Sway bar or not? 11

[indyracer]

I've raced IMCA Modifieds successfully for decades, both pavement and dirt tracks. I've NEVER used a sway bar on the car, front or rear. I look at the big hunk of steel (bar) and the added weight, so off they come when I buy a chassis. Am I wrong to dump the bar? What do I lose? I know the bar allows using the left spring rate to allow for a softer right spring, but is it worth the extra weight? In my mind, I just spring/shock the car based on tire temps, weight at wheel and wheel travel, and save the bar weight. Your info/advice is much appreciated, thank you.

 

[evelrod]

Race tires of radial construction require a bit more negative camber than their equivalent bias tire. Most racing is done on radial tires these days and, as far as I know, aside vintage, the only race series that still use bias tires in any great quantity is the Regional/National SCCA. There may be other, more obscure series that do not race with radial tires I just don't know of any right off hand.

Rod

 

[TMcRally]

I must be going nuts.

I like the in car camera shots from above and behind the driver where you can see from the marking on the tyre, what part of the tyre is in contact with the road at what time and I dont remember ever watching the tyres on the straights with only 3/5ths of the tyre in contact with the road.

Maybe I am nuts or maybbe they just run more now.

 

[NormPeterson]

When you're going straight, a little less tire in contact with the pavement just might offer a little less rolling resistance. The superlicense holder driver is presumed to be able to cope with any remaining side effects at least reasonably well. Separate from that is the possibility of distortion from a wide angle lens exaggerating things.


BTW, based on the adjustable bars I have on one of my cars, adjustable bar stiffness steps would seem to be about 15% - 20% apart, or about the difference between 25mm and 26mm solid bars bent to the same shape. That's probably fine enough for most folks until they have a sponsor or two buying stuff for them. I suspect that your ride height change approach also tweaks the rear roll- or toe-steer, so it isn't just the LLTD effect you're getting.


Norm

 

[evelrod]

There is an upside, small though it be, for me using bias tires.

This last year the Yokohama 032R tire that I normally use was out of production and I was forced back to the old Hoosier bias TD's. Just temporary as the radials are back on the shelf (thankfully).

One thing I noticed is that I tend to 'flat spot' the fronts a bit less often with the bias even though corner speed is down and I'm pushing a bit more to make up for it. The radial race tires are simply better overall. Ya just gotta pay attention to what your foot is doing to that brake pedal...;o)

Rod

 

[billytheshoe]

I gave up the track events. The cost of sets Hoosiers added to the other expenses was turning my mid-life crisis hobby into a retirement poverty. So I dumped the track car.

Now, road sensing active suspension keeps my 14 yr old Cadillac very level in cornering & gliding as soft as a marshmellow at speeds under 40mph, its too soft but still corners level.

The anti sway bars are so tiny they really have no business being on a 3800lb vehicle with 4 foot of axle/body overhang on both ends. Its rather amazing the complexities that are employed in this suspension.

The struts are electromechanical-hydraulic valved & work off data from steering, ABS, powertrain, utilizing wheel position, wheel speed, accelerometers & yaw sensors. The strut valving operates in 3 states-soft, normal, firm. It is fully automatic and there are no settings.