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Assuming no changes to the tires, does making a car lighter improve overall
traction and handling, or worsen it? I was thinking that being lighter
might make traction worse simply because there's less downward force on the
tires.
But on the other hand . . a heavier car has more inertia. Wouldn't that
adversely affect handling?
How does real-world physics work in this regard?"
Doing some quick and dirty thinking leads me to believe that, if you set the
frictional force on one side of the equation and the momentum on the other,
mass of the car will only show up once per side, thus making them cancellable,
and independent of the equation. So, I don't think TOTAL vehicle weight matters.
Now, on the other hand, LOCALIZED weight matters a lot. If you take that weight away from above the rear wheels and move it somewhere else, you will reduce the frictional force, but keep the momentum the same. Similarly, adding weight over your drive axle makes you have better traction in ice, due to localized weight increase.
-John
