[quote
Spring rates are far more important to handling than sway bars, and a sway bar that's too big can easily negatively effect handling.
Basically, a sway bar is a small part of the suspension that should be used as a tuning device, not a cure all. A good handling car will have a well matched suspension, and I'd bet most people would be surprised how soft the sway bars are on real race cars.
Well, sorta, but you've got it kinda backwards. I think a lot of people would be suprised at how soft the spring rates are on a lot of competition cars because the sway bar is indeed a very big part of suspension tuning. But your right that matching componenets is the key to making it all work. A big part of this is because softer spring rates reduce wear on the tires, but combined with the bigger sway bar rates allow you to have comparable roll couple percentage to high spring rates without tearing up tires.
The reason for this is the WHEEL rate is the most important number you are trying to acheive. The wheel rate is achieved through a combination of spring rates, sway bar rates, shock rates, and even tire rates, as well as weight distribution, roll couple, location of CG height, size of the moment lever arm and the roll axis location.
Building a suspension is like building an engine. There are lots of little parts that can have a big impact on how well it works. Throwing the best parts at a bad combo won't produce a good handling car any more than it will produce a high powered engine.
Most companies 6040 is talking to are just producing basics parts that most guys are just bolting together on basically stock suspensions where pick up points and geometry are typically unaltered. So long as the parts are bigger than stock, much like a cam shaft, most guys assume they are better. If you start talking to people who specialize in this stuff, they know what you are after. These are companies like Afco, Landrum, Howe, Flexi-Flyer, Speedway, as well as companies that supply parts to Nextel and Busch teams. However, adapting these types parts to a stock suspension system is going to be a very difficult approach because most of them are designed for modified suspension systems and are not bolt on deals.
The info 6o4o is after had been published in the Mopar Oval Track modification book. I'll see if I can dig it up and post it for you. Since his is a stock type suspension with minimal adjustments, he is after the simple rates for the bars that mount and attach to the stock locations. This info has been out there for 30 years and has not changed.
6o4o, have you had your car on a set of scales yet?
