Vehicle dynamics & suspension tech deep-dive (1st in-Fatcave interview!) | Auto Expert John Cadogan

[@garageblitztv3215]

Absolutely brilliant John - Thank you… The world needs more Engineers, Scientists and skilled humans and less social media experts.

[@kevindennis916]

“Interrupting Experts” usually pisses me off, but being sufficiently aware of the complexity of the content and dumbing it down for us mere mortals was an interviewing master stroke. The comfortable banter was both informative and highly enjoyable, look forward to more of the same. Thanks mate. Kev

[@BrodeyDoverosx]

John is one of the rare guys that can do it.

[@Peter_Nottle]

Its about time the unfiltered facts are presented with a twist of humour and honesty. Keep up the great work.

[@greigcumming]

Great interview! People don't appreciate the copious amount of research undertaken to make vehicles safer.

[@michaelmiguelsanchez]

As a Stinger GT driver living in central Queensland I appreciate his work every day.

[@GrantRasmussen]

Certainly gets a plenty of opportunity to prove the worth of the engineering on our crap roads!

[@confuzsays7196]

You sparked my deep love of australian automotive engineering and its unsung heros.

[@Excalabur50]

Just gotta say John, This Was Fucking Epic, For me being a dumb shit I found this captivating and wow are Kia lucky to have Graeme on board. AWESOME!

[@MattBlack6]

I'm just so mesmerised watching G² swap those spings so quickly and efficiently that I forgot to listen. Now I've had to redwind. I'm also quite a bit jelly at the awesome workshop setup.

[@thejollyrider9315]

I just love kinda knowing how things work. Would love more of this stuff.

[@CJ-oq2ne]

Great interview John and Graeme. I was fortunate enough to be a neighbour of Graeme's in the past, and it was just like talking to him over the side fence years ago. He's a very down to earth and genuine guy, who really knows his stuff.

[@govshill4557]

Excellent John. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to that. Learnt a lot too.

[@oldmanmonaroyt]

People need to know that this level of engineering expertise exists in Australia. Good on you John for going down this road.

[@4xoverland]

Excellent stuff John.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Thank you very much, Andrew.

[@biastv1234]

One of my hero’s . Many years ago I thought I knew about springs and dampers , blew 5K in springs and dampers, went back to standard where the car was clearly the best and most sorted it could be . Thanks to geniuses like this .

[@biastv1234]

More please. And thank you for treating the audience as equals. It’s refreshing to watch a genuinely interesting interview with people I’d invite to my dinner table .

[@ritual64]

Amazing how much there is to understand regarding the simple movement of a vehicle. Without engineers like Graeme cars/vehicles would be a much more different thing than they are. Thanks JC and GG for a very interesting video.

[@murraymckenzie1625]

Great interview. Huge respect to this guy and from I can see is doing a great job with the product. I’m one of those people referred to who previously did change suspension components (when I was young…and dumb) and learned big lessons. Luckily I put money into good products like Koni which enabled me to fine tune in a very crude way. Huge respect for people who do R&D. He reminded my of the late Chris Amon from NZ who made garden variety Toyota’s into good mannered road (not race) cars that handled really well but still have nice ride. I enjoyed the way the conversation was steered but let him tell the story. Looking forward to more like this.

[@mattyh2180]

I love seeing shitbox imports with coil overs wound down so tight the negative camber of the wheels is like 85 deg inwards haha.

[@woppaenginerring]

Great interview John, you did well with all the details and production quality.

[@944play]

Also, our favorite fatcave denizen is a singular individual. His occasional seven-tenths audio is fine because it's content we're squirming for.

[@eleonoraformatoneeszczepan8807]

Only part way through watching this discussion and had to pause it to write .... It is so easy to fall into the mind trap of thinking, a car, is a box with a motor on wheels which can be steered, and without realising it, until listening to some of the considerations involved, with explanations and visuals, of what thought goes into the application in design and make of a car. Thank you for sharing your 'sort of' 'propeller head' John and to your guest speaker for speaking and sharing their knowledge on your show.

