16 replies to this topic

[Marzal]

I'm going to buy some race car-related technical books. Would you recommend any?

Thanks in advance!

[wati]

Originally posted by Marzal
I'm going to buy some race car-related technical books. Would you recommend any?

Thanks in advance!

I've got Nigel Macknight's Technology of a F1 car. And I don't reccomend it.

Wattie

[Marzal]

Thanks Wati!

In my list I´ve included (by now)

Formula 1 Technology (Wright)
Race Car Aerodynamics (Katz)

[jpf]

I enjoyed Competition Car Downforce, by Simon McBeath, and Competition Car Suspention, by Allan Staniforth. They were both good overviews of the topics.

For more books, search the BB. There was a thread on this earlier, where some of our local authorities weighed in with their recommendations. I've enjoyed all of their suggestions so far.

Also, check out the aerodynamics database at www.mulsannescorner.com -- the source list at the bottom has some good titles.

[Marzal]

Thanks JPF, I've read those books and enjoyed them a lot (McBeath's was really nice)

There are some nice ideas on that web page and I'll look for that thread as well.

I've found today "Construire una Voiture de Course" at Uni's library. I'm not into french and is an old book, but has nice photos of '60&'70 french cars.

[mach3]

Any book by Carroll Smith. Tune to Win, Engineer to Win, Drive to Win... etc. All these books have been most helpful to me.

[Top Fuel F1]

Originally posted by Marzal
I'm going to buy some race car-related technical books. Would you recommend any?

Thanks in advance!

Marzal:

Take a look here:

http://www.sae.org/p...fo/bestsell.htm

I would highly recomend "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics" for specifics and "Formula 1 Technology" as the currently best technical overview of F1. If the cost seems a little high check out some University Libraries. That's what I did and found both of these there.

[Cory Padfield]

For F1 technology, Wright's Formula 1 Technology is the best. Other really good ones are the yearly technical analysis books by Giorgio Piola.

[Ben]

I get asked this a lot, so I made a list;

I own the following;

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics and Workbook (Milliken)
Chassis Design - Principles and Analysis (Milliken)
Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics (Gillespie)
Shock Absorber Handbook (Dixon)
All Carrol Smith's books
All Paul Van Valkenburgh's books
Racing and Sportscar Chassis Design (Costin and Phipps)
Racecar Chassis design and Construction and The Racer's Guide to Metals, Fibres and Materials (Forbes Aird)
Inside Racing and Inside Racing Technology (Paul Haney)
Competition Car Suspension (Staniforth)
Race and Rally Car Source Book (Staniforth)Competition Car Downforce (Simon McBeath)
Grand Prix Car Design and Technology in the 1980s (Alan Henry)
Bosch Automoive Handbook (4th edition)
Data Power (Fey)
Race Car Aerodynamics - Designing for Speed (Katz)
Build to Win (Knoakes)
Formula 1 99 and Formula 1 2000 (Piola)
A Practical Guide to Composites (Multi-Sport Composites)
The Modern Formula One Car (Macknight)

Every edition of Race Tech
Every Edition of Racecar Engineering bar about 3.

It would take a while to read all this, but it's useful!

For serious study look at the Milliken books. For a gentler intro read Smith, Van Valkenburgh and Staniforth.

Ben

[Marzal]

What a lot of them! Thanks a lot!

As I've said above, my list started with Wright's "F1 Technology" but now I'm preaty sure I'll get it!
(just 39$ for me as I'm a SAE member)

Ben, you must be very old or have a lot of spare time!
What about Costin's book? I've read that is a very nice one, but it's very expensive secondhand.

I usually buy Rececar Engineering and I have some of all those books, thanks for your advise.

My (almost) final list is:

Race car aerodynamics
Formula 1 technology
Tune to win (I want to try a Carroll Smith's one)

I'm going to buy an LJK Setright book as well, I liked his articles a lot (but it is not racecars related)

One more time, thanks!

[Mark Beckman]

Have a look around here Marzal

http://www.gmecca.com/byorc/

[Ben]

Originally posted by Marzal

Ben, you must be very old or have a lot of spare time!
What about Costin's book? I've read that is a very nice one, but it's very expensive secondhand.

I'm 22. Decided I wanted to be an engineer when I was about 10, bought Engineer to Win when I was 12. Started reading Racecar Engineering when I was 13. I don't have any spare time

As for Costin's book. It's ok but I wouldn't desperately seek it out, more a history book with a slight engineering angle than anything else.

Ben

[Marzal]

I'm 22. Decided I wanted to be an engineer when I was about 10, bought Engineer to Win when I was 12. Started reading Racecar Engineering when I was 13. I don't have any spare time

That's determination!
One year more and I'll be an engineer as well!

Nice Web Mark, thanx!

[Marco94]

If you really want to know about vehicle dynamics and tire dynamics, I can only recommend Pacejka's new book. But that'll be heavy stuff.

[nrg]

Does anyone know where i can find the Fey's book "Data Power"?

Thanks.

[Ben]

Originally posted by Marco94
If you really want to know about vehicle dynamics and tire dynamics, I can only recommend Pacejka's new book. But that'll be heavy stuff.

Wasn't aware of this one - thanks for the tip. Damn textbook prices though - that's about 40 less pints this term

Ben

[Marco94]

Got mine for EUR 40 (I think) No, thought wrong, got it for free.

Pacejka's book is very dense. You need a solid mathematical background to understand it. However, it give a great insight into the interaction between tires and vehicle behaviour, vehicle behaviour as such, modelling of tires and into motorcycle dynamics.