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A Gripping Ride

4K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  max_torque 
#1 ·
In true Grand Touring style, Ford Performance Vehicles offer a sophisticated balance between performance handling and compliant ride.

With the award-winning* Falcon Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension as a base, FPV engineers developed a range of suspensions that offer an involving drive while delivering predictability, consistency and precise feedback at the limit.

On the GT and GT-P, standard traction control and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential combine with the IRS to deliver a reassuring level of safety, without detracting from the driving experience.

The switchable traction control in the GT and GT-P gently takes over when the driver has not anticipated a loss of traction but is never intrusive like other systems.

The BA Falcon's more rigid platform also allowed FPV engineers to develop a more compliant ride while retaining the crisp and balanced handling of a premium sports model.

The close working relationship between Ford and FPV engineers meant that early FPV gains were engineered into all Control Blade IRS systems during development, allowing the FPV improvements to start from a much higher base point.

FPV could then focus on tuning the suspension for the extra performance and enhancing the grip of the premium 18 inch Dunlop tyres. Tyre pressures could also be optimised for ride, handling and longevity.

The Control Blade independent rear suspension also introduces significant anti-dive characteristics that reduce weight transfer to the front under hard braking.

This allows more of the braking effort to be shared between front and rear brakes, thus improving stability.

In the Pursuit, the revised front suspension allowed FPV to fine tune the rear suspension for further handling gains. The Pursuit’s constant rear track generates outstanding grip and handling for this type of vehicle under a wide range of road conditions.

All models benefit from a reduction in friction in the steering system, strengthened steering column and mountings, increased road feel and responsiveness and fewer turns lock to lock.

The Fairmont Ghia power steering system is the starting point for FPV models with its sharper, slightly heavier feel and more direct response.

FPV GT and GT-P front suspension

The FPV range lifts the performance bar in terms of straight-line stability, steering feel and the ability of each model to hold its line through corners.

By fine-tuning the front suspension’s toe-in, camber and castor, engineers have delivered progressive linear steering, a solid on-centre feel and improved tyre life. FPV vehicles track unerringly over broken surfaces, with less sensitivity to tramlining.

The front suspension is fully adjustable for camber, castor and toe. Previous optional adjustment kits for high performance Tickford applications are now standard on all models.

The 88 per cent improvement in structural rigidity achieved by the BA program has allowed FPV engineers to dramatically increase spring stiffness while at the same time delivering more compliant damper tuning than previous performance Fords.

FPV GT and GT-P rear suspension

The new Control Blade independent rear suspension has built-in camber adjustment that allows a reduction in camber from negative 0.9 degrees for the Falcon XT down to negative 0.5 for the GT and GT-P.

The result is that front and rear camber settings are more closely aligned, creating a more integrated handling package.

The rear toe-in is reduced from 3mm in the XT to 2 mm in FPV models. Again, this brings the front and rear suspension specifications closer together.

The FPV rear spring rates are 38 Nm/mm compared to the Falcon XT’s 28 Nm/mm. The damper rebound spring in the FPV dampers is 14 Nm/mm compared to 19.5 Nm/mm in the Falcon XT as the standard car is more reliant on the rebound spring in extreme conditions.

In the FPV models, the rebound spring can be softened to allow a more progressive transition at the limit, when the heftier springs and firmer dampers cover more extreme parameters. The rear anti-roll bar is 19mm in diameter compared to the standard Falcon XT’s 18mm.

FPV Pursuit suspension

The Pursuit front suspension gains the latest BA Falcon bush revisions and FPV front spring rate without the FPV geometry changes. The Pursuit also gains the sportier Fairmont Ghia steering rack. New tuned Delphi dampers are specified front and rear.

The proven rear suspension formula from the previous Pursuit 250 of re-profiled Falcon XR8 springs and uprated dampers continues in the new FPV Pursuit.

The longer wheelbase of the ute has always endowed the Pursuit with exceptional sure-footedness and BA changes have further enhanced its exceptional straight line stability, precise steering feel and grip.

*The BA Falcon suspension system won the Silver Award at the 2002 Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia (SAE-A) Engineering Excellence Awards.
 

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#5 ·
RPO83 said:
FPV Pursuit suspension

The proven rear suspension formula from the previous Pursuit 250 of re-profiled Falcon XR8 springs and uprated dampers continues in the new FPV Pursuit.
LOL. "Proven rear suspension.....". :beer2: :smokin2: Yeah, since the 19th century!
 
#6 ·
RPO83 said:
On the GT and GT-P, standard traction control and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential combine with the IRS to deliver a reassuring level of safety, without detracting from the driving experience.
Great to see Ford finally using the Torque Sensing (Torsen) differential. The design is far better than the conventional plate and shim of the regular LSD, not to mention that it is much much stronger. It's about time that LSD diffs last longer than 50,000km.

I'd kill to have a Torsen diff in my XR6 but at $2500+ it costs a mint.
 
#7 ·
In the press blurb, there’s a lot of talk about the adjustments to the FPV suspension when compared to the standard XT set-up.

They mention the Torsen diff (is this like Hydratrak?) and fully adjustable front camber, toe-in & castor (though I don’t know if these are also on the XR’s), but does anyone know what other specific changes have been made from the XR set-up to the FPV version?

I’m sure the difference would only be in the details, but as the XR is already getting raves for it’s real world handling prowess, I’d be interested to know where FPV managed to improve on the already great base the XR makes.

Cheers
Jason
 
#8 ·
JR said:

They mention the Torsen diff (is this like Hydratrak?)

and fully adjustable front camber, toe-in & castor (though I don’t know if these are also on the XR’s), but does anyone know what other specific changes have been made from the XR set-up to the FPV version?
Cheers
Jason
No hydratrak diffs is basically an lsd diff that has fluid between the clutch's to determine the slippage/slackness of the LSD mechanism. While hydratrak is better than the conventional LSD they have been known to loose there LSD consistency through heat ie as temperature increases the fluids become less effective and can basically end up like an open diff when pushed to extreames.

What you'll find is for the front you will have the adjustable toe-in and castor all ford did was to fit longer bolts for the suspension uprights. This was done since the AU model XR's. I have had shims added on mine to correct the alignment without requiring a castor/camber kit.

For your rear suspension i'm not sure if you have adjustments in the control blade system but going by IRS's of the past i'm guessing there is room for adjustments.
 
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