Ways to improve vehicle stability and handling: practical recommendations

The octane number indicates the knock resistance of gasoline or diesel fuel. Gas stations sell 92nd, 95th, 98th and 5th gasoline. With an increase in the octane number, engine power increases by XNUMX%.

The manufacturer lays down the speed characteristics of the vehicle at the stage of model development. Drivers treat this parameter differently. Motorists of the older generation calmly perceive the power qualities, considering the car only as a transport. Other drivers need speed to keep up with today's pace of life. There is also a separate category - owners with driving ambitions (tuners, motorsport enthusiasts), who are keenly interested in how to improve the dynamics and controllability of the car.

What is car handling and why to increase it

The dynamics, handling and stability of the car are interrelated concepts. The first is understood as the time during which the car reaches hundreds of kilometers from the start. Dynamic indicators differ for different classes of cars: budget cars with engines up to 1,5 liters accelerate “up to a hundred” in 9-12 seconds, expensive cars with a capacity of 200 hp. with. and more - for 7-9 seconds. The owners of both machines seek to reduce the acceleration time. Improving the dynamics of the car is not necessary only for sports cars - it takes them 3-4 seconds to reach the coveted hundred. The parameter is affected by the traction and braking qualities of the vehicle.

Vehicle handling

Handling shows how quickly and adequately the car responds to the actions of the driver. Correct reactions to the steering wheel in different driving modes, comfortable handling on slippery, wet and dusty roads indicate good handling. An easy change of course, movement without side skids and rollovers are called directional stability of the car.

The technical characteristics laid down by the manufacturer are reinforced by car owners in order to ensure a spectacular start, not to waste time at the traffic lights of busy city highways. In overtaking on highways, a second delay can be critical.

Ways to improve car handling

There are many methods for increasing the power of motors: some give a barely noticeable effect, others please with a high result. There are low-cost and expensive ways to improve vehicle stability and handling.

Increase in working volume

By 10%, it is possible to improve the dynamics of a car by a radical measure - an increase in the volume of the combustion chamber (CC).

There are two ways:

1. Ream the cylinders. And install larger pistons. In cast-iron cylinder blocks, process the pistons: apply microscopic irregularities on the walls that will hold the oil film. The complexity of the method is that it is impossible to bore the cylinders in the garage: e. The procedure is carried out by car service specialists. Reboring is not necessary for aluminum BCs with wet liner sleeves: simply change parts to a larger diameter.
2. Increase the piston stroke: replace the crankshaft with a longer stroke. Example: VAZ-2110 piston stroke - 71 mm. By installing a crankshaft with a different crank radius, it is possible to achieve an increase in stroke up to 75,6 mm and a volume of the combustion chamber up to 100 cm³.

By combining both options, you get the expected increase in motor efficiency.

Please note that at the same time fuel consumption will increase, the resource of the power plant will be reduced.

After boring the BC, watch the brakes, reconfigure the fuel inlet and exhaust gas outlet (optimize the systems for a larger volume).

Increasing the compression ratio

Fuel consumption will remain the same, but you will have to switch to expensive fuel with a higher octane rating if you decide to improve the car's handling by increasing compression - the compression ratio.

Boring cylinders is the first way to increase compression. By increasing the parameter in the Lada Grant from 8 to 10 atmospheres, you will get a 10% increase in power.

Also, better engine performance can be obtained by installing a thinner gasket in the cylinder head. However, this increases the likelihood of valve contact with the pistons.

Tuning the intake system

To supply the cylinders with more air and improve the dynamics of the car by this measure, modify the intake elements.

Installing a zero resistance filter

Instead of a standard air filter (VF), made of dense material, set the "zero". The structure of such a filter element is sparse. Which worsens the immediate duties of the VF, but increases its throughput.

Replacing the factory part of the Lada Vesta with the FNS (zero resistance filter) K & N gives a meager increase in acceleration, so the procedure is advisable in combination with other measures.

Throttle diameter increase

The size of the through diameter throttle valve "Renault Logan" and domestic "Lad" - 47 mm. Having bored the section up to 54 mm, you can get an imperceptible increase in the power of the car. A tangible result will be if the refinement of the throttle is timed to other tuning measures for the intake system.

An enlarged throttle can be bought. Sizes: 52 mm, 54 mm, 56 mm. The most popular spare part is 54 mm.

Installing the receiver

The air pulsation on the way to the CC (combustion chamber) is leveled by the receiver. In VAZs 2112 and 2114, the parts have drawbacks: the length of the channels is not the same, the material of execution is plastic.

Receiver

Install a welded or cast piece with shortened inlets but increased chamber volume. The power plant will receive a better air-fuel mixture, and you will observe an increased efficiency of the engine.

Removing the intake manifold

As part of the tuning of the intake system, replace the manifold with "pipes" - short tubes tuned to high speeds. Installing nozzles on each cylinder will be expensive.

Tuning the exhaust system

After combustion of the fuel assemblies (fuel-air mixture), the exhaust gases are ejected from the combustion chamber through the exhaust system, which simultaneously dampens explosive sounds and vibrations. The muffler, bringing obvious benefits, partially takes away the power of the motor. Modernization of the exhaust system is carried out in all components.

Collector

This is the main "culprit" of the loss of the dynamic characteristics of the motor. To improve the car's handling, replace the standard element with the Spider option, as in the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, where four pipes are combined into one.

