original vehicle file from the Library If you want to keep your changes you must save them This can be done by clicking on the Save button You are also asked if you want to save your changes whenever you open a new vehicle and the program has detected you have made changes to the current file To save a Vehicle File you will be presented with the Save Window as shown below The program suggests a new vehicle name which is the same as the current vehicle name shown at the top of the Main Figure 3 16 Saving Vehicle File Options Click on Save button to bring up this Save menu Click here to save specs to New Vehicle name shown New name to save vehicle specs to Leave unchanged and click OK to save to the current vehicle name Click on name in box to chan
232. to the Main Screen Figure 4 24 Rear Suspension Screen Name of Rear Suspension File w Rear Suspension Specs LATEMODL FAB Back File Comments Help Your choice of Type will fee Specs Top Viow Right Side Significantly change the Left Right appearance Spring Rates Ib in ce of this Tire to Centerline in screen and what inputs you are able to enter is pring to Centerline in is pring Angle deg Spring to Axle in Axle to Front Pivot in a es ear View Pnhd Bar to Centerline in Lt Wheel Rate 200 Rt Wheel Rate 225 Panhard Bar Heights in End of Panhard Bar that Attaches to Axle Help General Distance from car centerline to center of tire patch on L r ayout the ground inches For ease of consistent measurements for front and rear use the center of the drawing of drivetrain engine trans rear axle as the car s Rear centerline p 18 Roll Center Ht 17 0 Roll Center Right 0 0 Suspension 146 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Running Conditions Click on Running Conditions to Weather conditions driver preferences and most importantly track specs Since you are Figure 4 25 Selecting Simple Weather Specs m A unning Conditions not that interested in how weather Track w eather conditions affect performance you Method of Reading weather Data select Typ Nice 70 deg day in Midwest Rup hice ri de
233. tory 5 66 98 99 112 113 114 116 133 134 135 136 137 Hollow 83 85 86 87 Humidity 16 61 62 70 87 88 89 Improvement 66 67 Improvement Summary 66 Include Vehicle Comments 111 Include Vehicle Specs 110 Inertia 15 21 170 171 Infield Width 64 90 114 162 169 Install 9 Installation 5 4 Instant Centers 30 43 120 159 J bar 34 35 52 54 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices Jacobs Ladder 54 55 King Pin Angle 34 38 Know Dew Point 89 Know Relative Humidity 87 Lap Time 5 7 26 66 67 90 91 114 115 127 130 132 148 149 150 162 164 167 169 171 Lap times 1 20 26 82 90 91 114 117 136 138 149 153 160 161 168 169 191 Last Run 67 Layout 27 43 50 51 55 Leaf Springs 49 52 83 84 Legend 100 102 113 187 Length 30 33 38 42 44 157 158 Letter Tire Size 81 Lever Arm Length 85 Library 5 6 106 107 108 109 138 152 Lift Coefficient 24 130 169 191 Line Style 104 Liters 75 Load from Engine Analyzer 16 17 Lower Arm Angle 33 Lower Arm Length 33 Lower Ball Joint 32 157 Lower Frame Pivot 29 32 Lower Spring Pad 32 34 36 Lower Strut Loc 34 Lowest Engine RPM in Turns 91 Main Menu 4 5 6 9 11 13 17 26 59 66 82 90 107 109 127 128 132 139 149 150 Match My Lap Times 5 82 90 91 149 150 152 169 McPherson 28 30 33 44 45 Method of Re
234. ts consist Requires only half the HP of the driveshaft to accelerate axle shafts etc Reducing the weight of these Reduce Diameter 50 components Same Weight insignificantly Inertia is reduced 75 reduces you rotating Requires only a quarter inertia Rotating the HP to accelerate components with 170 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Appendices p K ESS SS SSS Se larger diameters flywheel or torque converter wheels tires somewhat in the crankshaft damper and transmission components contain most of the vehicle s rotating inertia These are the components to concentrate on when trying to reduce rotating inertia For example removing 1 pound from the engine s flywheel will have 100 up to 1000 times or more effect on the vehicle s rotational inertia than removing 1 pound from an axle shaft Example Try some examples with the Circle Track Analyzer with the 96 BUSCH V 8 The Baseline 96 BUSCH V 8 performance is a 19 36 seconds lap time Now remove 32 lbs from the Rear Wheels by setting Rear Wheels Tires Wt 10 instead of 42 in the Vehicle Specs menu The program assumes the front wheels tires weight the same as the rear This modification simulates moving 32 Ibs from the all 4 wheels and placing it somewhere on the body since we did not also reduce Vehicle Weight 128 Ibs 4 x 32 Calculate performance an we get a new Lap Time of 19 32 seconds Nearly a four hundredths 04 improvement ju
