400/365 Track Setup | FerrariChat

400/365 Track Setup

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by brook308, Sep 4, 2020.

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  1. brook308

    brook308 Formula Junior

    Oct 19, 2007
    339
    SS Coast, Australia
    Full Name:
    George
    Looking for recommendations for setting up a 400/365 chassis for track work, car is still used to get to and from the track on street registration so wild mods are probably out.
    The car has power steering so I'm guessing max positive front castor would help turn in and a bit of tow out as well. Looking for anyone out there willing to share some hints on their setup.
    Cheers
    George
     
  2. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,591
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    George
    My advice is get another car for the track. I ran mine for about 45 minutes on NJ track. The auto tranny was my big issue which you do not have but body roll was also an issue so springs, roll bars and shocks will be needed.
    Ken
     
    Il Tifoso and raemin like this.
  3. raemin

    raemin Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2007
    1,825
    Lyon (FR)
    Full Name:
    R. Emin
    It's easy to add a few quarter turns to the konis and make the car really predictable.

    However I cannot see how the car could reach sufficient speed in order to achieve proper cooling. You risk ruining the colombo's head(s) or the tyranny.
     
  4. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,591
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    I did not have cooling issues; it was Oct.
     
  5. simon klein

    simon klein Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2009
    28,802
    North Qld
    Full Name:
    simon klein
    #5 simon klein, Sep 7, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2020
    Contact Marc at Enzotech,I'm sure you know who I mean.
    He set up Boof's C4 for the track and Leyburn type events.
    PM me if you don't have his details.

    Simon.
    Oh and for those that don't know/realise,the 365/400 family is a better handling car than a C4...out of the box.
     
  6. simon klein

    simon klein Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2009
    28,802
    North Qld
    Full Name:
    simon klein
    Knowing some of the cars George has owned I suggest his car will have a clutch.
     
  7. raemin

    raemin Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2007
    1,825
    Lyon (FR)
    Full Name:
    R. Emin
    Max castor will force the wheel to get back to neutral, so this is not going to assist you in cornering, quite the contrary actually: will make it harder to enter the corner and help you to get out of it. It is true however that power steering allows for much more castor: the more castor the harder the steering wheel, so a lot of castor is not possible unless power steering is assisting you. Given how hard the gearbox and clutch are, I'd rather have a "soft" steering wheel: holding firmly the wheel while applying 16kg of pressure on the left foot and applying 5kg of pressure on the gear shift is really a challenge. Holding the wheel properly is even more difficult on the 365 as the driver seat 365 does provide less lateral support than the 400.

    Tow out is probably not such a good idea. In theory a bit of tow in will make the car follow a straighter path whereas tow out reduces the burden on the outer wheel during the turn (the inner wheel is not pushing the car out of the corner, so the outer wheel that is carrying most of the load is relieved). Tow-in however reduce wheel oscillations and that's something to be taken into account with our cars: the center steering linkage is almost impossible to find new, so we usually have a bit of play here. Unless the center linkage has zero slop I would rather have a tiny bit of tow-in.

    My car is pretty low with stiff koni. The konis were adjusted by my mechanic in order to suit my driving style (see maintenance chapter). I did not modify the ride height but the car is significantly lower than my two brothers' cars (400 carb and 365) and even my cousin's 412. I do not know if this is a stock setup but that's how I got the car: ~3cm lower. I've damaged the exhaust quite a few times, but the car does handle very well: when I enter a corner faster than I should I just know that it will get out of it gracefully (little roll and gentle understeering).

    "Gentle understeering" is Ok for a "fast" car, but on a race car you would probably look for a more aggressive handling. Maybe you can setup the rear wheel with a more neutral camber. This would allow for a bit more of oversteering.

    Are you planing to keep the stock rubber and self levellers? Fresh break fluid would be a good idea.
     

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