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RE: rear sway bar

To: "'Bob Palmer'" <rpalmer@ames.ucsd.edu>,
Subject: RE: rear sway bar
From: Theo Smit <TSmit@novatel.ca>
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 14:17:22 -0600
Well don't let me stop us from hitting a record...

The Porsche picture is one that sticks in my mind, as does his caution against
setting the car up that way. After driving the car like that for a few race
weekends I completely redid the entire car (gotta wait till the weekend for me
to post the pictures) to lower the suspension; I reduced the spring rate in the
front, kept the same diameter front bar, and put in the rear bar with the
coilovers and Panhard rod. I ended up with just about the same handling
characteristics, minus the front wheel lift, and took off two seconds a lap on a
two-mile course.

On the Tiger I agree that the weight balance is quite good, even exceptional
given how the car was 'designed'. But the engine is at the front end of the
noodle, and any roll stiffness you put in at that end is going to be way more
effective (and reduce chassis loads) compared to stiffening the roll rate at the
rear, for the purpose of controlling body lean. I agree that oversteer /
understeer tuning is most easily done with adjustable sway bars. However for a
street driver, having a larger sway bar to give roll stiffness allows you to use
relatively softer springs, which gives a nicer ride.

Theo

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