E90Post
 


 
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Tracking, Autocrossing, Dragstrip, Driving Techniques > "well sorted": what does it mean?



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      08-27-2008, 05:17 PM   #1
satakal
Major
satakal's Avatar
95
Rep
1,476
Posts

Drives: e46
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: socal

iTrader: (2)

"well sorted": what does it mean?

I don't know how to interpret the 2 words "well sorted". I frequently see guys who know lots about road racing use the phrase as code to other guys. I'm confident it means something like "optimally set-up" but what goes into a car getting those 2 words? When does a car earn them? Can a bone stock car ever be "well sorted"? What percentage of cars at a HPDE are "well sorted".

Please humor me... I just don't know. Oh, and if you're feeling generous, can you pass down the etymology of why racing guys say nine tenths instead of 90%?
________
Small Tits Webcam

Last edited by satakal; 08-16-2011 at 06:03 PM..
Appreciate 0
      08-27-2008, 05:29 PM   #2
leftcoastman
Lieutenant Colonel
52
Rep
1,714
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Near some canyons

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
Originally Posted by satakal View Post
I don't know how to interpret the 2 words "well sorted". I frequently see guys who know lots about road racing use the phrase as code to other guys. I'm confident it means something like "optimally set-up" but what goes into a car getting those 2 words? When does a car earn them? Can a bone stock car ever be "well sorted"? What percentage of cars at a HPDE are "well sorted".

Please humor me... I just don't know. Oh, and if you're feeling generous, can you pass down the etymology of why racing guys say nine tenths instead of 90%?
To me, it means optimally setup.

Balance characteristics are sometimes a matter of taste, but I like a car that very very very slightly understeers. The suspension can't be too stiff such that it skips off of bumps but can't be too soft that you are scraping your outside side skirts, lol.

Good tires, light wheels, etc. The deficiencies are resolved - in other words, LSD in the 335i.

A stock car, setup for the standard street driver who lifts when he starts sliding, is always setup with severe understeer. A "well sorted" car will respond very unfavorably to sudden lift.

And most cars at HPDE, especially in the lower groups, are not well sorted. Guys will throw money at their cars, but end up with a car with a lot of disparate aftermarket bling-performance parts. The balanced package that solves a car's deficiencies can only be achieved through experienced trial and error.
Appreciate 0
      08-27-2008, 05:35 PM   #3
nicknaz
Lieutenant General
nicknaz's Avatar
3187
Rep
10,509
Posts

Drives: C6Z
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NorCal

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by satakal View Post
I don't know how to interpret the 2 words "well sorted". I frequently see guys who know lots about road racing use the phrase as code to other guys. I'm confident it means something like "optimally set-up" but what goes into a car getting those 2 words? When does a car earn them? Can a bone stock car ever be "well sorted"? What percentage of cars at a HPDE are "well sorted".
Asking for a definition of 'well sorted' is like asking for the definition of 'best'

I think 'it depends' on many things, including the perspective of the user and the intended purpose of the vehicle
Appreciate 0
      08-27-2008, 05:54 PM   #4
S4to335
Brigadier General
United_States
431
Rep
4,380
Posts

Drives: 2014 Audi A4 / 91 Track Miata
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: San Jose, CA

iTrader: (5)

Garage List
To me it means many painstaking hours have been put into the car..tweaking spring rates/sway bars/rebound - high speed/low speed/alignment to get a very predicable car when at the limit...with just a tad of looseness...aka oversteer. Many adjustments have been made ...gradually improving the overall cornering capability (or whatever you are adjusting) to be very close to optimal (however subjective that may be)
__________________

Car is now gone .... :-(
Appreciate 0
      08-27-2008, 06:08 PM   #5
OO---OO
Nekid Bandit
OO---OO's Avatar
United_States
10
Rep
292
Posts

Drives: BMW
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA

iTrader: (0)

british term meaning like Hooked up pretty good. well hooked up.
Appreciate 0
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:38 PM.




e90post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST