Autocrossing the LEAF

[summakor]

Took my ZE1 to an autocross last week with the Ultra Racing rear anti-roll bar and down worn Continental DWS06 all season tires.

It was.... mediocre at best. It's easy enough to drive but even with the anti-roll bar the suspension is too soft. Lots of dive under hard braking, squat when accelerating and weight transfer in the corners. I like these tires on the road but were out of their element here; easily reached cornering limits. At least they were easy to keep there with the loud squealing.

The traction control which can't be disabled even with VDC off came in at just about every tight corner exit to kill the power for a second just when I wanted it. Yes I should've been more patient before getting on the power or smoother to carry more speed rather than expect acceleration... I'll have to work on that; it's been a while. Battery didn't mind these short runs with cooldown in between, brakes didn't fade either.

Results are ..."best of the rest," with the slow cars or the slow drivers in fast cars. Best of the day way 45.1 by a 911 GT3 driver and the other EV, a Model 3 of some kind managed 51.9. Me with the LEAF... 57.4. A better driver might get this car to 55 or 54 I bet.

No photos unfortunately. Now time for summer tires...

 

[atikovi]

It's a Nissan Versa size car that weights 3400 pounds. Don't expect too much and it can be fun.

 

[Alchemist1440]

Took my ZE1 to an autocross last week with the Ultra Racing rear anti-roll bar and down worn Continental DWS06 all season tires.

It was.... mediocre at best. It's easy enough to drive but even with the anti-roll bar the suspension is too soft. Lots of dive under hard braking, squat when accelerating and weight transfer in the corners. I like these tires on the road but were out of their element here; easily reached cornering limits. At least they were easy to keep there with the loud squealing.

The traction control which can't be disabled even with VDC off came in at just about every tight corner exit to kill the power for a second just when I wanted it. Yes I should've been more patient before getting on the power or smoother to carry more speed rather than expect acceleration... I'll have to work on that; it's been a while. Battery didn't mind these short runs with cooldown in between, brakes didn't fade either.

Results are ..."best of the rest," with the slow cars or the slow drivers in fast cars. Best of the day way 45.1 by a 911 GT3 driver and the other EV, a Model 3 of some kind managed 51.9. Me with the LEAF... 57.4. A better driver might get this car to 55 or 54 I bet.

No photos unfortunately. Now time for summer tires...

I have a 2021 SV and don’t know much about cars and suspension etc. However could you point me towards any kits that can be put on it after market? Ideally I’d like my Leaf to be more capable in snow and gravel and to be slightly higher off the ground. A tow hitch would also be nice. Any advice to learn how to do this would be much appreciated. I know a local independent trust worthy mechanic that can work on it and install such after market items if I can figure out what are the best options. cost not a major factor so best options available would he interesting.

 

[Jerther]

I've had a 2018 SL with the 40kWh pack, and now have a 2022 SL+ with the 62kWh pack and the increased weight transfer in corners is noticeable, even in casual driving. I'm interested in what could be done to improve this.

 

[summakor]

It's a Nissan Versa size car that weights 3400 pounds. Don't expect too much and it can be fun.

This was my feeling as well. It's relatively small and light for an EV, and cornering is more important than power in autocross so the LEAF shouldn't be terrible.

 

[summakor]

I've had a 2018 SL with the 40kWh pack, and now have a 2022 SL+ with the 62kWh pack and the increased weight transfer in corners is noticeable, even in casual driving. I'm interested in what could be done to improve this.

The Plus also has a higher ride height, I guess to keep the ground clearance the same despite a taller battery. The usual answer is a stiffer suspension especially in roll. So anti-roll bars like the Ultra Racing one for the Juke would help. Then lowering springs or coilovers to replace the struts and shocks. All these will harm ride quality though. The Juke sway bar wasn't bad in that sense. A little more side-by-side jostling over large bumps but the LEAF rear suspension isn't independent anyway.

 

[Franxou]

I write as a true couch coach since it is something I never tried, and trust me I wish there was some autocrossing in my area!
For suspension mods, the first thing you can do is not to change any suspension parts, but to get an alignment done by a suspension guru (autocross suspension guy, track alignment guy or whatever he is called) to liven things up instead of using the factory settings for safe and predictable driving. Something something toe-in or toe-out and a bit more or less camber can do wonders to make better use of the tires and wake up the steering response!
Then you will want to look at suspension parts, like anti-roll bars, stiffer springs (please keep the ride height the same if it is a daily driver unless you live and drive on a pool table), but keep in mind that everything you add is more weight in the car. You could ditch the rear seat for the weekend to make up for this, but in the end, it still is a 1600kg car. Even if you add 10kg of suspension parts, it is only a drop in the bucket, but weight is the first enemy of performance and avery bit matters.

