A street able mildly tuned car isn’t as singularly focused as a show or track car, but can be driven in almost all conditions.
A candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long.
That adage holds very true for cars as well. Car tuning and modifying involves compromise and trade-offs. If we increase the output of an engine, the engine itself will consequently do any of the following: run louder, generate more heat, consume more fuel or will require more care and maintenance.
The more we squeeze and extract more power, the closer we push the engine to its limits, and thereby risking that we break something in the process.
It’s the same with the wheels, tires and suspension. By lowering the suspension, we limit our mobility. Running bigger wheels and tires will result in a harsher ride due to their added weight. In some cases, the bigger & heavier wheels and tires will increase acceleration and braking effort due to reduced inertia.
Before we even begin tuning cars, we have to realize that it will never perform like stock. A car is a very complex set of systems working together in harmony. Manufacturers spend billions of dollars in testing, research and development, and spend tens of thousands of hours testing them in a variety of road and weather conditions. Something as simple as changing the tires can make surprisingly dramatic changes in how a car feels and more importantly how it performs.
By understanding the risk involved, car tuning and modifying is a very enjoyable and rewarding process. It becomes a crucial part of one’s life because it brings with it its own lifestyle, and connects you with like-minded people. Here are some tips to keep in mind before you begin to enjoy car tuning.
1.) Know what you want to achieve – are you out to build a lightly modified car that is still easy and enjoyable to use everyday? Or do you want a show-worthy car? Perhaps a dedicated car for the race track? You can’t realistically have all three in one car precisely because of the compromises one has to make. A show-cars has a very low ride height, has delicate body parts and is coated in a rich and expensive paint-job. A track car is all about function: stripped out, lightened and generally uncomfortable with minimal regard for aesthetics unless it makes a car faster around the track. A street able mildly tuned car isn’t as singularly focused as a show or track car, but can be driven in almost all conditions. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
2.) Don’t forget the supporting modifications – installing a turbo kit or supercharger kit is a great idea to get anywhere from 30% to even 400% more power from your engine. But because the engine is a system in itself, you will need supporting modifications to help you realize that power gain safely and reliably. An upgraded fuel pump, fuel injectors and fuel pressure regulators are commonly added, plus a means to accurately and consistently tune the air, fuel and ignition event which creates the controlled explosion known as the combustion process. Of course, now that your car is making power reliably and safely, you also need to upgrade your braking system, suspension, wheels and tires to cope with the added power.
3.) Don’t skimp on labor – too often, people will spend on top-dollar parts but skip on knowledgeable, competent and trust-worthy labor to install these top-dollar parts. If you bought the best parts, bring it to the most reputable, knowledgeable and well-experienced shop to install these parts
4.) Tuning makes all the difference – tuning in the collective sense means ensuring that all the parts installed in your car are working in perfect harmony. A turbo or supercharger kit needs an ECU tune. New suspension parts, new wheels and tires will also benefit from a complete four-wheel alignment. An adjustable coil-over suspension will yield its best results on a car that has been professionally corner-weighted, ensuring that the weight distribution left to right and front to back is optimal to give your car consistent handling, acceleration and braking performance.
5.) Maintenance is paramount – before you can even begin modifying your car, ensure that everything is in proper working order: good, clean oil, fresh air, oil and fuel filters, all worn out parts replaced and everything tightly bolted and torqued to spec, tires have decent tread depth left and properly inflated, brake pads are still thick, and the rest of your car’s fluids (brake fluid, clutch fluid, gear oil / ATF & power steering fluid) are still in good serviceable condition,
6.) Enhance your skills – this is the most crucial aspect in tuning. We tune our cars to enjoy them better but we need our skills to improve to take advantage of our car’s increased performance potential.
Lastly, it’s generally better to tune and modify your car slowly but surely, matching it with the development of your own driving skills. A newbie driver in a 500hp car capable of 300 kph is an accident waiting to happen.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
