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RE: [FOT] Sway Bars

To: <fot@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: [FOT] Sway Bars
From: "Jim" <britbits@tiu.net>
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:17:21 -0500
Jim,

That matches fairly well with my experience with my '76 Spitfire dedicated
autocross car.  With the locked diff the car only handled  correctly at
speed and driven fairly agressively.  The previous owner called it "dirt
tracking".

No rear sway bar at all.

It does have one of the heftier stock front swaybars.. But stock springs all
around.


Cheers,

Jim
Dallas
'76 DM autocrosser
And a few dozen other toys ;)

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On Behalf
Of norlinengineering@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 9:49 PM
To: triumph_marx@freenet.de; Todd Redmond; fot@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [FOT] Sway Bars

I'm finding this a very interesting conversation, particularily since the
welded rear end has entered the topic.  I currently race a Spitfire with a
welded rear end and no rear sway bar.  The car handles really well.  Years
ago, I raced a C Sports Racer that was a converted formula Ford with a
welded rear end.   Both cars, but the CSR in particular, need to be driven
hard in order to work right.  Driving the CSR at anything less than 95% was
difficult due to terminal understeer.  The only way to drive that car was to
pitch it into the corners and hammer the throttle.  The Spit is similar, but
not nearly as bad.  BTW, the welded rear end is worth about 2 seconds a lap
at Portland in both cars over an open differential.  From my experience, the
rear bar on most cars should be used for fine tuning the overall balance.
I've done a lot of analysis of spring and sway bar setups on small formula
cars, and the rear bars typically account for a very small percentage of the
overall r!
 oll sti
ffness. 

Jim Norlin

-------------- Original message --------------
From: <triumph_marx@freenet.de> 

> The very basic rule is: 
> That a front sway bar induce understeer and a rear sway bar induce 
> oversteer
> 
> A welded diff has a lot understeer when getting into a corner which I 
> don't like.
> So I use that rear bar to have a neutral car at the corner entrance 
> and an oversteer car when I apply throttle.
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Todd Redmond" 
> To: ;
> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [FOT] Sway Bars
> 
> 
> > << In addition I have a welded diff so the understeer is close to 
> > the edge to be out of control without the rear sway bar.>> Please 
> > explain this
> > 
> > I have a welded diff. Will I need a rear sway bar? I was going to go 
> > with a thick front bar, up to 1" and no rear bar. What is the best 
> > "Rule of thumb" for a TR3A?
> > 
> > Todd Redmond
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: 
> > To: 
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 4:56 PM
> > Subject: Re: [FOT] Sway Bars
> > 
> > 
> > >I tried this once and I was found several times in the gravel 
> > >fields when my car went straight ahead instead of cornering.
> > > In addition I have a welded diff so the understeer is close to the 
> > >edge to  be out of control without the rear sway bar.
> > > ;-)
> > > 
> > > chris
> > > 
> > >> Several of the
> > >> TR racers I know used to run an anti-sway bar in the rear, but 
> > >> when they removed it they liked it much better, and did not put it
back on.
> > >> 
> > >> Bill Dentinger
> > > 
> > > 
> > > === Help keep Team.Net on the air === 
> > > http://www.team.net/donate.html
> > 
> > 
> > === Help keep Team.Net on the air
> > === http://www.team.net/donate.html
> 
> 
> === Help keep Team.Net on the air
> === http://www.team.net/donate.html





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