AWR Rear Sway bar settings revisited

[Lt. Dan]

I have mine set about 6" from the end (inbetween the arms), I had it as far as it could go before having to put it inside the arms. What a world of difference!

The Illuminas are set 4 in the rear and 3 in the front. I drive 4 hrs(140 miles city/highway) a day with this setup. It's amazing. A tad stiff, but damn fun. 3 wheel action! Have to be a bit more careful in the rain, but mine holds quite well, even in the rain.

Does it rotate better than at the Frederick autocross now? You have a nice setup on that car Mike. It was real lively, and I liked the way it handled transitions... Still understeered a bit much for my tastes though... Didn't we run the front shocks at "1" at that event too?

Dan

 

[Lt. Dan]

One other note in regard to "real world testing"

on my 85 RX-7, every company out there sells an upgraded rear swaybar for my car... Guess what... I don't run it...

Why? because the rear end was actually to unstable in slaloms and quick transitions with it. No matter what a book says, or what "everybody else" says, the biggest barometer of your suspension setup is YOU. If you aren't comfortable with the way your car is handling, it doesn't matter how much money you throw at it, you won't be fast. Set the car up so that YOU are happy with the way it handles, not the way all the forums and books say to set it up... THIS IS WHERE REAL WORLD TESTING COMES INTO PLAY!!!!

Dan

 

[DistantTea]

Set the car up so that YOU are happy with the way it handles, not the way all the forums and books say to set it up... THIS IS WHERE REAL WORLD TESTING COMES INTO PLAY!!!!

I fully agree. I think sm76 was saying if I had a better understanding of vehicle dynamic fundamentals then maybe my testing would be more efficient... which is very true. I'm having to reinvent the wheel in a few cases when I could have applied some of that fancy book learn'n to get better guesses on where to start with my testing... so instead I get baselines with really bad setups and work my way to the middle.

Its all fun and games until your mazdaspeed ends up backwards on 3rd and Ludlow.

(nana) (nana) (nana) (nana) (nana)
DANCE BANANA DANCE!

 

[Mike R]

Does it rotate better than at the Frederick autocross now? You have a nice setup on that car Mike. It was real lively, and I liked the way it handled transitions... Still understeered a bit much for my tastes though... Didn't we run the front shocks at "1" at that event too?

Dan

Yep, sure does. Can make it come around by coming off the throttle. Still might need some more. Of course this is with the struts on 4 on the rear and 3 on the front. I got it kinda loose one night in the rain, it still understeered and I let off the throttle then the rear slid a little bit.

Yes, we did have the front on 1 and the rear on 5. It's REALLY different now, if you'll be at the MSCW MJM auto-x (max20) I'll be there. Might try for the 10th also.