[@phil_orr]

Totally absorbing. The production and editing were first class and the way you interacted with Peter was natural and spontaneous; elaborating on some of the more complicated portions without compromising the dynamic. I thought 42 minutes was going to be a long haul but it was a pleasure to watch. Congrats John, more please !

[@holdenhv]

That was legendary John, arguably your best work yet. Thank you. More interviews with experts would be fantastic.

[@rodbailey115]

Love it Mr Cadogan, nice to listen to a journalist that will talk, listen and then ask relevant questions.

[@chompeyboy]

I really enjoyed that John Cadogan, I listen on Sony XM4's and the quality and level of the audio was excellent. I think you did a bang up job and look forward to getting some more of this style from you. Between your good questions and Graemes great answers, i'm now smarter. Thank you.

[@trc360]

This was an excellent interview. I hope there will be more in the future.

[@maggied8545]

Racing in Dirt Circuit years ago in South Australia I was racing a Holden. Everyone around me was modifying everything (this championship was anything goes). My ancient but wise mechanic heard I wanted to change suspension and geometries. He said a few choice things then added, the HDT mechanics spent untold time and effort to make these handle, and you know better? I listened, kept it HDT stock and won a title, for bugger all money. Thanks Keithy!

[@bruiser6479]

This was an excellent video. I would love to see more interviews like this with other technical experts. This interview gave an excellent insight into the complexity of suspension. A conclusion I drew was that if you operate your vehicle within its design parameters then there is nothing to be gained by modifying it. In fact you can undo the good work of a lot of experts by mucking around with the vehicle.

[@pgs8597]

G’day John. Excellent video, guy seemed to know what he was talking about, I learnt something too. I’m proud of you, you managed to do the whole interview without your signature lingo. Well done. Cheers Peter

[@Ballantrae]

Great idea adding an occasional guest to your content. I can’t get enough of this tech stuff. Thanks, Phil

[@tiborkeresztes1767]

This is good John, it's really good. My ears a bleeding from the therms, but learned a lot from the two of you. It's one thing to know what it sould be like, and other thing to make it work, and to make it work needs a lot of brains, trial and error.

[@DanWallis86]

Fantastic interview. I really enjoyed it. Can’t believe it took this long to get a guest. (Besides Cleetus) Love it John. Thanks GG.

[@standupmoto]

👍 I find it quietly comforting knowing there is an Aussie engineer tuning the suspension for Aussie roads & being reported on by a Aussie engineer that is not a spin doctor, well done. ps (this is not a man crush , I said comforting not excited)

[@digitalpaul]

I am an engineer in a different field and not a car person but I got a lot out of this. This is the best interview I have seen in long time. I've also worked in broadcast radio and TV and have a bit of an idea of behind the scenes, great work keep doing what you're doing.

[@paulhills8143]

Really enjoyed this John, as a Sportage driver I can appreciate the work that Graham and his team have done to make the handling as good as it is.

[@Perl88]

It’s refreshing to see the more unsung heroes so to speak being interviewed and not only that but being interviewed by someone who actually knows what they are talking about. Thanks John!

[@jeancaetan9124]

John I thouroughly enjoyed the interview. As an engineer (electrical) myself it was great to hear an indepth analysis of vehicle dynamics. Terms like polar moment of inertia, vertical/lateral frequency, kinematics and modal seperation were music to my ears. Also the chat about EV suspension vs convential vehicle suspension, was interesting. While I couldn't get my head around everything presented, it left me wanting to learn more. Which is a good thing. Keep it up John.

[@magyar2000]

Thoroughly enjoyed the interview, John. More please.

[@lawmanlawreaper]

Great interview loved sitting here with a coffee on a Sunday chilling out.

