>Let's see if I can add further confusion to the sway bar discussion.
Visualize a U-shaped sway bar, with the corners square rather than rounded.
Assume that the long middle part mounts to the chassis in two pillow
blocks. Somewhere along the short end legs we fasten a link that goes to
the suspension.
Now consider where along the short legs of the U we attach the connection
(disregarding where we fasten it to the suspension and where we fasten it
to the chassis - we're just talking about where the link fastens to the
sway bar). Now, the closer to the bend that we fasten the link, the stiffer
the overall bar. See Fred Puhn's book "How to make Your Car Handle", page 97.
Now consider where we fasten that connecting link to the lower a-arm -
closer to the wheel or closer to the chassis? The answer is that the closer
to the wheel it is attached, the more effect it will have on the handling
(that is, the stiffer the system will be). That's because, in part, if a
car's spring rate and center of gravity height want to make the car roll
at, say, four degrees, the outer end of the a-arm will move further than
the inner end. This will try to twist the bar more, in effect making the
bar system stiffer. A brief statement is in Carroll Smith's book "Tune to
Win', page 68.
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