But I end this with a question, are performance brake pads worth it for an elec car? We usually work mostly with regen-braking, but on the autocross pad, surely the ABS must be going nuts and turning the regen off, thus making performance pads advantageous?

 

[denwood]

I raced (quite successfully) for about a decade with our local autocross club. The LEAF is going to be up against cars like the Miata (like 1200 lbs lighter!!), so it's never going to be a winning car at its weight.

Here are a few tips that would apply to any front drive car pretty much:

1. Lower it, 1-2 inches with higher rate springs and adjustable dampers if they exist for the LEAF.
2. Replace rubber bushings with urethane (it will ride like a truck!)
3. Dial in around 2 degrees negative camber on the front (camber bolts) and and 1-2 negative on the rear (shims).
4. If you put a heavier rear sway bar in, you will likely need to address the front as well. In a perfectly set up FWD, you should be able to back off the throttle and induce trailing throttle oversteer. Heavier sway bars on the stock springs are a bit of a waste of cash in my opinion.
5. Run it in D with standard regen, not B mode.
6. Find a set of rims and throw some decent rubber on there. I raced on a set of Kumhos, only on there for track days. I see the Kumho V730 is still out there and recommended. The LEAF will be hard on tires due to its weight. I'd try to sneak in a set of 225/50R17s on a 7" rim.
7. Tire pressures. You will need to play with front vs rear to dial in some understeer. I used a temp gun (check outside, middle, inside) after a run, as well as chalk on the shoulder to evaluate tire lean. You should start with higher pressures first and then dial them down to get consistent tire temps and minimal roll over. The negative camber will help!
8. You'll want to turn off traction control each time you power up the car. Not sure if there is a fuse or two to disable as well.
9. I ran metallic pads, which are fine on a stock car as long as you are aware that they kind of suck when cold

I ran a Quaife Torque biasing diff, adjustable shocks etc. but I'm guessing this is not an option for the LEAF, ha. The car I started with stock (an 84 Scirocco), was pretty much dead last when I started, but after spending a few years practicing as well as steady development on the car, it was a winning car (modified class) when I hung up my racing shoes. The Scirocco had a similar trailing arm rear suspension so wheel lift on the rear inside is a thing on heavy cornering.

The fellow I sold it to is still racing it I believe somewhere in Southern Ontario...

We have two 2018 SLs...and neither will ever see an autocross track.

 

[denwood]

I have a 2021 SV and don’t know much about cars and suspension etc. However could you point me towards any kits that can be put on it after market? Ideally I’d like my Leaf to be more capable in snow and gravel and to be slightly higher off the ground. A tow hitch would also be nice. Any advice to learn how to do this would be much appreciated. I know a local independent trust worthy mechanic that can work on it and install such after market items if I can figure out what are the best options. cost not a major factor so best options available would he interesting.

There are lift kits out there that would lift it an inch or so. I used this hitch on our 2018: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hi...rEJqxxoPWY0oLQaLxcF5Y1IMNuwJ9e-V5x06O-6OY_wIg

Tucks under nicely. They have good wiring kit as well (etrailer)

 

[Alchemist1440]

There are lift kits out there that would lift it an inch or so. I used this hitch on our 2018: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hi...rEJqxxoPWY0oLQaLxcF5Y1IMNuwJ9e-V5x06O-6OY_wIg

Tucks under nicely. They have good wiring kit as well (etrailer)

View attachment 5180

That hitch looks perfect. Thank you!

I haven’t had much luck finding a lift kit unfortunately. They never seem to have the Leaf gen 2 as a supported model.

 

[summakor]

Thanks for the suggestions,

Well here's the next part, actually 18x8 (yes a bit heavier than 17s) with summer tires. Summer tires with some quite stiff sidewalls and some pretty loud tread pattern... (I'm just incrementally ruining the comfort aspects of this car)

I put camber bolts on my last car so it's something I can try on the LEAF. But poly bushings and stiffer springs...uh ..I still drive 60mi/day in this and usually have two child seats in the back. Not a track toy so... Probably not making it any stiffer.

A limited slip differential for a LEAF, ha! ...oh wait here it is:

https://www.nismo.co.jp/products/web_catalogue/lsd/front_lsd_leaf_note_serena.html

I thought I'd read there's a good reason for traction control on EVs, like the high torque and high motor redline cause problems you don't find in ICE cars.

Maybe higher friction brake pads if they're not annoying. Ive used Hawk HPS and EBC Greenstuff on my previous car.

Nice Scirocco.

 

[denwood]

Urethane bushings are great on the track but yep, you pay the penalty on a daily for sure.

You can use the camber bolts up front, but the rear bearing assemblies you would need to shim to get 1 or 2 degrees negative.

I'm pretty sure I came across a reference to the LEAF using differential braking to fake an LSD. It may only be active if traction control is off. It was somewhere in the 2015 service manual I was using a few weeks back. In snow honestly I'd rather have a braking/diff vs traction control!