Resonator

Increase the diameter of the resonator: this will improve the scavenging of the cylinders during exhaust and increase the engine torque. Dismantle the catalytic converter (if any), install a direct-flow flame arrester in its place.

Silencer end

The final part of the exhaust system is located as far as possible from the manifold in order to reduce its resonance. Replace the standard muffler with a straight-through one: the resistance to the flow of exhaust gases will drop sharply, but so will the sound absorption.

Fix it like this: place a perforated pipe at the end of the muffler. Its cross section should be smaller. Lay heat-resistant fiber between the outer and inner pipes. To prevent it from crumbling and flying out into the street, install a mesh between the filler.

Chip tuning

If you have modified the power unit and neighboring components, you cannot do without chip tuning.

The procedure is in any case useful for improving the handling of the car.

Resetting the on-board computer with the installation of a new program has the following effect:

• fuel consumption is reduced;
• motor torque increases;
• increased driving comfort.

Since there was no interference in the design of the car, chip tuning does not violate the warranty.

Reducing the weight of the flywheel and pistons

The lighter the flywheel, the faster it picks up speed. You can improve the dynamics in the car by changing this element in garage conditions. The effect is small - up to 4%, the price of the part is high - up to 5 thousand rubles.

Piston

But the method is quite suitable as a cumulative one, if you simultaneously change the factory pistons to forged ones: the latter are stronger than the standard ones, and the motor spends less energy on their movement.

Friction reduction

Any friction reduces the efficiency of the mechanism. In internal combustion engines, the pistons are in contact with the cylinders, and part of the “horses” of the motor is spent on this.

Friction parts run in oil. If you improve the quality of the resulting film with special additives, then friction losses will decrease.

Choose additives of complex action so that they clean the elements from soot and deposits. The positive effect of additives is 5-7% increase in dynamics.

Camshaft upgrade

The camshaft (PB) controls the rate of rise and the duration of the opening of the valves.

It is realistic to increase the dynamics of the car by installing sports camshafts - "grassroots" or "horse".

The problem of VAZ cars is that there is no traction at low crankshaft speeds. This means that we need a modernized “grassroots” camshaft with a slight valve lift. The latter, however, will have to be regulated.

Turbocharging

The most impressive results in terms of the increase in horsepower produced by an atmospheric engine (twice or more) are provided by turbocharging. The latest AvtoVAZ models come with this option from the factory. The intensity of fuel combustion in the cylinders depends on the amount of air supplied. Therefore, on low-power engines of 1,4-1,5 liters (for example, Renault Logan Stepway), the part can be installed, and on those where there is a boost (as in the Kia Rio) - increase the size of the factory turbocharger or the pressure inside it .

It is problematic to do a serious revision with your own hands, only if you are not a professional car mechanic. To reduce the thermal load on the motor, you need to take care of the intercooler (intercooler), increase the amount of coolant or pick up a powerful fan. In addition, replace the stock injectors with more efficient ones.

Changing wheels

Lightweight wheels and tires reduce the weight of the car by 20-30 kg. Light tires show less inertia: vehicles from the start reach 100 km/h faster and brake better. Choose high tires on medium-sized disks.

Additional recommendations

There are many more ways to increase the number of "horses" of the power unit. Many of them are designed and invented by home craftsmen.

Incoming air cooling

The colder the air entering the cylinders, the better the combustion of the air-fuel mixture.

Do the following:

• install a long intake so that it takes fresh air from the wing, and not from under the hood;
• wrap the inlet with a thermal cover (sold in car shops);
• close the hole under the wing in the engine compartment with a plastic screen;
• turn off the throttle heating, install a thermal insulating gasket.

An insulator between the head and the collector (you can buy) will also work to cool the air.

Simplified exhaust system

Expiration of exhaust gases immediately behind the exhaust manifold creates a lot of pressure, taking away part of the engine power. The task of the tuner is to minimize this pressure to improve emissions from the CC. The measure helps to ensure that more fresh air and fuel enter the cylinders. The more fuel assemblies in the chambers, the higher the engine performance will be.

To achieve a reduction in exhaust pressure, you can install a direct-flow exhaust system. Another solution: replace the factory manifold with a "spider". In the "straight line" you can use intermediate pipes of larger diameter. Articulate the elements of the exhaust tract with a corrugation or a ball joint.

The expected increase in power from a simplified exhaust system is 3-5 liters. s., the actual increase in noise is 5-6 dB. Therefore, to reduce decibels, upgrade the muffler end bank.

Use of high octane gasoline

The octane number indicates the knock resistance of gasoline or diesel fuel. Gas stations sell 92nd, 95th, 98th and 5th gasoline. With an increase in the octane number, engine power increases by XNUMX%.

Petrol

But you need to focus on the manufacturer's recommendations: if AI-92-Ai-95 fuel is recommended, then high-octane AI-98 is pointless to fill in, since the ignition timing is set at the factory. Using non-recommended fuel, instead of increasing power, you can get uncontrolled explosive combustion of fuel assemblies and severe detonation.

See also: Steering rack damper - purpose and installation rules

Proper wheel alignment

The radius of the disk, the width of the tire and the weight of the wheel assembly affect the improvement of the car's handling and acceleration dynamics. The larger the contact area, the more difficult it is for the engine to gain the desired speed.

Tire alignment and balancing, if the procedures are neglected, also adversely affect engine performance. Part of the power is spent on stabilizing the movement, steering, and braking. Therefore, experienced drivers pay due attention to wheel alignment.

how to IMPROVE car dynamics FOR minimal money, LAVR-Laurus