Car Tuning Tips represents the cutting edge of car tuning techniques. We cover the latest methods and tips to get the most performance from your engine. Get an overview of the best methods and learn what each part does and if it is worth fitting.
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We quickly yearn for more power in our cars. As we start to investigate the options we quickly learn that cars are far from fully tuned. The aim of most manufacturers is to achieve an average power figure as defined in their sales brochure, optimum fuel economy to fit into the tax bands and finally to produce a car that is reliable.
There is much that can be done to improve a car but we need to accept the car tuning mantra “there is always a hidden cost”. It is also true that your power gain is proportional to your base power so you need to work from the most powerful engine you can afford for the best return on your tuning investment.
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Generally speaking we will be pushing the engine harder so it will require more frequent servicing intervals to maintain reliability. With the extra power released you will almost certainly (unless the engine is very inefficient) lose some fuel economy. You will also induce stress on weaker components and these will need to be uprated to cope with the extra power.
1. Engine tuning
Firstly owners look to increase the power of their engine. Breathing mods ieintake and exhaust are usually the first to be considered. Next up we move on to internal engine modifications ranging from reboring and engine, engine swaps and rebuilding the engine.
The head of the engine is easier to work on with many owners changing their cams for fast road camshafts and porting and polishing the head for better gas flow. It is worth looking into getting uprated valves and springs while you have the head off if you are serious about your engine tuning.
With forced induction engines (turbos and superchargers) you have a lot more options open to you and these give very good power gains for a minimal outlay. With a remap you can increase power by as much as 50%. A performance intercooler will greatly benefit most engines as the OEM intercoolers are either ineficient or non existant.
2. Handling modifications
If you are making the car go faster your top priority should be stopping the car.Uprated brakes include performance pads and disks. Suspension modifications will help to improve the handling and safety of the car. You shouldn’t overlook the importance of your tires and the right tire can dramatically improve your cars grip and handling. Alloy wheels also have a number of performance benefits and should not be considered a purely asthetic modification.
3. Drivetrain tuning
The power comes out of the engine and needs to pass the drivetrain to the wheels. An efficient drivetrain will include a low ratio gearbox and a limited slip differential.
It is our aim to cover the sensible modifications and outline the benefits and drawbacks of each. We will also advice of the hidden cost of each part in our well written guides.
