Re[2]: Anti-sway bars? Hmm, need more details.

[jadney@vwtype3.org (Melissa & Jim)]

>From: Toby Erkson <Toby_Erkson@ccm2.hf.intel.com>

>Greg is quite correct about oil pressure loss in hard cornering!  To take 
>care of the problem I installed a Gene Berg 1 1/2qt oil sump.  I don't 
>believe a windage tray will do much, if any, good.  I read somewhere that 
>extending the push rod tubes into the sump helps(?).

The comment you're thinking about is probably from the Bill Fisher book.  
Berg's later articles talk about the fact that neither windage trays nor 
extended PR tubes help because the oil is actually stuck out in the valve 
cover volume.  The extra sump doesn't cure anything, it just gives you 
enough "reserve" that the "problem" never becomes a problem.  In other 
words, the oil in the sump will outlast most curves.

>You'll need to clarify the "equal-magnitude bumps" because I don't 
>understand what you mean.  Driving (perpendicularly) over a long-length speed 
>bump or depression with both wheels at the same time is the same with or 
without
>a sway bar because the sway bar is moving in the same direction with both 
wheels
>-- it's not being used at all!

I think that's exacty what he meant.

>I disagree about the sway bar affecting independent suspension as I don't 
>experience this problem and I've read that they just don't do this.  Maybe you 
>could explain what you mean by it feeling different?  If just one wheel 
meets an
>obstacle it's possible to notice a suspension difference if the obstacle is of 
>substantial size and the sway bar is particularly thick (due to increased 
>tortional resistance).  However, normal obstacles and vehicle speed doesn't 
>present enough of difference to cause the sway bar to affect the independent 
>suspension.  Sways shouldn't affect the ride comfort -- that's the tire, 
torsion
>bar and shocks job.

Sway bars remove some of the independence from an indepandent suspension.  
Unless you believe that there is no difference between the ride in an 
independent suspension and a fully dependent suspension, then adding a sway 
bar is bound to put you somewhere in the middle.  I don't believe this is a 
"bad" thing.  He didn't say "adversly affected."  Just said that it made 
some difference.

Of course none of this makes any difference on a straight smooth road.

Jim
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       Melissa Kepner                                    Jim Adney
       jadney@vwtype3.org              jadney@vwtype3.org
                             Laura Kepner-Adney
                             Madison, Wisconsin
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