235. ttle power from the engine to overcome wind resistance Many automotive manufacturers now publish the vehicle s Cd in advertising since an aerodynamic car is a more fuel efficient car An aerodynamic car is also a faster car If the actual Cd of a particular vehicle can not be found use Table 2 1 to estimate the Cd for different types of vehicles Use Table 2 2 to estimate how much Cd and Cl will change from a modification Table 2 3 shows examples of changing rear spoiler angle Table 2 1 Estimate Drag Coefficient Cd Type of Vehicle Motorcycle f0 1 10 Modern Motorcycle fairings etc 50 70 Pickup Truck 50 70 Sedan before 1980 45 60 Modern Aerodynamic Sedan Best Case vehicle Table 2 2 Estimate How Modifications Affect Cd and Cl lift coefficient Open Side Windows vs closed 02 Cd Open T Top amp Side Windows 8 Flat Air Dam width of vehicle 00 50 12 Flat Air Dam width of vehicle 1 Flat Spoiler width of vehicle 83 03 15 22 nn 4 Flat Air Dam width of vehicle 2 wi icle 03 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 Flat Spoiler width of vehicle 00 25 E 4 Flat Spoiler width of vehicle Blocking half radiator air flow Table 2 3 Changing Spoiler Angle on 94 Winston Cup Car Pe Old Spoiler Angle New Spoiler Angle Changein 20 30 40 50 60 deg deg deg deg deg 20 deg Cd JO 011 020 028 034 ci JO 022 0
236. u option in the Engine Specs menu These specs are ones where you can simply enter a value or click on the Clc button and the program will present a menu of inputs which will calculate that particular parameter These menus are like computer scratch pads for calculating specs like Figure 2 39 Typical Calculation Menu Final Drive Ratio Tire Circumference etc from Calc amp Wi on fies Taos other inputs Calc Rear Weight Notes Calc Left Weight The starting values in each calculation menu are Calc Cross Weight usually blanked out when the menu is opened If Current Yehicle Wt Ibs there is other information in the program to estimate what one of your input values will be it may be loaded As shown in Figure 2 39 the 4 Veh Wt from these Inputs Ibs El bss corner weights are already available based on the Vehicle Weights Vehicle Weight and Weight s in the Vehicle Left Front Weight Ibs Specs menu and these values are loaded into the z z Calculation Menu You are free to change them to Right Front Weight Ibs any other valne Left Rear Weight Ibs Once enough specs have been entered the Right Rear Weight Ibs calculated value s at the top of the menu will be displayed This calculated value s will now be Note updated each time you change a spec If you want These weights should all be obtained with the to use this calculated value click on Use Calc driver in the vehicle
237. ugh the rear strut mounting point C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions pee eae ee a a See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines For arms that have angled mounts as many stock arms do or strut mounts check Figure 2 15 for the most accurate way to find the arm s mounting point See Appendix 5 for a new feature that makes it easier and more accurate to determine exactly where the Frame Mounts should be measured Lower Ball Joint Location X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the ball joint on the lower arm on either the right side or left side in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Lower Frame Pivot Location X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the pivot on the frame mount on the lower arm on either the right side or left side in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Upper Spring Pad Location X is the distance from the car centerline to the center of the upper mounting pad for the spring in inches Height is the distance from the ground to this same location See pages 27 30 for a definition of possible centerlines Tip If you are more interested in shock travel than spring travel enter the top shock mount location However the Wheel Rate calculated
