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Re: MBG sway bar size

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: MBG sway bar size
From: Eric <eric@erickson.on.net>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 19:39:45 +0930
boss wrote:
> 
> My car currently does not have a sway bar and I would like
> to fit one that produces the best handling and flattest
> cornering without making it understeer.
> 

OK, I will speak for the ridiculous - and let the gurus speak for the sublime.

This will partly answer the odd question I received about my suspension
changes - sorry I haven't been able to reply individually... it has been
a heck of a week for work at all hours of the day and night.

The issue I was looking to address was while throwing my car around a
racetrack I found that my car was cocking one rear wheel in the air on
hard, tight cornering.  As I was not allowed to have a limited slip diff
you can imagine the consequences (and I could see the tacho going much
higher than it should).

So, while I only run a 4 banger, I fitted a 7/8" sway bar to the front
(along with all other V8 bits and pieces and nolathane bushes, etc.). 
Yes, it now mostly keeps all four wheels on the ground but it surely
rattles the teeth on the bumpy roads.  I was also told that it could
increase understeer (push/plough/whatever) - and on my first corner with
the new swaybar, with COLD 185/75 tyres, I certainly did plough... right
off the track and almost into a tyre wall.

Basically I simply had to learn to drive differently.  That is until I
fitted the much stickier 195/60's which, when warm, are very hard to
make understeer (the 205/60 tyres I ran for half a season were almost
impossible to make understeer at the speeds we do).

So, yes, go big and introduce understeer.  But be aware that going
through tight corners with any dirt or dus and too fast - you will end
up facing people coming the other way if you push hard enough - or over
the edge of the cliff.  I am still contemplating dropping back to 3/4" -
but my car is feeling so good on the track at the moment that I hate to
fiddle with it too much just now.  Maybe during testing after the end of
the season


-- 
Eric
'68MGB MkII
Adelaide, South Australia

"Nothing overshadows truth so completely as authority"
ALBERTI

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