[@murraymckenzie1625]

I watched this 2 years ago. I had a holiday in Australia this last Christmas and hired a Kia Carnival. I drove it empty and with six adults on board. I drove from freeway to some very rural rough roads. Like John I wanted to not like this vehicle. It’s a people carrier! All I can say is it was a pleasure to dive in all conditions. I hang my hat up to that man. Good job, well done.

[@davidkaplan2745]

Oh no! A respectful interview of a respected engineer. Can't have that!

[@grahammcgrath6453]

Great interview John. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Graeme on launches and he is not just a brilliant engineer but also a heck of a nice guy.

[@plc007]

John I thoroughly enjoyed that. As someone who has always been fascinated by suspension design and development I truly enjoyed listening to you interview GG. I’d love to see more interviews like that.

[@PAB712]

No lip sync issues, but those lovely mics appear to be very directional. You could likely have them out of screenshot, pointed at a point between nose and mouth of guest & yourself, and the volume would then be splendid. Love your work. I had to crank volume from usual ~20 to about 30 to hear your guest properly.

[@BingoDingo8394]

I’d love to see more of this type of interview of more dedicated passionate people in the automotive industry. It’s great to hear from someone who knows more than just media buzz words. Production values were fine. Ford has some experienced engineers still kicking around but I don’t think they’d be able to find their way to the fat cave with all the burnt bridges. Any tyre engineers in Australia?

[@giolizza7598]

Thanks for the interview John, l had the pleasure to be on vehicle evaluations with Graeme when he worked at Toyota - amazing fellow!!

[@kimbland2614]

This is awesome John! Really good interview!

[@petermapstone9684]

Great Stuff! The best suspension wrap up I have ever seen. Thank you Graham and thank you John!🙏👍

[@darylnicklen3685]

Thanks John for having Graeme on as your first guest Please do more from the Fat Cave. I thanks him greatly for the Great handling of my 2019 Cerato GT especially when being driven in a spirited manner. You mentioned him in passing a few time and now I've heard him speak have a better understanding of how homemade suspensions regularly just don't work well.

[@pauldavies4650]

Love a good interview, so it's refreshing to get one, Zero BS. Great work. Thank you. On a side note, it was interesting that Graeme did not specifically correlate modifying vehicles aftermarket with making them worse. His comment on this as tailoring them towards a more focused use was educational (and scientifically humble given his immense experience). The value here i feel is that professional aftermarket parts are functional options and (caveat: if professional) may not make a vehicle over all less safe. Cheers

[@marcellinden7305]

With my propensity for taking naps during long discussions I was surprised this engaging interview ended so quickly and without a nap. Well done John for keeping an engineering theme interesting. Also, another well done for giving me a feeling of vindication by not putting a 2" lift kit in my Toyota 4x4, that has year on year safely and comfortably taken me and my loved ones well beyond Dingo Piss Creek to the Opal mines in Hot As Hell Flats.

[@steelernation1989]

Superb work John. Asked the right questions and let the proper expert do his thing. Very enjoyable and informative.

[@michaelostrowski8630]

Absolutely brilliant interview with one of the industry's very best John! Congratulations!

[@johndoherty2864]

Awesome segment. Learned a lot, appreciated the trust he had in you and the lack of usual media crap. Well done.

[@hudrob1976]

This is a great video. Thank you for running this interview. I think he answered a very important point in this video, around the fact that in the end, like in almost all engineering, there is compromise, and the manufacturer has to try to appeal to the widest market possible.

[@hudrob1976]

The one question that he didn't answer that I'd love to see answered is how constrained engineers are by financial constraints, or where an engineer makes a decision but it's either knocked back or simply screwed up in execution.

[@Ozgrade3]

Yeah great video John. You with your interviewsing skills and ability to translate what G squared said into what mere mortals can understand (like roll centers etc). Nothing better than listening to two consumate professionals having a techy chat.