238. ulated Results and are saved with a Front Suspension file and with the complete Vehicle File Comments are a good way to keep track of what each saved file is Figure 2 28 Comments Editing Screen comment All Vehicle Comments Engine ith Holly 500 4 Barrel Comments for UNTITLED UNTITLED Rear 200 Ib springs left and right Suspension Comments for UNTITLED Total Yehicle limited Late Model Comments for 500 Holley 2 BBL gives about 490 HP 7500 LATEMODL Dillon front suspension layout __Allo Editing any Comments _ __Allo Editing any Comments _ any Comments Click here and start typing to change a Click here to enable all comments to be editted All comments will now be printed in black instead of gray Click here to abandon any changes made to the comments Click here to keep your changes 47 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 5 Rear Suspension Specs The Rear Suspension menu is similar to the Front Suspension screen described in Section 2 4 but is simpler It describes the Rear Suspension layout and measurements The top choice of Rear Suspension Type has a large effect on how this screen looks and what measurements can be entered Check Appendix 4 for new Rear Suspension types like Angled 4 Link Figure 2 29 Rear Suspension Screen for Suspension Type Truck Arms Menu Commands Type is a critical spec which dictates what this screen looks li
239. uming you could be making mistakes and gives more explanation before an action is performed assuming you may not be familiar it We strongly recommend this choice to anyone new to computers or this program Engine Graph Thick Lines Engine Graph Thin Lines Lets you customize the way the Full Power Curve graph in the Engine specs menu is displayed and printed Restart Displaying Help Tips You will notice several tips displayed during running the program many with a Check Box which says Don t Show This Again Once you are aware of a tip you do not want to be shown it again so click on this check box to X it then click on OK If you ever want to review a tip click on this menu item and all tips will be displayed again at the appropriate time in the program just as when the program was new before you checked Don t Show This Again 13 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 2 Definitions 2 2 Engine The Engine specs describe the engine s size in cubic inches its torque and HP and what power correction was used for rating the engine s torque and HP Figure 2 4 Engine Specs Menu shown with Full Power Curve Click on File then e New to blank out the power curve table Open Example to pick an example engine provided with the program Save to save these engine specs to a name of your choosing Print or Windows Printer Setup to print this screen here to set the amount
240. urate results it is critical that all other for the current set of vehicle specs are set correctly before using this feature specs and power curve Astar 4 04 Aer co ghc cit Z Mi Cate E3 4 1 25PM 136 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Conclusions e The Circle Track Analyzer allows you to easily maneuver between screens and menus with the click on a mouse e The program has several useful features like the Performance Summary and History Log to track you changes and the Notes and Graphs to understand and analyze your performance e The Circle Track Analyzer allows you to simulate real world modifications by simply typing in new specifications which simulate the hardware modification e Like most other vehicle settings there is no single best axle ratio for the LATEMODL 355 The best ratio will change depending on other specs like Track Length and Banking 137 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Example 4 2 Calibrating Circle Track Analyzer for Your Car When using the Circle Track Analyzer to predict the effect of modifications on a certain vehicle it is best to first calibrate the program to match the vehicle s actual results Calibrate means to fine tune an instrument the Circle Track Analyzer in this case to improve its accuracy Once the program is calibrated its predictions are more l
