Re: New swaybar question

[Iain Mannix <mannix@secretignition.com>]

At 8:41 AM -0500 08/19/1998, Zach Vrooman wrote:
>Here's a good swaybar question:
>
>Since it looks like I'll be driving my 'rocco this winter, I wonder what
>having just a front swaybar will do in the snow? I'd rather not
>accidentally induce oversteer and smack into a retaining wall again. That
>sucks, big time. How would just an upper stressbar react to snow?(okay, two
>questions.)


IMHO, the results of stiffer suspensions in snow are exaggerated.  I've
driven my 84 GTI/DSP car in all sorts of weather, and it is just fine.
I've run it in snow with NFB, swaybars, stiff springs, whole nine yards -
it works great!  I still have to try to get the rear end out, shrug, it's
fine.  I once got it _way_ sideways on I-70 en route to Copper Mountain,
coming out of the tunnel(Eisenhower), on the right side, the pavement drops
off a couple of inches.  When dry, the road stays away from that little
dropoff, but when there's snow, people crab over there when exiting the
tunnell - followed the tracks, I knew it was there, the right rear got
hooked over the edge and the car pitched sideways.  Countersteered, slid
100' or so sideways, it came back.  OK.  I don't blame the suspension - I
think the result would have been the same with stock suspension.  If
anything, the front bar will make it understeer more in snow - if there is
no grip, the fronts will just slide.  In fact, on snow, with snow
tires/stiff suspension, my front wheels just push on snow, unless I _try_
to get the back end out - the front tires don't have enough grip to turn
the car enough to get the rear out.  Even on concrete, with the snows, I
have to be very gentle to get the fronts loaded; if I jerk the car in, the
fronts just sorta push, as the tires don't have the grip to roll the car
over enough to get the whole tire loaded.  If I am smooth, the car will
turn/behave as it normally does, just with lower absolute grip levels.
I've run a few runs on my snows, it is fun!  Anyhow, I would not worry
about adding a front bar(or stressbar) in snow - the car will be fine.  A
bit skatier than "normal," maybe, but that's speculation - my GTI was my
daily driver until February of this year, and I drove it skiing all the
time, never changed the suspension based on snow.  Snow tires are good, and
if you can, do some ice autocrosses this winter - it'll let you find out
_exactly_ what the car will do if you overdrive!  I think you'll be
surprised at how drivable the car really is on snow.  Get snow tires,
though - there is no comparison between a "M&S" tire and a real snow.  Good
luck!

I.Mannix


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