[@squeek5810]

This was a great opportunity to learn, more like this John would be gratefully appreciated, excellent interview.

[@leonardbevitt7830]

That was an awesome job on both fronts.. the interviewer and the interviewee.. pleasant to listen to

[@JamieValente]

Awesome video John. Really cool to hear from someone who is the actual expert on topics that you are able to explain simply. I'm sure Graeme appreciated the engineering based questions too.

[@trevordevis1971]

I'm voting for more like this - you took him to the edge as far as he could reasonably go without then trying to push him over that edge to try and get some 'you saw it here first' surprises. Journalism with a moral compass. Also explains why my old Charger changed from an understeering behemoth to a rollerskate on an ice rink in the rain, after I fitted the aftermarket shocks and swaybars (didn't have a rear one from the factory). Was awesome in the dry, had to be vewy vewy careful after a light rain!

[@LasseHuhtala]

Don't be so hard on yourself John. That was a great interview. Not as rigid or boring as mainstream to boot.

[@matthewgoodchild6763]

One of the best posts youve done. Very informative and educational. Thankyou both for your time and effort.

[@kenmccoll348]

Just bought a used Kia Cerato GT and was pleasantly surprised by the degree of sophistication in its handling dynamics, now I know why. What a great video, congrats

[@glenod]

this, for me, one of the top content posts you have ever done John. I got, read and understood %98 of every word spoken. thanks.

[@andyperth1000]

Was a good chat I am glad you broke down the information so I could follow the conversation.

[@yantso1144]

Excellent program. Its god to hear such an in-depth discussion with a suspension engineer. Would most certainly like to see more of this in the future. Thanks you.

[@paulharper362]

Best one ever! Thank you for putting this one together. I am about half way rebuilding a sports sedan after I crashed the living daylights out of it, and of course I am trying to put it back together better than it was. This episode has helped me immeasurably in planning my rejigging of the suspension spring rates, sway bar sizes, pick-up points and damper rates. Would love to have double G on my crew for a test and tune day!

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Great cherry busting guest. Professional, and a MALS member by nature. Thank you John.✌

[@jameshind6644]

Wow John, I was going to bypass this one and I'm glad I didn't.

[@helmutkrahn9337]

Glad you got this up and posted. 'Been watching/listening/learning-from your videos for a long while. Thanks.

[@martinh9120]

Loved it, great insight into the OEM world thanks John

[@paulboon1100]

Great interview John, with a bloke that really does know what he's talking about! Yes, more of these please?

[@MrHappyinperth]

John - top rate interview mate. Thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning with this session!! Thank you!

[@gusr6]

Great interview JC. Thanks for helping us lay punters gain some insight into a fascinating topic.

[@brianbourke8859]

Ojective acheived understanding increased. Look forward to next interview. One question is the Austrailian localistion put into other markets?

[@andrewrobinson9279]

Great interview John, I do hope the people @ANCAP listened and insert a double lane change test in their program. A “Roo test” is so important for Australia. Don’t downplay your interpretation skills in presenting the propeller head stuff, it’s spot on communication. Love to hear how they do different wheel/tire sizes and the effect that has on the car, I think the variety of wheel sizes on something like a Sorrento must be a real challenge for Graeme.

[@yengsabio5315]

It's raining now here at my place in the Philippines. Great time to watch John's video post! It keeps me awake! Coffee-cheers & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines!

[@samforbrook7899]

Education as it should be, thanks Graeme and John.

[@displayname7525]

Imo, two motoring Legends. Great viewing.

[@jaspreetbains2776]

Appreciate the admission that the stock stuff is tuned for a wide audience. Means it can be sharpened or softened to ones tastes!

[@billmackay9219]

Bloody sensational interview. I was thoroughly captivated. Love to see more of these. Thanks for the insight Gsquareda and thanks John keep up the awesome work.

[@EdAdamthwaite1234]

That was a best interview that you could do. I was listened to what he was saying. Keep it up!

