[DeTomaso] Stiff springs and 1" sway bars! (was Re: De Anza Autocross)

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Another simplistic way to look at this:

Imagine that the bottom of the spring/shock mounts to the A-arm exactly 50% 
of the distance between the A-arm mount on the chassis, and the center of 
the tire contact patch.   Thus, a bump that compresses the spring one inch, 
would move the wheel two inches.

Now, keep the suspension unchanged, but move that contact patch outboard, 
so that the bottom of the spring/shock mounts to the A-arm exactly 1/3 (33%) 
of the distance between the A-arm mount on the chassis, and the center of 
the tire contact patch.   In that case, a bump that compresses the spring one 
inch, would move the wheel three inches.   

If you want that same bump to move both wheels only two inches, then the 
spring in the second example would have to be considerably stiffer than the 
one in the first example, since it has less mechanical 
advangage/leverage/however you want to describe it, over the wheel.   

Mike