As a UK designer and manufacturer of suspension upgrade parts for Porsche, BMW, sports cars and supercars, our aim is to increase handling performance in a measurable way.
Lap time comparisons undoubtedly help us to benchmark chassis improvements, but we love going deeper in our analysis. Central to our product development is ensuring our upgrades make full use of the tyre’s contact patch. To support this approach, we have partnered with VBOX Motorsport and integrated the company’s tyre temperature sensors into our parts development.
This technology can currently be found on our Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and BMW G87 M2 development vehicles. The VBOX tyre temperature sensors support each car’s transition from factory spec to full-blown track machine. Every Suspension Secrets modification is validated by real world data, which shows how each upgrade influences chassis behaviour and tyre usage.
In the Heat of the Moment
In the past, we used proven motorsport data-logging equipment and tyre probes to evaluate our upgrades. This method allowed us to capture reliable lap time, G-force and average tyre temperature information. However, the prospect of using more advanced equipment to measure temperature across each tyre’s entire contact patch – in real time – was irresistible. This is why we adopted VBOX’s advanced Video HD2 system.
The HD2 offers 16 infrared measurement channels per tyre, sampled at 25Hz. This provides live and high-resolution temperature information across the full width of the tyre – throughout each and every lap the car completes. This data is particularly useful when analysing the effects of camber angle changes.
Balancing Act
Suspension settings applied at the factory by Porsche, BMW and many other manufacturers are deliberately conservative. This approach prolongs tyre life and prioritises user-friendly drivability on the road. However, this lack of negative camber causes the tyres to overheat and excessively wear their surface’s outer third during repeated fast cornering. We have noted this situation on all our development cars in stock form, and on unmodified customer vehicles.
On the flip side, the temperature distribution data we captured with VBOX confirms the inner portions of each tyre are underused with factory suspension settings applied (i.e. less than ideal negative camber). This situation makes it harder to get the compound up to temperature for effective use on circuit.
There is a limit to how much negative camber can be applied, however. While more negative camber can improve mid-corner grip and tyre wear consistency, braking stability can be reduced and acceleration slowed if there is too much negative camber angle applied. This is because negative camber reduces a tyre’s contact patch at its outer edge when the car is driving straight ahead.
Optimal suspension settings effectively balance lateral grip, stability and tyre surface use. Without real-time temperature data, identifying this sweet spot requires a degree of estimation, which isn’t how we like to operate. The VBOX tyre sensors show us precisely how load is spread across the tyre surface under braking, turn-in and corner exit, allowing us to achieve the perfect setup with our upgrade parts.
Product Development
This information is immensely valuable to us as a suspension parts manufacturer and enhances our product development. For example, when evaluating the effectiveness of our prototype Porsche Cayman GT4 front camber plates: the tyre temperature data confirmed that the more track-focused camber settings facilitated by our parts provided excellent tyre surface contact through corners without overloading the inner shoulders when braking.
It was a similar story with our adjustable rear toe arms, which were fitted to our BMW G87 M2 development car. Unlike the stock toe arms, these Suspension Secrets parts allowed us to achieve optimal rear camber and toe settings for fast road and track driving. Once applied, the VBOX tyre temperature data confirmed more efficient use of the tyre contact patch, which avoided the overheating experienced with the stock setup.
With live tyre temperature mapping, we can also more accurately assess the impact of spring rate and damper tuning changes. These alterations affect how much contact the tyres have with the road surface over kerbs, through compression zones and when navigating undulations. Repeating these moments lap after lap and analysing the tyre temperature data helps us create a much more detailed picture of an upgrade’s success.
Of course, driver impressions still have a big part to play in the development of Suspension Secrets upgrades. We work closely with experienced racing drivers Chris Dymond and Leyton Clarke (pictured above centre and right) to reinforce what the VBOX temperature data is telling us.
Analysing tyre heat maps is important, but we also place great value on how an upgraded car feels from the driver’s seat. Does the steering react more positively? Is the chassis more adjustable on the throttle? Does the car feel more planted during hard braking? These considerations and more help us achieve a new level of handling performance with our suspension parts.
Evidence is Everything
Our customers demand suspension upgrades that deliver tangible handling benefits. By incorporating advanced VBOX data capturing into our development process, we remove guesswork and ensure that our parts maximise tyre grip in a measurable way to improve the overall driving experience.
