Understanding what your suspension is doing!

[Dr. Design]

Just FYI,
We have noticed that there are a lot of companies out there saying that certain products stiffen the chassis. In reality they do no such thing. Most people think that by adding an aftermarket sway bay it will stiffen the chassis. Wrong! This is kind of an extreme example but you will get the basic idea. The sway bar will reduce the body from rolling on the frame and suspension. Picture the car from the rear. Pretend that there is a ball between the suspension and the body that allows for the body to pivot off of the ball. What the sway bar will do is reduce the amount of pivot that the body has on that ball. The sway bar does exactly what it is supposed to do. One thing it will not do is stiffen the chassis. ONLY chassis stiffeners will do that. So what we have here is the chassis secured on the suspension with body roll.
Question? What is keeping the chassis from twisting? A sway bar, springs, and shocks are not the answer to superior handling. Even if you use stiffer springs, stronger shocks, or a huge sway bar, what is keeping the corners of the car from moving at different levels (aka twisting)? When the chassis twist it waste energy and takes away performance from your suspension. If anything it is even more apparent that the car is twisting. If you add a chassis kit or a roll cage to the car it will keep the chassis neutral and all four corners in sync with each other. As a result this will allow the suspension to do what is supposed to do. The 1st law of physics states that, "An object at rest or moving at constant velocity will continue to do so unless acted upon by an external force". The CSK-C IS THAT EXTERNAL FORCE!
An example can be seen here.
http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showt...&threadid=61436

Thank you,

 

[Tevenor]

Too bad that brace is not legal for any SOLO II racing class that DSM's tend to be in.

 

[jim97gst]

Are you sure that bar isn't legal? I just looked through the 2001 Solo rule book in the street prepared category:

Addition or replacement of suspension stabilizers (linkage connection the axle or De Dion to the chasis, which controls lateral suspension is permitted. Traction bars or torque arms may be added or replaced. A panhard rod may be added or replaced. Methods of attachment and attachment point are unrestricted. This does not authorize removal of a welded-on part of a subframe to accomodate the installation.

I don't know what the hell half of that means but it sounds like the bar is legal to me.

Can you buy a bar like that somewhere or do you have to make it?

 

[Dr. Design]

That bar is a D3 Automotive Designs Front Strut Tower Brace. That picture is of the production component that we will be releasing in about three weeks. We will post release info when we get closer to the release date.
Thank you,

Originally posted by jim97gst
Are you sure that bar isn't legal? I just looked through the 2001 Solo rule book in the street prepared category:
Can you buy a bar like that somewhere or do you have to make it?

 

[RoadRacingDSM]

Okay Dr.Design.......just what is the pricing gonna look like? Also are the bars solid, or hollow? Also I really hope that people dont think that sway bars stiffen the chassis....If you have ever encountered such people please kick them in the ass for me.

 

[Tevenor]

Originally posted by jim97gst
Are you sure that bar isn't legal? I just looked through the 2001 Solo rule book in the street prepared category:

Addition or replacement of suspension stabilizers (linkage connection the axle or De Dion to the chasis, which controls lateral suspension is permitted. Traction bars or torque arms may be added or replaced. A panhard rod may be added or replaced. Methods of attachment and attachment point are unrestricted. This does not authorize removal of a welded-on part of a subframe to accomodate the installation.

I don't know what the hell half of that means but it sounds like the bar is legal to me.

Those are stabilizer bars, not strut towers bars. Look at 14.2.C:

Strut bars are permitted with all types of suspension. Strut bars may be mounted only transversely across the car from upper right to upper left suspension mounting point and from lower right to lower left suspension mounting point. No other configuration is permitted. Additional holes may be drilled for mounting bolts. Only bolt-on attachment is permitted.

And to top it all off, at the NortheEast Divisionals last year, an ESP Camaro was protested for having a triangulated front strut tower bar much like this one and was upheld by the Protest committee and the SEB.

 

[RocketDSM]

Why do I see rules like this pushing the SCCA down the same technologically backwards track that NASCAR is on? I'm getting scared already of where the SCCA might end up.

 

[kylemoto]

The basis for what Dr. Design is talking about is true.

Adding typical suspension components (anti-roll bars, for example) are not worth very much if they are mounted to a chassis that is soft. Attempting chassis tuning in this manner usually brings nightmares and an unpleasent ride - very still on high frequency bumps, flexy on very low frequency ones. Sometimes additional braces can be used to good effect in stiffening a chassis.

The addition or promotion of the triangluated strut bar will not completely solve the flexy chassis that the DSM has. The DSM is relatively soft between the upper suspension pickup points, no questions, but that brace will not stiffen the entire frame. Torsional or bending stiffness can only be increased with components that traverse in sich directions. In other words, we need a bracing similar to a roll cage to fully stiffen the chassis.

Will the strut bar pictured work? Yes, it will stiffen the front section much like any other strut tower brace out there - I don't beieve it is significantly better. Two, it will be illegal for SCCA SOLO1 competition.

Kyle

 

[StockGST]

people who buy strut tower bars aren't only worried about autocrossing. there are people who road race as well. and yes, this design in strut tower bars does make a difference. look at RRE's race car for instance. same style strut tower bar.

 

[Dr. Design]

This mod is good for anyone who likes to drive aggressive. You do not have to Mario Andretti to get the most out of your car, you just need a good set up.