I have wondered about this for awhile and thought I'd ask around.
I see that some people like to buy a pre-packaged kit like the TVS from Hotchkis or PST or something similar, but I'm still curious about it.
When a person sets out to improve the handling of their car, their personal tastes will differ from the next guy. I'm interested in knowing how these engineers arrive at the specific parts that become part of the kit. For example, with engines, we expect the exhaust valve to be smaller than the intake valve because it always is. In the case of suspensions, the front roll stiffness or spring rate is always higher than the rear. I mean in terms of our front engine/rear drive cars.
I guess I am asking, is there a percentage of roll stiffness that they use to determine what to use? If the front is say...a *100, is the rear a *75? More at the rear causes oversteer, less will result in understeer?
Another hypothetical:
3500 lb 72 Duster with all iron 360, battery in trunk.
.92 Torsion bars 1.250 front sway bar KYB shocks.
Stock leafs with 1 additional leaf, .75 rear bar, KYB shocks.
I haven't been able to drive the car on the street yet for many reasons but I am just interested in the science of all of it. I don't want to just do what others did, I want to learn the math of it. Do people start off setting the car to lean/roll as little as possible while giving a decent ride, then fine tune the chassis with small changes?
I am interested in whatever anyone can spill on the subject.
Thanks, Jeff