[@gregzarkodimos9711]

Thorough enough for us plebians, informative too. Thank you for all that work

[@djuma5535]

your best video so far John IMHO! great interviewing of an obviously talented engineer, I would give this two thumbs up if I could. Let's have more of this please!

[@stephenyoung8962]

IFantastic presentation. I’m not that technical but your simplifications of some of the technical concepts, by using handy props, were enlightening. Graeme is bloody good at what he does,is a talented driver and very well respected for what he does in the world of suspension development. Production was first rate, your questions enabled Graeme to open up close to the at ‘knife’s edge’ and clearly their was plenty of mutual respect. One day ask him about his Toyota High Speed testing accreditation experience that he ‘endured’ at the Nurburgring. Thank you!

[@joecrancher2008]

Bloody brilliant video John, great interview. I think the one man band setup actually worked well, it feels more real. Great format. Hoping for more videos like this 👍

[@anthony..3987]

John, loved this format. I'm a fat, middle-aged, balding engineer, and this ticked so many boxes.

[@kUdtiHaEX]

Even as someone who is not living nowhere near Australia I find this interview and discussion about suspension tuning for Australian roads very interesting.

[@s.z.6118]

Great first guest John. G² for the winnnn.....yes !

[@mickeydrippins6408]

Great show. More of this content is ‘totes welcome. Thanks for uploading!

[@billharris3650]

If this interview was your prototype we're expecting the finished product in the dealerships in a fortnight. Fantastic interview with a guy who is at the coal face actually doing it. Bloody marvelous.

[@st170ish]

Awesome no BS interview JC, GG knows his shit and it dont stink.

[@duanestace6303]

Nice work John, Please continue to promote the Aussie aspects that remain in the motoring industry

[@byronnightingale5550]

It would have been an honor for to be in the fat cave with a true professional that tunes cars, a proper propeller-head that has his hands on the cars he tunes. I want more of this. Respect.

[@Yevvy0000]

This was excellent! As a fellow mechanical engineer (albeit in a different field) I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion. I wish more of this information was available online but a lot of it is not available to the public.

[@AJC508]

How fascinating. Many thanks for pulling this together. Much more please.

[@staceyc1966]

I don't think too many people know that there is so much work going on to adapt vehicles to local conditions, particularly those so harsh as 'Straya. I, for one, appreciate manufacturers, such as Kia, for employing such engineers like Graeme, to make vehicles for Australian road conditions. Now all we need is an education system for new drivers!

[@middyacdc]

Fantastic work John. Definitely want to see more of this. Made me appreciate my Stinger GT even more! Especially its composure on our crap roads

[@andrewbrommeyer1332]

Fabulous John, Great insight from an expert with excellent questioning. it would be great to hear similar insights from other experts as well. Keep up the good work. Thanks

[@billmackay9219]

Bloody sensational interview. I was thoroughly captivated. Love to see more of these. Thanks for the insight “G squared” and thanks John keep up the awesome work.

[@Andrew-ou1dw]

Great interview with a clever and very humble bloke.

[@ridingwithpat]

Thanks John, you did a great job and I enjoyed it. It’s really good to hear from the brains behind the excellence in automotive development we are experiencing when driving a modern car. I believe I’ve met you and Graham back in 2009. I shared a Lexus hybrid limo ride with you in Sydney courtesy of Toyota at the pre-release of the 2010 Prius. Graham was the unfortunate soul who sat in the passenger seat while We hurled a new Prius around a figure 8 track in a closed car park at Toyota’s headquarters while trying to better Neal Bates’ times and fuel consumption targets. I enjoyed that tiny taste of the rock star lifestyle of an automotive journalist. I have a copy of the official photo on my work office wall. Please forgive me if I have the wrong spelling for Graham’s name.

[@travelingguy258]

Really enjoyed the interview, so do more of those, and the format was great.