VW Suspension geometry question
Posted by SideburnsSteve
Stephen Hollema Professional Moderator Location: Alliston ONT CANADA Join Date: 01/18/2016 Age: Midlife Crisis Posts: 49 Rally Car: yes please |
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John Vanlandingham Godlike Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
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John Vanlandingham Godlike Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
It's only important if you care if the suspension moves but most--or to quote a tech at Bistein who should remain nameless "every fuckin guy always wants his fucking stuff WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too stiff EVERYBODY WHAT THE FAWK!" really don't care---it being more important to be able to brag about "yepp I'm running 650 pound from and 850 rear, yepp..Duh yep." On the 2300 lb car. Look everything in suspension that pivots---it goes in arcs.. Strut plunges in and out and in and out.. You put it in put it out, and put in and out.. Wait! that reminds me.. It goes linear. The marriage of linear and the stuff making arc best happens when we look (if it was a clock) at the arc in the most linear part say bewtween 2 O'clock and 4 O'clock See? and see the reason Dubya Arsey cars have such wide track and looooooooooooooooong arms? So look at the arc at around 1 O'clock..Say start with lower arm at 2 O'clock. Hit bump.Struts wants to go UP but arm is going up but same time INWARD..whetwe call "across the top of the arc. Draw a simple sketch and draw arrows strut ^ and arm arcing inward so  
See the problem? Big bind. bad movement. How do you account for big bending load? But for 99% of boys getting the look right, lowered car is more important the having good roll center and suspension which works. Because if low then 
Oh don't forget to paint your wheels black. John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
Tony P Mega Moderator Location: Alberta, Canada Join Date: 08/21/2010 Age: Midlife Crisis Posts: 149 Rally Car: MK2 Golf |
Stephen Hollema Professional Moderator Location: Alliston ONT CANADA Join Date: 01/18/2016 Age: Midlife Crisis Posts: 49 Rally Car: yes please |
Out of this dumpster fire Infallible Moderator Join Date: 08/15/2010 Posts: 1,236 |
John Vanlandingham Godlike Moderator Location: Ford Asylum, Sleezattle, WA Join Date: 12/20/2005 Age: Fossilized Posts: 14,152 Rally Car: Saab 96 V4 |
Sure... but keep your hands to yourself! I'm promised to another. As for checking the rear beam--ya doan need "accuracy". You need to know if the flimsy piece of cack is bent.. More piccies: (cheap and simple) Find one of these 
And one a deeze: 
A big 'un Tie the string some where on the HORISONTAL arm at some known point, say 100mm Or maybe 4 inches With the one hand place the vertical part against the hub face.. The plumb bob in this dimension anyway is going to hang perfectly vertically... Now with you other hand hold another ruler and measure out to the tip of the plumb bob. Best to use same units like mm or inches... Read off.. If it haint 100mm then you have something bent.. This assumes the car is on level ground.. Of course if'n I's wuz youse, I'd already be planning on then checking if its that little poxy POS bolt on stub axle.. When of the better Norf American drivers we've ever seen, John Nichols from not so far out of Sheerbrooke to me he tended to bend those bolt on things constantly, like 1 or 2 per event John Vanlandingham Sleezattle, WA, USA Vive le Prole-le-ralliat www.rallyrace.net/jvab CALL +1 206 431-9696 Remember! Pacific Standard Time is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. |
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