"Less isolated" end links?
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From: Jenison, MI (Near Grand Rapids)
Originally Posted by willwren
Front and rear will roll and sway at different rates. All cars are like this. Most cars are designed to roll a bit more in the rear. My personal belief is that this is intended to put the driver in a state other than 'at ease' to keep the driver from over-correcting. Depending on the setup and balance between front and rear, you either get neutral balance, understeer, or oversteer. My car has finally achieved neutral balance.
Throughout all my suspension modifications, the rear was always lacking in stifness and resistance to roll, even after the struts and endlinks. And this is with the thickest set of FE2 springs ever measured on this Forum.
If you want to get a feel for it, do what I did for boosty last year. I drove his car through a series of * curves under accelleration and braking while he sat shotgun with his eyes closed. You can 'feel' what the car is doing much better that way.
Throughout all my suspension modifications, the rear was always lacking in stifness and resistance to roll, even after the struts and endlinks. And this is with the thickest set of FE2 springs ever measured on this Forum.
If you want to get a feel for it, do what I did for boosty last year. I drove his car through a series of * curves under accelleration and braking while he sat shotgun with his eyes closed. You can 'feel' what the car is doing much better that way.
In all seriousness, I do understand what you're saying. The front of the car has much more resistance to roll than the rear, resulting in a very safe, understeering car.
All issues of F/R balance aside though, if you simply wanted to tighten up the overall roll resistance, wouldn't my idea have some validity?
The only problem I can foresee is that it could possibly make the F/R balance worse, by stiffening the front (where there are four bushings compressing while turning in either direction) to a greater extent than the rear (which only has three bushings compressing while turning in either direction, if I'm thinking right). The "mod" could be done to the rear link bushings as well, but might not be as effective, since there is less compressible material in play there to begin with.
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From: Purgatory
Firmer end link bushings allow the sway bar to respond faster, that is the big effect you feel.
You can only go so far in firming the bushings before they bind and place a bending load on the links. This will make the response less smooth and will eventually cause the links to break. If the links break in the middle of a hard turn the results will be unpleasant.
To get better response than the poly would require reengineering the links.
You can only go so far in firming the bushings before they bind and place a bending load on the links. This will make the response less smooth and will eventually cause the links to break. If the links break in the middle of a hard turn the results will be unpleasant.
To get better response than the poly would require reengineering the links.
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The only thing that would be "better" than a straight poly, is graphite impregnated models because they do not need lubrication. However, I don't remember them being available for Bonne'*...
As far as balance, like many cars of this type from the factory, They're very understeering feel. The back end sways a lot, granted this is from the target audience for the car, and the weight distribution...
EDIT: as far as your original idea, different "isolation". I would tune with a different sway-bars to get the more "instant" feel you desire. Response has more to do with the bar material and design/shape.
As far as balance, like many cars of this type from the factory, They're very understeering feel. The back end sways a lot, granted this is from the target audience for the car, and the weight distribution...
EDIT: as far as your original idea, different "isolation". I would tune with a different sway-bars to get the more "instant" feel you desire. Response has more to do with the bar material and design/shape.
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