241. ure Road Race DataMite Brochure DataMite System Sp Brochure r Circle Track Road Race Tools Install This Program View Roll Center Calculator Brochure Circle Track Analyzes Brochure Brochure Brochure Brochure Suspension Analyz r Trans Gear Calcyfator Lap Segment J imer Click here to install Other Products Install This Program View Fuel Economy Calculator Brochure Upcoming Products Install This Program View Circle Track Log Book Brochure Inertia Calculator Brochure Valve Coil Spring Tester Brochure dur you purchased a program click on that product s button to install it as described on your al installation sheet You can install any of our other programs here as demos to see their features the CTA EXE program Version 3 6 is installed in the C Program Files Performance Trends Circle Track Analyzer v3 6 folder Entering Registered Owner s Name During your first setup the Circle Track Analyzer will ask you to enter your name as the Registered Owner During this first session you can modify it until you are satisfied Once you accept the name the computer will generate a code based on the name To be eligible for Tech Help you will need both your registered name and code and to have sent in your registration card The name you enter should be very similar to the name you enter on the registration card Click on About in the Main
242. use all these specs can vary so much between different cars and different track rules Go through each specs and enter a number for your car Figure 4 16 Vehicle Specs General Vehicle Specs Transmission Total Weight with Driver Ibs Type Std Duty Manual M Rear 51 5 Cie Corner Weights wo ere iee eon zg Left 56 5 cte Mops Rear Wheel Tire Specs Cross 57 5 Cte mife Type Racing DOT Street Tire w Tread ese iee A Rear Axle Ratio 53 Cid Stagger in Aerodynamics Traction Factor cie Type Use Specs Below i Help Drop toia fe Click on down arrow button to pick a general type of rear tire This choice has a LARGE effect on overall tire Lift Coefficient Enz traction handling and lap times p 35 Frontal Area sq ft 21 Cte Back Help Print Printer Setup General Vehicle Specs Enter the vehicle weight with driver and fuel level you want to simulate Enter the weight s if you know them If you don t know them but do know the corner weights click on one of the Clc calculate buttons next to them They will open up a Calculation menu shown in Figure 4 17 Note that this menu will open up with the corner weights for the current car already entered You will have to type your weights over these weights When all 4 of your corner weights have been 141 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples ente
243. usual values as you enter new measurements Once you have a new suspension entered choosing the Camber Changes with New Inputs option works well to see how suspension adjustments or modifications will change camber See Figure 2 13 Enter all the X and Height measurements into the screen The screen s drawing and calculated values are updated after each entry This lets you immediately see if a value you entered looks wrong The Roll Center location and Left and Right Instant Centers are also drawn Figure 2 13 in as large dots Instant Centers are the imaginary points about which Important Options for Entering Measurements Buspension Specs 96 BUSCH_LOW each side of the suspension tends to Options Suspension Type Shin Comments Hel rotate and usually appear on the Enter lt amp Ht Readings Frame amp Ball Jnts opposite side of the suspension For Enter lt amp Ht 1 End Arm Len amp Angle example Right side s Instant Center Dra Edenmion Lines will usually appear on the left side of Dont Draw Extension Lines the Suspension Layout drawing The Roll Center is black on most computers and the Instant Centers match the colors of the Left or Right Camber Changes with New Inputs suspension drawing If these locations Camber Does Not Change with New Inputs are off the screen they are drawn at the correct height with an arrow pointing to their off screen location Show Spindle Angle Don t Show Spindle Angle Bac
244. ve Malal anTiman Uaf Drabarn Vehicle Specs l General Vehicle Specs Total Weight with Driver Ibs Rear 52 c Corner Weights fet oo eg IF UE Cross 55 ce mops Height of C G in Wheelbase in Rear Axle Ratio Rear Axle Type Standard Duty Aerodynamics Type Use Specs Below Drag Coefficient Lift Coefficient Frontal Area sq ft k ere Transmission ee Ratio of ffans Gear Used Re4 t Wheel Tire Specs A ype Typical Racing Tire average traction M Avg Wheel amp Tire Wt Ibs Circumference in 875 _ aa ad frs Ed Stagger in o Jed cid Tread Width in Traction Factor M Hel The Rial ratio of the final drive gears or chain ratio or both Click on Cle button to calculate from of gear teeth p27 he Back Help Print Printer Setup Click on Rear Axle Ratio and change it to 5 9 Then recalculate perfor mance You could then repeat this sequence trying several different axle ratios Click on Rear Axle Ratio under General Vehicle Specs and type 5 9 over the current value of 6 2 If 5 9 had not been within acceptable limits the program will display the limits Then click on OK to return to the Main Menu There you can click on Running Conditions then the Calculate Performance button at this menu as you did before or just click on the Calculate Lap Times button at the
