Exactly, you actually want softer springs not stiffer ones, for exactly the
reason you describe regarding the cars behavior.
The sway bar controls the body roll but allows the spring to react to the
road surface. A hard spring fights against what the sway bar is trying to
do. A Panhard bar prevents the axle/body relationship from a neutral
position laterally but has shoulld have no effect on the cars up and down
motion. That is why a properly installed Panhard bar should be perfectly
horizontal when the car is loaded with the driver's weight.
Gerard
At 11:21 AM -0700 8/2/00, Bryan Vandiver wrote:
>I understand what you are saying but...
>On my bugeye, I have a new set of HD 10-leaf springs. To me they seem way to
>stiff. If I hit a bump while making a hard turn, the entire rear end has a
>tendency to leave the ground, and car will 'jump to the outside'. This
>behavior
>makes my car just a little 'too exciting' to drive, and I don't see how
>putting
>either a rear bar or panard rod will help with this.
>Does any one else experience this same problem?? What is the best way to
>resolve
>this? softer springs and rear roll-bar combo??
>BTW - I do have all new poly bushings under the car, even on the rear radius
>arm.
>
>Regards - Bryan - (reading this thread intently)
>
>>To: spridgets@autox.team.net
>>Subject: re: Rear anti-roll bars
>>
>>>>The question is though, would the car corner at even higher speeds with no
>>>>anti roll bar at the rear and less roll stiffness at the front?
>>
>> On a smooth, steady-state corner (skidpad, traffic circle) it might
>>do just that. But; in transitional maneuvers (slalom, lane change, short
>>quick corners) the time spent rolling back and forth would be a problem.
>>Anti-roll bars cut down on transition time AND give a more stable feel.
>>A car that 'feels' more stable is easier to drive faster.
>> The anti-roll bar also helps keep you off the bumpstops. Allowing the
>>body to roll enough to get into the bumpstops, then hitting a frost heave
>>in the middle of that high-speed sweeper can be real exciting.
>> Years ago I read in a racing book that -one- theory of balancing springs
>>and anti-roll bars was to select the softest springs that would keep you
>>OFF the bumpstops on a particular track, then fine-tune with anti-roll bars.
>> In the street world you'd have to use stiffer springs because you never
>>know what kind of bumps are around the next corner (or in the middle of
>>it ;-)
>>and you'd have to compromise on anti-roll bar settings to match those
>>springs.
>> Ed in NC
>> "I like cats too... Let's trade recipes." ;-)
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