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RE: rear Spring Stiffness

To: "Henry A. Morrison" <dos_gusanos@email.msn.com>, Fot@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: rear Spring Stiffness
From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 15:56:45 -0700
I tried a light rear sway bar and didn't like it. I've played with the rear
end of my TR3 a lot--built anti-tramping bars, heavier springs, and tried
two different weights of roll bar. There are three things that I think help
TR3s handle O.K. (as far as the rear end goes)--a panhard rod, soft springs,
and stiff shocks. Understanding that if your front end suspension is
basically stock, the roll center is about three feet underground, while the
roll center of the live rear axle is the axle centerline. Clearly front and
rear are attending different dances. The armstrong shocks have limited
ability to control the rear end, and using a stiff spring is just going to
exacerbate that. I used MGB valves in the armstrongs and 50 weight Torco
fork oil. Some guys use STP. The end result of a lot of fiddling is a car
that feels very neutral until you put the boot in a bit too much, and then
it has a mild understeer. Stiffening the rear spring radically increased the
understeer and added a lot of wheel hop under hard breaking. I bet that's
what you'll find. Of course, the big improvements came when I started
playing with the front end. 

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