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RE: sway bar

To: "'rob'" <19to1tr6@comcast.net>, yellowandgreen@comcast.net,
Subject: RE: sway bar
From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 21:29:23 -0800
I assume you mean this: 
INCREASE                        UNDERSTEER      OVERSTEER 

FRONT SPRINGS           STIFFER SOFTER

REAR SPRINGS            SOFTER  STIFFER

FRONT SWAY BAR          STIFFER SOFTER

REAR SWAY BAR           SOFTER  STIFFER 

FRONT TIRE PSI          LOWER           HIGHER 

REAR TIRE PSI           HIGHER  LOWER

FRONT CAMBER            POSITIVE        NEGATIVE

REAR CAMBER                     NEGATIVE        POSITIVE

LBS. DISTRIBUTION               FORWARD REARWARD

 
This is a standard chart I've seen a lot of places. It's generally correct
but it's a bit of an oversimplification. This is a small increase in detail
over Dave Talbot's rule of "soften the end that's sliding". For example,
Understeer means sliding the front end, so to decrease it you soften the
front springs or sway bar (increase oversteer), and/or stiffen the rear
springs or sway bar. 

Camber and tire pressure are oversimplifications. For example, if your front
camber is already sufficiently negative, making it more negative will not
increase the contact patch size under cornering and so it will not reduce
understeer. Likewise, if you already have enough tire pressure, increasing
it will not make the tire flatter and will not reduce understeer--in fact
the tire will crown and overheat in the center.  So there are upper limits.
Still, it's a handy chart. 


-----Original Message-----
From: rob [mailto:19to1tr6@comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 7:18 PM
To: Bill Babcock; yellowandgreen@comcast.net; fot@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: sway bar

Whiel there is some interest on this subject can I get you guys to look at
www.sanerperffab.com  there home page  has a color coded chart on how to
adjust  oversteer and understeer  but at the same time it's a little like a
brain  tees  at least for my brain >>  rob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Babcock" <BillB@bnj.com>
To: <yellowandgreen@comcast.net>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 7:45 PM
Subject: RE: sway bar


> You can do that, but it's usually easier to move the mounting point 
> inward on the bar to get the effect of a heavier bar. And yes, it's  
> the same reason that the little kid moves to the farthest away seat on 
> the teeter totter and the fat kid moves in. Less leverage equals heavier
bar.
>
>
> Bill Babcock
> Babcock & Jenkins
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On 
> Behalf Of yellowandgreen@comcast.net
> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 2:52 PM
> To: fot@autox.team.net
> Subject: sway bar
>
> Friends
> I am an architect in need of a structural engineer....................
> or at least some thoughts on sway bars and how they work.
> I have the 3/4" adco sway bar on the front of my TR3 and have been 
> wanting to try something heavier.
> Wouldn't it make some sense to move the mounting ends of the bar to a 
> position further out on the lower wishbone to get the same effect as 
> using a heavier bar?
> Kinda like a small kid sliding all the way back on a teeter toter to 
> pick up an advantage.
>
> Thanks
> Dennis DeLap

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