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Re: TR Front Anti-Sway Bar - Wow!!!

Subject: Re: TR Front Anti-Sway Bar - Wow!!!
From: Randall <randallyoung@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 01:29:28 -0700
Cc: Triumphs Mailing List <triumphs@autox.team.net>
References: <200107110504.WAA07109@blackie.cruzers.com> <a0510030bb77194b2f869@[216.228.184.174]>
> TeriAnn wrote:
> 
> >I've spent a lot of time chatting with TR3 & 4 racers about suspension.
> >The short answer is you want a stiff front and a stockish rear
> >suspension.
> >
> >Almost no one is racing with a rear say bar on a TR3 because it makes
> >handling less predictable and it doesn't really help high speed cornering.

Pete & Aprille Chadwell wrote:
> 
> Fair enough
>  I still have a stock front anti-roll bar on my TR6 and
> no rear bar.

It might be worth pointing out here that the TR2-4 (and some TR4A) are
beam-axle cars.  Which means their handling (and what works to improve
it) is quite a bit different than the later IRS TRs.  And, they have a
somewhat unique rear axle setup, with the axle going over the frame,
which introduces some unique twists in their handling.  Pushed to the
limit, a stock TR2-4 will suddenly go from slight understeer to gross
oversteer, when the axle hits the frame on the inside rear wheel. 
Fortunately, once the outside rear tire loses traction, the suspension
unwinds and the inside tire plants again, giving you another chance to
recover instead of just instantly tossing you over the high side.  The
net result is that the rear ends 'skips' sideways.  IMO this effect is
worth eliminating, even if it compromises other aspects of handling. 
Thus, a heavy front bar, although it induces more understeer, is
desirable because it also helps keep the axle from hitting the frame.

The beam axle TRs also have a quite stiff rear suspension, and fairly
drastically mis-matched roll centers, which leads to lifting the inside
rear wheel off the ground in hard turns, even when it doesn't hit the
frame.  Again, you can sacrifice some ultimate cornering force, in
return for being able to accelerate through the second half of the turn,
and wind up with a quicker car.

Randall

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