lowering?

[sciroccos at earthlink.net (Jim R)]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Dan Bubb [mailto:jdbubb@verizon.net]
>Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 11:48 AM
>To: LEF; Brett Van Sprewenburg; scirocco list
>Subject: Re: lowering?
>
>
>Changing anti-sway bars on only one end of the car has the same
>result, yet
>I've seen a lot of people say you should remove the front
>anti-sway bar and
>only one person fess up to backing their car into the bushes as a result.
>
>I get a constant kick out of the Vortex "it handled great".
>The simple fact is you're not driving hard enough to notice the difference
>or you haven't hit that emergency situation that gave you just enough time
>to think how you fucked your car's handling before you lost control.
>If you're going to make changes like this at least have the sense to test
>your changes (AT THE LIMIT!! to mimic an emergency situation) in a
>scenario
>where you don't hurt you or anybody else.
>Dan

I picked up a rear swaybar in late '84 and had the brilliant idea that I
should install it in my 78 to improve the handling.  The car already had a
Sachs "Sporting" kit, with very stiff shocks and lowering springs all
around.

I was very familiar with the handling limits of the car prior to installing
the bar and figured it would simply get better with the addition of the rear
bar.  I went around a familiar decreasing radius turn, with the road
slightly wet and found out what oversteer is all about.  The bar totally
changed the dynamics of the suspension.  That cost me a wheel and a new rear
beam.  I never reinstalled the bar on that car.

As Dan said,the only way to evaluate any suspension mod is to push the car
to the limit under various conditions and understand how it responds.

Jim