[DeTomaso] Tire and wheel sizes

[Charles Engles]

Dear Uncle Jack,


                Ahem......what little I know about not using a front sway bar I learned from Bob Woodhouse, who campaigned his modified Pantera to the highest levels of SCCA autocross.   He told me (and I believe that it is in an old POCA Newsletter) that while most people would disdain it, a Pantera without a front sway bar handles better.   That was a bit too radical for me.  I did discuss this with the intrepid Todd Reid, an ex-motorcycle racer, who implemented it.   He ran the Pantera without a front sway bar on his secret test track with significant improvement in lap times.   He then drove it at the now defunct Italian Car Fest track event with our own totally objective John Taphorn as a passenger.  That article about Todd's Italian track adventure was published in Profiles a couple of years ago as "The Wrath of Grapes".  I believe that John's quote about Todd and his car staying ahead of the track instructor in a modified Z06 was something like, " ...now this guy is carrying the mail !"    I am not sure how it works as my understanding of chassis & suspension fine points is limited, but it does seem to work.   I am curious about the others that Kirby mentioned.   



                             Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles





----- Original Message ----- 
From: <JDeRyke at aol.com>
To: <JJD1010 at aol.com>; <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Tire and wheel sizes


In a message dated 2/24/09 10:30:29 AM, JJD1010 at aol.com writes:

> One of the guys in Oklahoma runs without a front sway bar and swears by 
> it. He'll be running at Hallet in a couple of weeks, maybe he can report 
> back. 
> 
FWIW, we tried this autocrossing- at LOW SPEED. The handling was definitely 
"changed"- to something like a '60s Buick in the amount of body-lean and 
rocker-panel scraping. NOT recommended- I can't imagine running like this at 
triple-digit speeds on pavement. Maybe it would work in dirt hill-climbs like the old 
Pikes Peak. Our runs were with a 7/8 bar, then with a custom 1-1/4" dia rear 
swaybar. After three tries, we added a 5/8" dia custom front bar to cure the 
driver's seasickness..... This last combo worked well with 8" front wheels & 
10" rears running gumball slicks on blacktop. Good luck- J DeRyke


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