Victor,
Production cars as a rule are designed to understeer, meaning the car wants
to continue its forward momentum when the wheels are turned. Cars set up
for racing, slalom or rallye tend to more oversteer which makes the vehicle
more sensitive to steering input. This may sound like a good thing, but
unless you have ever driven a car set up in this manner it may be difficult
to understand just how dangerous oversteer can be. All you've got to do is
imagine a typical driver reaction requiring a sudden evasive manuever. With
oversteer you may find yourself on a sidewalk, opposing oncoming traffic or
sideswiping another car. Steve's point is well made with one exception.
Oversteer is induced by making the rear suspension of the car stiffer than
the front suspension, through any combnation of spring rates, tire pressure
or a sway bar. I'm no suspension guru, but I believe that if the front
suspension remains in relative balance with the rear then a sway bay in the
back requires a larger one in the front. Meaning a rear bar can be added
but then you need to upgrade the front. The myriad of combinations, though,
is better stated by those listers who have extensive hands-on experience
with suspension mods.
As far as the actual assembly there are two types that I am aware of. One
mounts across the suspension bridge, ends facing rearward, above the
differential using the original shock link holes in the back of the trailing
arm, which requires tube shocks to be mounted through the spring with
special hardware. The other type mounts below the differential ends
pointing forward and attaches to the trailing arm below the road springs. I
cannot tell you how to distinguish between the two without the hardware.
Greg Dito
CD6250L
----- Original Message -----
From: "steve bridge" <slbridge@hotmail.com>
To: <vcolper@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 8:59 AM
Subject: RE: Rear Swat Bar Installation
> Hi Victor,
> Are planning to drive your TR6 on the track only? Your car was designed
> for the street and when push comes to shove, the back end will come around
> when you get it mixed up on a corner. That characteristic is designed
> into it for safety and a rear sway bar will eliminate that factor. This
> comes from an engineering professor who's students have been building cars
> and competing in Formula SAE for years. I was planning to put one on my
> street ( and sometimes track) car until I asked his advice. I will be
> slower on the track without it, but safer on the street. Maybe someone
> with a better understanding of suspension geometry can explain it, but I
> just accept his advice with or without understanding.
> Steve
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