[DeTomaso] sway or not.

[michael@michaelshortt.com]

Thanks,

We used to just change the bars out to another size until we got to the one
that felt best on the track, then went past that,
said oops and backed up to the last one before that one.
While these look both expensive and complicated to install and mount cockpit
adjustable controls for
( because I'd go for brake bais first if I wanted to dial in the car from
the driver's seat), it looks like a worthwhile project
for those who would want it for advanced driving situations.

Another great thing about the list, ask and you get it...faster than FedEx.

Michael in Savannah

On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 10:06 AM, <MikeLDrew at aol.com> wrote:

>
> In a message dated 2/25/09 6 41 57, michaelsavga at gmail.com writes:
>
>
> How do you adjust the diameter of a bar of steel?  There are different
> sizes
> and there is hollow and solid, I have never encounted anything else, please
> educate me?
>
>
> You don't adjust the diameter.  You adjust the length.
>
> Or rather, you adjust the interface between the suspension A-arm, and the
> end of the sway bar, to change the effective length of the sway bar arms,
> with adjustable end links.  Here, a photo is worth a thousand words.  Here's
> Dale Eriksen's factory Gr3 Pantera front suspension:
>
> http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=4250
>
> Note the link connecting the end of the sway bar to the A-arm.  It is
> heim-jointed on each end to allow great freedom of movement.  The upper link
> clamps around the bar, and it can be slid to any of a number of different
> positions.
>
> The closer the link is to the end of the bar, the more leverage the
> suspension has to work against the bar, effectively making the bar
> 'softer'.  In this photo, the front suspension is set at the full soft
> position.  Moving the link inwards reduces its leverage, making the front
> bar 'stiffer'.
>
> Of course, this scheme requires trial and error, adjustment in the pits,
> and then once the suspension is set, it stays there for the duration of the
> race.
>
> There are other schemes, including cockpit-adjustable sway bars, which are
> really super tricky-dicky.  These work by having a 'blade' on one end,
> controlled with a cable.  The sway bar end is knife-shaped, so that when it
> is standing vertical, it is extremely strong, and when it is horizontal, it
> is relatively flexible.  The rotation of this blade is controlled from the
> cockpit via a knob connected to a cable, so that the driver can adjust the
> swaybar stiffness on the fly.
>
> Here's a photo of such a setup:
>
>
> http://www.hrpworld.com/client_images/ecommerce/client_39/products/1432_1.jpg
>
> This is in the halfway position.  Here's another image:
>
>
> http://www.hrpworld.com/client_images/ecommerce/client_39/products/1432_2.jpg
>
> This is the full stiff position.
>
> Neat, eh?
>
> Interestingly, the bar end is usually fixed on one end of the bar and
> cockpit adjustable on the other; having only one side of the bar variable
> influences both sides equally.  That's cosmic, but somehow it works...
>
> Sometimes, cars will have blades on each side, with only one of them
> adjustable from the cockpit; one blade will be rotated to a certain position
> in the pits for the initial rough adjustment, and then the other one will be
> rotated from the cockpit for fine-tuning.  These types of sway bars are used
> on all Trans Am, NASCAR, Grand Am, Le Mans cars etc. etc.
>
> Mike
>
>
> **************
> Get a jump start on your taxes. Find a tax professional in your
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>




-- 







Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390


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