spriteracer@juno.com (R Williams) writes:
>< Before I installed it, the body would move sideways with respect to the
>axle, loading up the suspension in this direction. When the tires lost
>traction, the axle would snap back to the center and traction was lost
>abruptly.>
>
>I completely agree with you. That's one of the things I noticed when
>pushing the car hard at autocross. I can't wait to drive it with the
>panhard rod.
I think this is (partially) a result of the changes in tires since
these cars were orginally designed. Skinny bias-ply tires have MUCH more
gradual increases in slip angle past the limit (and the limit/wind-up is
much less), so this effect might not have been seen, or been much more
controllable. My original '65 Sprite had bias-plys (even retreads) back in
the late 70's/early 80's (and no sway bar). Another '67 I had ran 165
radials (with radial snows in the rear - upstate NY), but mostly I
autocrossed the '65. They were very tossable and never really got away
from me, but once in an autox I tried a later (1500?) midget with sticky
radials and a sway bar, and it was MUCH more tail-happy at the limit than I
was used to.
This may have also been partly the effect of the sway bar - stock
sprites (especially with old shocks) lean all over the place, limiting
front grip, and tending to cause it to understeer at the absolute limit.
(If the rear did break away, because the body was leaning so much the front
is running a high slip angle too and not-sticky tires it was less
dramatic.)
(The '66 with B60-13 Joey Chitwood bias-plys (widened stock rims)
also had no sway bar, but it wasn't very tail-happy past the limit either).
Just speculating and remembering a little.
--
Randell Jesup, Scala US R&D, Ex-Commodore-Amiga Engineer class of '94
Randell.Jesup@scala.com
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