datsun-roadsters
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Rear End Swaps

To: datsunmike <datsunmike@nyc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Rear End Swaps
From: Gary Boone <gboone@sisna.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 13:36:45 -0700
A typical roadster has a tendency to oversteer.  This is unusual for its 
drivetrain layout and unusual for most production cars.  Automobile 
designers usually intentionally design for understeer because it's safer 
than oversteer and the average driver doesn't have the necessary skills 
to control a car with oversteer.  A typical roadster does not need a 
rear sway bar and it will, in fact, make the oversteer tendency worse. 
 The Addco bar, and probably any other rear bar, is a genuine pain to 
install because it requires drilling holes in the frame for mounting the 
frame mounts.  I've been there and took the rear sway bar off to make it 
more neutral handling.  I also removed the short leaves from my rear 
comp springs to soften the rear even more, trying to reduce oversteer.

On the subject of shocks, I have the Koni's and some day, plan to send 
them off for custom valving and double adjustability.  It can be done, 
but just very expensive. Coilovers would be nice for corner-weight 
balancing.
Gary

datsunmike wrote:

>Addco makes a rear sway bar for the car, however, you'll need to reroute the 
>exhaust system to exit before the rear wheel. I remember that the notes in the 
>catalog said the exhaust gets in the way of installation.
>
>Of couse you could just stiffen up the rear shocks and add more tire
>pressure to reduce understeer and achieve almost the same effect albeit at a 
>harder ride which may make the rear skip out more on bumpy turns ala many rice 
>burners.
>
>These cars are pretty stiffly sprung as is and I don't know how much a rear 
>sway bar would help.
>
>Mike
>
Ken Mack wrote:

On
that note, is it possible to slap on a rear sway bar?  Since the car is
so light, could it use it... would it need it? 

///  datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
///  Archives at http://www.team.net/archive


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>