Sway bars again

[MattF]

Totally useless thread, (again), but been delving into the sway bar theory
again, and I'm still having trouble understanding why some people say it's
definitely, no argument, worse with regards to cornering abilities at speed.

Theory:

Without sway bars, body movement in relation to chassis movement is less
limited, allowing more body roll, but allowing all wheels to stay in contact
with the ground. So, body movement is accented, but traction is improved.

With sway bars, body and chassis movement are more related to each other,
meaning that body movement may be less, but wheel may lift off ground,
allowing wheel to theoretically snatch when contact with ground is remade.

So, the question is, with something that already is not designed for high
speed cornering due to it's height and high centre of gravity, combined with
weight, how can that be worse stability wise in a situation where you have
to alter direction quickly, whilst keeping full traction upon the road, but
suffering a somewhat precarious body shift, over having slightly less body
shift but losing full traction from road surface allowing less control of direction, possibility of snatching, or even back end flipping out when the wheel does
make contact again?

I'm still thinking that these A.R.B's are merely a device for enhancing ride
comfort in a purely domestic sense, rather than actually making the vehicle
safer in a debateable manouevre.

[BUSHWHACKER]

They're there to make the truck feel safer when cornering because of the high centre of gravity.

[dave.j.robbo]

They're there to make the truck feel safer when cornering because of the high centre of gravity.

FEEL safer, rather than actually BEING safer??

[stormforce]

i took the rear off of my old 2.4 and i never noticed any differance with it off but forgot to put it back on when i sold it so its sat up in the garage with the rest of the $$$$ i collected.I will be taking off the one on my 3l to see what its like being raised 5"

[BUSHWHACKER]

i took the rear off of my old 2.4 and i never noticed any differance with it off but forgot to put it back on when i sold it so its sat up in the garage with the rest of the $$$$ i collected.I will be taking off the one on my 3l to see what its like being raised 5"

Those springs are stiff enough so you won't notice the ARB missing.

[MattF]

FEEL safer, rather than actually BEING safer??

My point exactly. Everything I read seems to relate to comfort rather than
safety.

Edit: I'll rephrase that slightly. They can also be used to create varying
degrees of oversteer or understeer, but again, that still comes down to
general control, rather than actual safety. You wouldn't approach a corner
at a speed greater than you could control.

[MattF]

i took the rear off of my old 2.4 and i never noticed any differance with it off but forgot to put it back on when i sold it so its sat up in the garage with the rest of the $$$$ i collected.I will be taking off the one on my 3l to see what its like being raised 5"

When I took the rear off, it was when I replaced the shocks and springs.
(Standard height). It was still more stable than before without the rear
bar. Only difference I did notice was slightly less understeer. (Had to let
off slightly going into a corner).

[Maverick]

So, the question is, with something that already is not designed for high
speed cornering due to it's height and high centre of gravity.

When did this take effect? I've never had a problem with corner speed, just ask the woman in the Mazda MX5 that I drove round the outside of, on a roundabout last month, oh the look on her face!!

[MattF]

When did this take effect? I've never had a problem with corner speed, just ask the woman in the Mazda MX5 that I drove round the outside of, on a roundabout last month, oh the look on her face!!

Never said couldn't, just not designed for. It's cracking to see someones
expression when they think your going to be ambling along in a 4x4, ain't it.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Never said couldn't, just not designed for. It's cracking to see someones
expression when they think your going to be ambling along in a 4x4, ain't it.

Can I just say, mine doesn't amble anymore!

[MattF]

Can I just say, mine doesn't amble anymore!

It's made a noticeable difference then? Makes you wonder if some of them
have been tweaked before. Mine's never been what you could class as slow,
but then Ian's appeared to be completely different. Methinks there may be
quite a bit of variation in setups already.

[BUSHWHACKER]

It's made a noticeable difference then? Makes you wonder if some of them
have been tweaked before. Mine's never been what you could class as slow,
but then Ian's appeared to be completely different. Methinks there may be
quite a bit of variation in setups already.

Mine was very low milage when I bought it, so the settings must have been as they were when it left the factory, set for low emissions.


Clicked over to 90,000kms yesterday!

[MattF]

Mine was very low milage when I bought it, so the settings must have been as they were when it left the factory, set for low emissions.


Clicked over to 90,000kms yesterday!

That's hardly bedded in. Mine's on about 184,000kms. Another year or
two, and I'll be joining the 200 club.