Nerd’s Eye View: K-PAX Racing Volvo S60

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The number one hurdle the team dealt with when readying the S60 chassis for World Challenge competitiveness was the car's inherit weight balance disadvantage.  With 61% of the vehicle's weight sitting over the front axle (mandated by the World Challenge ruleset), the team had to work hard just to get the car to use all four tires in every corner.

K-Pax Volvo S60 World ChallengeWith 61% of the S60's heft on the front axle, the K-PAX team must work especially hard to get it to use all four tires. 
K-PAX World Challenge Volvo S60 ohlins dampers
Keeping it in the Swedish (pronounced “Sveeedish” of course) family, K-PAX fitted the S60 with a set of Ohlins TTX46MT MKII 4-way dampers.  These through-rod dampers allow for more precise control and negate the need for a large external reservoir.  If you look carefully, the tube coming down off of the adjuster body is the much smaller than normal gas reservoir, which operates at about 70 psi instead of the 150+psi generally seen in standard monotube dampers.  The lower internal pressure results in reduced friction.

K-PAX World Challenge Volvo S60

Extensive work was done to the wheel wells to ensure that the 305mm wide steamrollers fit under the car and ensure everything stays right where it's supposed to be.  Note the crease from the roll cage extensions running at a 45 degree angle behind the headlight.  Just peeking out below the car is the K-PAX front subframe.  Unfortunately, due to all the work going on, we were unable to get more shots of the front suspension arms, which are also fabricated in-house.

K-PAX World Challenge Volvo S60 engine bay front suspension

The front suspension is tied nicely into the cage, and the strut towers are substantially constructed.  K-PAX camber plates allow for camber, scrub radius, and caster adjustment, and adjustments are locked in place with the horizontal fasteners.  Camber can also be adjusted on the control arms below.  The access panel on the wheel well allows for quick damper adjustment without taking the wheels off. 

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