Porsche Tuning For Weight Distribution

Performance is important to any Porsche enthusiast and the basic formula for improved Porsche tuning or improved performance is usually seen as a fairly simple one: add power and lose weight. As we have all discovered though, that simple formula is subject to a lot of little nuances. For example, losing weight is one aspect of improved performance but distribution of weight is just as important

What is Weight Distribution?

In automobiles, weight distribution is how the weight is spread across the car. Depending on what the car is used for, it may need to be heavier in the back or the front. Generally speaking though, a more even weight distribution is seen as most desirable.

Why is Weight Distribution Important?

Weight distribution is important because it impacts on a variety of the car’s characteristics from acceleration to handling and traction. Getting the weight distribution right is therefore a good way to improve the performance of your car.

What Tuning Can Be Done To My Porsche?

The amounts of adjustments that can be made to a car’s weight distribution are almost endless but there are a number of important things to consider. One might think that (especially older 911s) are back heavy and therefore, we should add a counterweight to the front to balance it out but this would just add weight and reduce performance.

It is important to consider a few things such as what the car will be used for and where it will be driving. For example, an oval track might require a car to have more weight on the one side as it spends most of its time cornering whereas a dragster would have different needs. A relatively easy way to tune weight distribution is by adjusting the suspension.

High quality aftermarket performance parts suppliers now offer a range of products which can both lighten your vehicle and help distribute the weight how you want it to be distributed.

Suspension can be a fairly complicated concept, but an easy way of looking at it is to imagine your Porsche is balanced on a giant ball. It sits on top of springs and shocks which are placed at the four outside corners. These components have an important role to play in the weight distribution of the vehicle. An added bonus of aftermarket suspension is that it may also be lighter than factory suspension but for the purposes of this discussion that is just a bonus. The suspension controls how the vehicles weight is distributed over the tires which are in contact with the ground. Think of 4 people carrying a fridge. If the front 2 were to lift it up, there would be greater weight on the back two. This is the same for suspension. As such, the suspension is one factor that determines how much weight is on each tire and this in turn affects how much grip is available as well as how the car handles, accelerates, etc. If balanced incorrectly, the result can be that when cornering for example, the majority of the traction is on three tires instead of all four. If balanced correctly however, suspension can ensure that the vehicle is getting most traction it can possibly get.

There are a range of instruments which professionals use to fine tune the suspension to the customer’s requirements but the purpose of the weight distribution must always be kept in mind.

Weight distribution is an often overlooked route to improved performance but can be a meaningful avenue to pursue for Porsche enthusiast chasing improved performance.