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Re: Funny suspensions

To: british-cars@Alliant.COM
Subject: Re: Funny suspensions
From: "Ralph E. Droms" <mit-eddie!CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu!droms%perseus.bucknell.edu@EDDIE.MIT.EDU>
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 90 09:40:16 EST
What keeps the Hydrolastic suspension stable?  A couple of readers
pointed out that cross-linking the bladders would make the suspension
unstable in corners - accentuating rather than damping body roll.
Why doesn't front-to-back linking make the car unstable in
accelaration or braking?  E.g., when braking, the front end dips,
forcing fluid to the back end, which then rises even more.  For that
matter, what keeps the car stable or level when just standing still?

Can anyone post some details on the MG Magnette?  My dad had one in
the early 60s - his first foray into the world of Britcars.  I
remember (vaguely!) a walnut dash, leather seats and a fold-down
armrest in the rear seat.  The overall impression was one of a fairly
stately and surprisingly roomy sedan (although I was, admittedly, of a
rather small scale [10-12 yrs. old] myself at the time).  A VW Bug ran
into the left front fender once - the Magnette won on a TKO (the VW
required a tow truck while the Magnette sustained a slighlty wrinkled
fender).

After the Magnette, he on to a TR4 and then an MG 1100.  After the
1100, he gave up and bought a Plymouth Valiant...

- Ralph



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