245. via a flexible link If the anti roll bar attachment is bolted solid to the axle trailing arm assembly enter 0 Find Front Lat Load Dist Current Front Lat Load Dist Current Rear Roll Bar Current Nat Freq F R New Front Lat Load Dist New Rear Roll Bar New Nat Freq FZR E Eind Wow Options Adjust Rear Roll Bar For This FLLD a1 This change tends to make the car slightly tighter than its current setup Note The new settings you find using this feature may NOT be best your driving style and could be UNSAFE Click on Help for more info For this vehicle s Front Wt Z of 50 0 55 0 5 higher would be a suggested setting OK Keep Help Cancel Print Click here to Calculate a roll bar rate from other inputs You can also find a rear roll bar rate to give a desired handling rating Front Lateral Load Distribution FLLD 193 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Figure A16 Front and Rear Aerodynamic Lift Coefficients Vehicle Specs General Vehicle Specs Total Weight with Driver Ibs Rear Corner Weights Left O Of00_ Cross t og Height of C G in Wheelbase in Rear Axle Ratio bs Rear Axle Type Standard Duty SA Aerodynamics Type Use Specs Below hut Drag Coefficient Lift Coefficient front Lift Coefficient rear Frontal Area sq ft 21__ ead Calc Aero Adjustments Drag Coef Change Lift Coef Change front Lift Coef Change rear Current Condition Deck
246. x 3 New Features in Version 3 2 Here is a brief listing of some of the features new in Version 3 2 174 Program is now a 32 bit version fully compatible with newer operating systems starting with Windows 95 then 98 Me XP and 2000 This also allows you to use much longer more descriptive file names for saving vehicles suspensions and engines It is also more compatible with newer printers The program is now designed for 600 x 800 or higher resolution screens There is now an option in the Analyze Suspension screen to output an ASCII file of the wheel loads for analysis in other programs The graph screen is now larger and generally fills the entire screen Version 3 2 adds a major feature where you can estimate the change in corner weights and ride height by jacking turning adjusting screws on the springs on the 4 corners The program now figures the wheel rates more like our more detailed Suspension Analyzer This change in general stiffens up increases the wheel rates It also makes the dive and roll predicted in the Analyze Suspension screen more accurate Some users reported that the vehicle s were bottoming out in the Analyze Suspension screen on high backed tracks with lower spring rates Braking is now done more gradually like a human driver on high speed tracks The Front Suspension screen now has Edit options to copy measurements from one side to another and move all measurements in out left right
247. zer 2 0 Suspension Analysis Screen Print Reports Continuous Single StepAhead Single Step Back Help ster Dontinuous Update reen is actually right side of car ower Continuous Update 4 baseline results shown in pink Praw Extension Lines Heg Bank Angle Don t Draw Extension Lines Show Baseline 6441 RPM Don t Show Baseline 6441 Edit Baseline Name 94 0 Brake Gas __ Rt Camber 8 67 deg 7 43 Lt Camber 2 33 deg 1 94 Static Dyn 48 5 32 Rear arin 54 42 Left aoe gt 50 50 Cross Roll 0 84 deg 0 57 Dive 2 31 inches 2 15 Friction Circle in Gs 94 3 MPH 94 3 1189 Feet 1189 8 00 Sec 8 00 Baseline is 0 0 car lengths ahead Braking Baseline results from previous run 20 4 Upper Ball Joint Ht for comparison On computer screen these Baseline results are shown in bright pink for easy identification 163 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples Conclusions The Circle Track Analyzer has several features to analyze suspension effects especially the front suspension which is usually the most critical e The Front Suspension input screen has several features itself to analyze camber and roll center changes e After Lap Times have been calculated the Analyze Suspension screen shoes what the suspension is likely to do actually traveling around a track of a particular design 164 C Performance Trends Inc 1999 Circle Track Analyzer Chapter 4 Examples

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