shock pots measure suspension displacement, laser ride height sensors measure tire+suspension displacement. laser ride height by itself isn't super useful unless you know what component of that movement is due to the suspension. so the options are shock pots (stand alone) or shock pots with lasers.

 

I'm not sure exactly which is ideal for aero. Hoping for someone with real world experience to jump in. My one thought is if you're looking for load added to the suspension, using the spring rate as a known constant, determining force isn't too bad. Measuring ride height has some other factors I'd imagine, not sure if practically it matters or if it's easily compensated for.

Technically either can be used to measure the distance between two points. One could setup the laser system to read the shock travel, or the distance between the chassis and ground. Similarly, the linear pots may not be explicitly connected to measure shock travel, depends on the attachment point. I've seen cantilever setups in some FSAE blogs for example.

 

I found this article from Evolution Dynamics, where they used linear pots to measure down-force. Seems that these sensors alone provided them usable data:

https://www.evodynamics.com/blogs/ne...mics-testing-1

 

car is down for the summer, I know the summer here in AZ is the like winter in the non Hell climates... Will be re doing the flat floor hoping to incorporate some tunnels.

George

 

After doing some thought, and research I was wondering everyones thoughts on a false floor, so basically a flat floor ran under the car, but separate from the body, with a gap between the car and top of the floor. The wheel wells and sides would vent above the false floor increasing pressure above, and the lower pressure below would cause the false floor to pull down on the car.

George

 

@jedibow Absolutely a huge benefit. Ken Thwaits EvO has a full custom undertray complete w/NACA ducts. Theres pics of it just cant seem find where they are

EDIT. Found one of the pics here:

 

Eh, creating pressure above the false floor means the pressure differential between the top and bottom of the car goes down. Are you thinking of doing this as a means around a "no flat underbody" ruling? Or just trying to think out of the box? If the later you're better off just making a flat underbody.

What you're proposing is the same as why you don't see lots of front wing setups combined with very large front splitters. You get a high pressure zone above the wing, a low pressure zone below the splitter, but the pressure zone between the wing and splitter work against the differential across the wing. It's not the case every time but most of the time that's the result.

 

I already have a flat floor, so thinking outside the box mostly, saw this on the formula one cars about 10 years ago and thought it was interesting. I'm redoing the underbody aero over the summer as this is the winter for everywhere else when you live in Arizona.

George

 

Also I'm being lazy and don't want to redo my rocker moldings LOL as I have gotten much better at composites, but.... That is a lot of work hahahaha

George

 

The double floor concept will only work if u can create a pressure differential between the 2.

Honestly i havnt seen it on any of the top time attack cars yet and they are kind of at the epitomy of car aerodynamics especially when it comes to saloon cars. Kyle.Engineers has great youtube vids which could give you some good ideas to do with floors.

 

He has very good videos, I have seen them all.

George

 

Yeah ayoustin mentioned him to me. I've watched quite a few of his videos. Hes also a pretty good wheel man.