must have books?
 

okay so I've been looking for a couple of good books to buy, but let me first say I don't want this to be a "what books to buy" post.

Rather did the book help? I'm wondering are the books written for the engineer looking to build a tube chasis car from ground up, or can these book still provide information that would be usefull to someone working on a mass produced car? Someone starting with another platform, like a FC?

I understand the benefits that the double wish bone suspension can provide but with a car that has a strut system, will these books help?

thanks
rip

What do you wish to learn ?

As ddewhurst said what specifically do you want to read about? There are hundreds of books available that you've never heard of because they're not in normal book stores. Tell us what you want to study.

Our Suspension and Handling Links list is full of great online articles as well.

A search on the topic will yeild Damons recomendations. I have found Carroll Smiths books to apply with regard to car prep, design, component function, driver prep, suspension set-up everything, and anything you can imagine times ten. Basicly, "Drive to Win", and "Tune to Win" to start(wife bought them for my Bday after seaching Damons posts;) ). then start thinking about the rest. as far as the Fc goes, many racers have fully developed cars, their designs, and methods are there for the finding. Plenty of National level EP, and Gt cars have been FC based, as abopve, what do you want to do??

chasis engineering

hot to make your car handle

competition car suspension

which of these suspension books will give me a more practical use, something from a drivers stand point not nessicarly a engineer? Or is there somthing else you would recomend?

I'm also looking for a book that is more general; that explains a little bit about the adjustments to a macpherson strut and a double A arm system. And general stuff on how they behave.

thanks for the help
rip

by the way I'm hoping to subscribe to RaceCar Engineering and GRM, I just picked them up from barnes and noble today, I'm really impressed. Though, RCE seems to be a little over my head, for now ;)

Try tune to win, at least read part of it. You can buy all carrolls books for the price of a one year subscription to RCE, which is great reading, but if you are not building a mega buck formula car will have little real application you do not already know. Carl

From my perspective:

A. Chassis Engineering by Herb Adams (high lights several different type race cars)

B. How to make your car handle by Fred Puhn (a little deeper in detail on suspension)

C. Tune to Win by Carroll Smith (some suspension things that are missed in the first two books)

D. Inside Racing Technology by Paul Haney/Jeff Braun (great detailed info/facts on springs/ shocks)

If I was buying at the get go & had enough money I would buy per the order above. There is always overlap from one book to the next. If I had some suspension knowledge I would buy items B., C. first & D. at a later date but before I bought shocks/springs.

Have Fun ; )
David

I also enjoyed Ayrton Senna's Principles of Race Driving. I might be slightly off on the title... Check motorbooks.com

Building a car from the ground up seems like quite a challenge. Anyways good luck and keep us posted.

oh, well I don't want to start from scratch, I just want to know how to improve what I got.

Maybe read up on how people have done things from scratch, that way I might bring some of those ideas along. Like understanding that if I say lower and lengthen the lower A arm on a FD I could gain better stabilty at higher speeds.

This is not really applicable but I may be able to use other ideas that can transfer easier.

thanks for the help looks like I got some reading to do.
rip

:werd: Carroll Smith's books are great, I recommend all of them. His writing style and philosophy of building race cars are great. Most important lesson to take away from them: Spend more money up front and do it right the first time. If you take the cheap route it's gonna make you cry later.

As said before:
Prepare to win, Tune to win, Engineer to win and last but not least: Screw to Win (Nuts bolts and hardware handbook) by Carrol Smith

Screwing to win seems to be one of Carroll's "firm" beliefs ;)