Sway Bars

[muller]

i like the head exploding therories that you say are in there though. ever heard the saying "make it so a fool can understand it and only a fool will use it" works in this case.

 

my friend is seting up an 86 for drift and has got the obligatory 10 and 8 kilo springs. thats like a tobogan on snow, NO GIVE, you feel everything.

 

thanks for the pitstop link as i was googleing and all i could find at the moment was books in the US, i think i needed to narrow my search.

 

what do you actually race, circut or what? your avatar suggests circut but might just have been a track day or something (i reckon its cool anyway)

 

and I'm not sure i agree with factory cars not snapping back, my parents VT's go out nicley and then as son as it started its snapped back and its horrible.

 

ill have a look around and let you know if there are any other caroll smith books with good stuff in them.

 

in the mean time ill have to get Fred Puhn's handeling book and hammer it in :rocknroll:

[Redwarf]

What exactly are you looking to do with the car? Jamie's advice earier is in the ball park for a nice streetable 20 series club car. I ran my 25 for years with 170lb springs, then 200's, then I ended up with 225's on my adjustable sruts. All three were different set up's for differing purposes as the car developed. Rear springs used to be standard leaf pack reset, and ended up as a standard pack plus an 8mm leaf. No change in swaybars.

 

This set up works for me, but it was the way I liked the car. Set up is very personal, and even with the same set up on paper, cars will still handle differently.

 

Geometry is also very important as well. Get into Puhn if you want to get serious with that.

Edited January 8, 2006 by Redwarf

[muller]

it does seem like I'm goin on a bit hey. demiure is probably gettin sick of me too :rocknroll: club stuff at the moment, the race callendar for my local club is a meet every month or 2 months cannot remember. they do khana cross and motorkhanas all on dirt with 2 motorkhana's on tarmac as well as 1 hill climb event for the year.

 

I'm not after a car that will handel like a porsche or something, although that would be great, but id like to hit the ground running if you know what i mean. good clean workable setup.

 

hope that cleared that up. ive got what jamie said written down somewhere and plan on investigating prices very soon.

 

i understand what you mean about personall setups too rob but if a trend emerges then its likley that thats a good place to start.

 

am i making scence?

[Redwarf]

Yep, Sure are. My suggestion would be 170 to 200lb max initially if you're going to pkay on dirt as well. I had 225's in my rally setup, however I would have run lighter if I didn't have ground clearance issues. A bit of neg camber and you can also get a little more castor (by threading the castor rod more) will also make a big improvement. I wouldn't lower it by too much, 25mm to 40mm would be ample.

 

Are you a member of Bendigo Car club?

 

Cheers

 

R

[Super Jamie]

my friend is seting up an 86 for drift and has got the obligatory 10 and 8 kilo springs. thats like a tobogan on snow, NO GIVE, you feel everything.

yet it's what professional japanese D1 drivers use, and to very good effect if you've ever watched D1. there is no right or wrong, simply driver and setup

[demuire]

When I was setting up the car I initially had in mind something between smooth dirt and less-than-perfect tarmac. Basically autocrosses, khanacrosses and tarmac rallies. And those are the two events I like most, although I probably do more tarmac motorkhanas.

 

I'd go with the spring rates Rob is suggesting, at least initially. Hell if you really felt inclined, you could run it like that all year, then throw a big swaybar on for the hillclimb. Or just run it like that all year.

 

Then get someone to sort out your geometry, and I recon you'd be pretty well set. Getting the geometry right will make a HUGE difference in the way your car handles.

 

re the VT, try putting big stiff springs and shocks in it and see how fast it snaps back then.

[muller]

thanks for all of the advice fellas, greatly apreciated. first thing is to get out there in the car and give it a trash and see how it goes and make some little changes and see if i like it or loath it. but ive ordered the book on handeling and ill soak it up.

 

yeah i watch the D1 sometimes and the 86's sit pretty nicley no matter what they do to them with the 8-10 kilo spring combo. they don't plan on using theres as a daily though do they:s

[coln72]

Hears my 2 cents worth - I've tried heaps of combinations with sway bars - including twin fronts/with or without rear, heavy single front/matching rear, and standard front bar which Ive gone back to along with softer rear springs. I would never run a rear bar on a Corolla again, even with a locker, as it is easier to drive and quicker without one.

 

Carrol Smiths books are more geared to open wheelers than sedans (I have the two mentioned) so I wouldnt bother unless you found them cheap :cool:

 

PS. as you are in Bendigo, look up Brian Shanahan as his KE25 seems to go pretty quickly no matter what the surface

Edited January 19, 2006 by coln72

[Redwarf]

That's why I asked if he was in Bendigo Car Club. :cool:

 

Spanner has been at it for longer than I have, and that's saying something.