Track day hero

Ok.. a few of us have been discussing this via E mail etc.. so lets discuss it on here.. involve everyone and see what we can come up with

First some facts:

The MGF/TF will never be as torsionally stiff as an Elsie

The TF is stiffer than the F thanks to some tweeks to the body construction

There are many many ways to improve either for the track.. but lets try to deal with just the body/ subframes first

We can deal with suspension/brakes/power later..

Anyone and everyone welcome to comment.. ask questions..

So how do you take a standard F/TF and make it torsionally stiffer?

More suited to the track?

Add a cage or lots of bracing or maybe even a permanent roof.
All ways to increase the stiffness but they can fundamentally change the car.

Torsional stiffness figures:

MGF Torsional Stiffness: 7100Nm/degree

MGTF Torsional Stiffness: 8500Nm/degree (est.)

Lotus Elise Torsional Stiffness: 10500Nm/degree

New MX5 Torsional Stiffness: 8800Nm/degree (est.)

(Source Rob Bells web site)

the Volvo 850 touring car was rumoured to be 25,000Nm/degree

Without doubt the single best mod you could make is to add in a type approved weld in roll cage..

But no one makes one that allows for the folding roof.. :bang:

Assuming you have already fitted the TF brace pack, I would have thought a massive x brace connecting front and rear subframes would help!

Diesel Destroyer wrote: Torsional stiffness figures:

MGF Torsional Stiffness: 7100Nm/degree

MGTF Torsional Stiffness: 8500Nm/degree (est.)

Lotus Elise Torsional Stiffness: 10500Nm/degree

New MX5 Torsional Stiffness: 8800Nm/degree (est.)

(Source Rob Bells web site)

the Volvo 850 touring car was rumoured to be 25,000Nm/degree

should add that the torsional stiffness of a production Evora is 26,000Nm/Degree, and this is similar to a fully caged elise...
hence a good track prepped lotus elise or evora will pee all over most other things...

you would have to do some insane welding to get the MGF/TF to these levels, and you would add so much weight...

you will have fun with the MGF/TF but they will never be as compliant.

Its just numbers at the end of the day, drive and enjoy Better to have a crappy car on track enjoying it than a project that never gets finished... i should know i have one of each!!!

Diesel Destroyer wrote: Without doubt the single best mod you could make is to add in a type approved weld in roll cage..

But no one makes one that allows for the folding roof.. :bang:

why do you think all the MG trophy cars ran with hard tops...

better off cutting the centre of a hard top off, and bolting to a roll cage, and making it more a targa top than convertable

speaking of track day hero's, guess what i was playing with wednesday...

David Aiketgate wrote: ,I would have thought a massive x brace connecting front and rear subframes would help!

There are cars out there that do subframe tie bars..

I looked at this but decided against it as the car is already low

My guru advised me to brace (triangle is our friend) any wide open spaces

There are 3 in the F/TF

Bonnet.. boot.. interior cabin area

The first two ive done.. but the third made driving difficult with bars all over the interior lol

You could brace the subframes above the floor pan.:shrug:

How much difference do the doors make?

Does welding them shut make any difference?

Ozzy wrote:
should add that the torsional stiffness of a production Evora is 26,000Nm/Degree, and this is similar to a fully caged elise...

That is insane!!