I have a dream...

...that one day I'll be able to drive my yet to be built Stratos like the one at 28 secs in this video...


http://youtu.be/Ahhkmb0Qolo


Serious question, what do I need (apart from developing some talent ;) ) to power slide a Stratos out of a corner? I'm talking about power/ torque, LSD etc


Will a bog standard 2.5 Alfa V6 have enough grunt? Do I need a 3.0, a 3.2? Will it need to be breathed on (different cams, bottom end etc)?

Does a Stratos have too much traction in dry conditions to power slide?


The Stratos has a reputation for swapping ends quite quickly, is that deserved when talking about driving on dry Tarmac? I defer to my learned Forum friends.

I'm building a Stratos to have some fun and what could be more fun than power sliding a Stratos ? :D

Probably a good start would be to not shoot yourself in the foot by opting for a tyre and wheel combination which puts over 300mm of modern rubber on the road at the back.
This why I like the idea of Craig's wheels so much. You can choose a rim and tyre width.
My theory is yet to be tested though......
For my money a 2.5 V6 is plenty power enough provided the car is set up properly.

Many factors contribute to this, but the short and simple of it is, weight distribution over a short wheel base depending on the % front/rear weight balance, can cause a car to have an unusually high yaw acceleration. Yaw is the rotation about the Z-axis of the vehicle. To alleviate this you may tune your suspension to have less oversteer and more Understeer so that the acceleration around a turn is not so substantial.

Also, it does not take much skill to slide the rear end around ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by john

Probably a good start would be to not shoot yourself in the foot by opting for a tyre and wheel combination which puts over 300mm of modern rubber on the road at the back.
This why I like the idea of Craig's wheels so much. You can choose a rim and tyre width.
My theory is yet to be tested though......
For my money a 2.5 V6 is plenty power enough provided the car is set up properly.

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Instinctively that was my thought too, it would be all too easy to over tyre the rear. I'm very open to using alternative wheel diameters and widths, and frankly anything which gives me a well sorted car which is rewarding to drive, reliable and easy to live with. To me that's more important than originality.

Don't try it that close to a concrete wall for a start!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by monoposto

Many factors contribute to this, but the short and simple of it is, weight distribution over a short wheel base depending on the % front/rear weight balance, can cause a car to have an unusually high yaw acceleration. Yaw is the rotation about the Z-axis of the vehicle. To alleviate this you may tune your suspension to have less oversteer and more Understeer so that the acceleration around a turn is not so substantial.

Also, it does not take much skill to slide the rear end around ;)

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So is there an accepted front/rear mass ratio to aim for which will help achieve a well handling package? There are a number of V6 engines and transmissions combinations possible, I'm guessing some are preferable to others from purely a mass distribution standpoint.

I think sliding it won't be the biggest challenge, how to control it and not damaging the bodywork is ! ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fingers

Don't try it that close to a concrete for a start!

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That sounds like voice of experience.

The difference between power slide and 180 is infinitesimal..........

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChrisCar6

The difference between power slide and 180 is infinitesimal..........

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I didnt realise there was such a big difference ;)

If you had two cars almost identical in equipment, power output, tyres etc, one that was more mass centralised than the weight hanging out the back would in theory be less likely to get out of shape. Powersliding can be done if the car is built and set up correctly, has a good power output to spin the wheels, room to do it and plenty cash to fix it when you get it wrong.