The SV-ReX... She's Baaaack!

[svxhunter]

Originally posted by svxfiles


Do you have a spare rear bar?

What would happen if you welded a corner brace, a bar that went from part way up the "leg" back to the main bar, stiffening the leg, and effectively limiting the length of the main bar?
It would not add much weight and it SEEMS like it would work. Tom.

Hmmm... I do have a spare bar.

I'm not sure about welding the bar. We would probably compromise the tensile strength. But SHORTENING the legs would accomplish the same thing.

[svxfiles]

If you welded a 3/8" thick flat bar on the bottom of the legs, that had a couple of holes in it, for mounting the end links, closer to the main bar, they would effectively make the bar stiffer. With the different holes, you would have adjustability. If they put the end link angle too great, there is room to move the bar forward. Just a middle of the night thought.

[svxfiles]

Electric welding it would not heat it up too much, I think, especially if you only welded an inch at a time. You could allways quench it.

[svxhunter]

I like the adjustable idea, but I'm still concerned about welding. I've forgoten the formulas by now from my old metal shop class, but I do remember that heating and quenching were the 2 things you did to change the tensile strength for the better or worse.

I wish I had access to a good u-pull-it junk yard. I'll bet I could find something that would work.

[svxfiles]

Quenching it would make the bar harded, (and more brittle), but it's not like you are going to be driving it every day.
But that would be WAY cool!


Maybe Michalio has a bar done, or a test bar.

[svxfiles]

OK, I have it.
Take your spare bar to your chop saw, and cut off the ends, as far toward the ends as possable.
Now get a pipe (or metal block with a 17mm hole in it) that fits the strait part of the bar.
To it, (the pipe) weld the 3/8" flat bar stock with the adjustable holes in it.
The heat from the welding goes into the pipe, not the bar, so the bar does not lose any strength.
Now, when you weld the pre fabricated adjustment sleeve onto the bar, only welding at the outside end, you end up with an adjustable, light weight 17mm bar, that at most only needs moved forward, to keep the end link alignment correct.


DISCLAMER! NOT FOR STREET USE! This is untested stuff. Do not operate heavy machinery!

[svxhunter]

Now you're thinking grassroots!

2 questions:

1- You're working hard on the short legs. I'm thinking the primary spring resistance is in the actual bends and the center (as it twists). Any thoughts?

2- Try to describe a little better the 3/8" bar and the adjustment holes. I'm having a little trouble picturing how it would mount up.

[svxhunter]

Worked a little this morning on re-desiging the ram air intake. The old one had a 3" funnel shaped intake under the car through the fender liner, largely because when I built it I was still committed to not cutting the front bumper.

Bye bye bumper.

The new one will have two 4" diameter funnel intakes coming through the bumper converging into one larger intake through the stock filter box. This should increase the volume significantly.

The intake will pull through a cold air box built out of an insulated lunchbox with freeze packs inside, cleverly hiddden inside the fender well (I sure don't want to see it!). This will lower the intake temperature.

I'm also considering incorporating the old heater blower fan to assist in the ram effect.

27 days to go.

[Chiketkd]

Originally posted by svxhunter
What's body-roll???

-Chike

[svxfiles]

Originally posted by svxhunter
Now you're thinking grassroots!

2 questions:

1- You're working hard on the short legs. I'm thinking the primary spring resistance is in the actual bends and the center (as it twists). Any thoughts?

2- Try to describe a little better the 3/8" bar and the adjustment holes. I'm having a little trouble picturing how it would mount up.

The short legs are 8" long, the center is 39.5" long. The whole bar twists some, but the center bar does most. If you shorten the legs to, say 6", I believe it will give 1.333 times as much resistance to twist.
Does this make it work like a 22.6mm bar?
Mychailo, Porter, Bill?

It will go right where a stock gas tank filler goes. Moving/relocating the gas fill tube should not be a big deal for you.

The tube would look like the end or an upside down pistol barrel, a round tube with a flat bar hung underneath.
From the side it could be4-6" long with a couple of holes in it, the same diameter as the bolts that attach the end link to the bar, now.
pm me your fax no and I'll send some drawings.

[mbtoloczko]

The majority of the flex in the sway bar is in the center section. The arms flex very little.

The stock rear bar has a rate of about 70 lbs/in of differential wheel travel. If you shorten the arms from 8.25" to 6", you'll increase the rate to about 135 lbs/in. Its about the equivalent of a 19 mm bar with 8.25" arms, but more importantly, you can see that you are getting about a 60 lb/in increase in roll stiffness in the rear. Its definitely going to make the car a bit more tail wag happy.

Normally, I wouldn't recommend shortening the arms because in doing so, you make the bar twist through a greater range, and this makes it quite possible that you'd go beyond the elastic limit of the bar, and it would take a permanent set in a twisted position after taking a hard corner. Wouldn't that be fun. However, since your car probably only leans about 1/4 of the amount a stock SVX does, you could probably get away with the 6" arms.

If you shorten the arms by 2", the bar needs to sit 2" closer to the rear axles. This is needed to maintain the alignment of the swaybar through the available suspension travel. Should be easy to weld up some extensions to get between the bar and the subframe. You'll want to use some better swaybar clamps and bushings. You'll likely rip the stock clamps if you use them with the shortened arms.

[svxfiles]

Mychailo, How are your adjustable rear bars coming along?
I need one to keep up with Bill.

[svxhunter]

That was my take on it. SHORTENING the arms makes sense to me, STIFFENING them does not.

Thanks for a little "scientific" input, Mbtoloczko

[svxfiles]

Originally posted by svxfiles


stiffening the leg, and effectively limiting the length of the main bar. Tom.

At 6:27 am,I was not quite awake yet, but every post after that was ways to shorten the legs.

[svxhunter]

Still nice to see someone else up at that hour!