Can you replace one of their heads with the easter bunny's ???
I'm the dude driving.

 

I would have to have the original file, not the gif. I'm assuming it was made with Animation Shop or something.

 

Silver-Bolt,

Do the math (I have). If the relationship between the frame and the lower control arm changes, then the length of the end link must change an equal amount (longer or shorter depending on whether you lift or drop). True, the lower control arm does pivot on a compound axis of its own, but the amount to which this effects the end-link length is so small it isn't even worth calculating. Now if the control arm is lengthend or shortened (replacement tubular models), then that drastically effects the calculations. All other aspects of the geometry being the same before and after, then the drop/lift amount is the end-link adjustment amount. In fact, I am finding that by making the links 'length adjustable' that weight jacking can seriously improve (or destroy) the L's handling behaviors. But that's another subject all together.

My links are exactly the same length as Chickenears'. No bind, no jarring, no jittery front-end wandering. Also no whale-belly body roll, or unpredictable under or oversteer. Just clean, crisp handling and 100% pure smiles. Don't hit the bump stops, don't rub the fenderwells, don't spill your slurpee changing lanes because of excessive roll, roll through sweeping turns like a bat outta hell and never even squeal the tires.

Just ask TwinTurbo Ranger. Check with Chickenears in a couple of days (if he's home. . .he may be out carving a turn or two). I'm tired of 'salesmen' ripping off L owners by selling them parts they don't need at three times the value of the parts just to compensate for an incorrect suspension geometry that THEIR product created!!! I'm also tired of the skeptical people who listen to these salesmen. I can see if you want to seriously campain an autocross effort having some of this exotic equipment. But for light autocross and high performance street setups, there is absolutely no reason that one should spend the obscene amount of money that some of these companies demand. True, the parts like QA1 shocks are damn good. But the average driver simply will not ever push their vehicle to the threashold where the benefits of these parts will become appearant. They'd wipe out long before then.

Damn. Rambling again. Sorry

 

I installed the QA1'a mainly for daily driving, not road racing. And because I have a more radical spring design from Hotchkis, the damping problem was enhanced. Yet, the fact that they are adjustable helps on the latter, although the adjustments are minor for the track, mainly because of the damping increase as the shaft speed increases.

The problem with stock shocks and heavy springs is damping and longevity, nothing more. If you're driving down a freeway and the trucks starts moving due to bumps in the road, and then you hit more bumps that are the same frequency as the truck, the movement gets worse. This was apparent when I drove without shocks for two days and didn't notice a difference in the occillations. If you don't have rough roads, or don't transfer weight radically, you won't notice much of a difference, but that's unlikely with this group.

As you've said before, it's an entire system. Not one item will fix problems when the stock system is modified improperly. Each item only contributes to it's specific funtion and it's affect to the other components is dynamic and some affect the suspension more than others.

Regarding adjustable end links, expect more info on those soon. They've been designed and generic fit is the next step. A loaner set of Hotckis bars are being used so that not only will the stock sway bars be adjustable (preloading, etc), but so will the Hotchkis bars.

Rambling too!

Spike

 

Wrong, you are right. The end-links for the Hotchkis front bars with the Hotchkis front springs are 2.50" between the bushings.

NeedForSpeed I trued responding twice to your emails and both times AOL says no-go. Hope this helps with your question.

 

Silver-Bolt,

Sorry if the last post came off snotty. It wasn't intended to be a jab at you. Thanks BTW for checking on the compatability with the Hotchkiss bars. I base all my work off of the stock equipment, and sometimes forget that folks may have aftermarket hardware installed.

Spike-
You're the man. Adjustability is good. I just have to learn more about the interactions of preload settings. My findings so far are tainted I believe by driver error (both mine and the others I'm studying). Fatigue and tire temperature are rearing their ugly heads now as the temps here in Phoenix are climbing into the high 80's/low 90's again. But I'm learing.

Thanks guys,

 

Jay
You could replace an end link with a load cell, change the "length" and jack the other side. That'll give you an idea of what happening. It's only an approximation, but you'd get relative data. This would also be a good way of verifying how much the change in suspension height relative to the end link's length is affecting the sway bars. Could be a fun project (I'll leave it to someone else though).

To everyone: good work and a fun topic.

Spike

 

Hmmmm. . .

Y. . .Ye. . .Yes!!!

I think one of the two brain cells that are still functioning just kicked the other one in the butt.
Looks like it's time to scramble the Lightnings and the loose-leaf notebooks and head for P.I.R. or Firebird raceway.

A moment of silence please in loving memory of my second set of F1's. . .for they are about to die a horrible, horrible death.

I'll be sure to post pictures for all the sick-o's who like to witness the carnage. (like me)

 

Sounds like fun to me. Now just need to work on the ****pit adjustable setup. Dial it in as the track conditions change. Mount the control cables right in the center console with the brake bias adjuster.

 

 

I'm 99% sure you can get the parts at Grainger or McMasterCarr. Maybe a hydraulic setup that is 12 v driven.

Spike

 

Hey chicken or Jay, could you guys post some pics of what you did to the rear or explain it also.

I put the new prothanes on the rear, but I wanted to see what you guys would say about the rear units.

How much better will my truck handle going from the stock end links to the new shorter ones now. I thought just dropping it made it handle sweet enough, but for 14 bucks why not try this out you know.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of the cabled setup that Pegasus sells. Adapt one of the formula car controls to a slider on the bars. Worked great in the old Trans-Am cars.

 

Hmmm....you'll like the adjustable setup that I mentioned earlier.

 

RT,

I havent' done the rear yet but I'm ready to start now.

You say that you installed Prothane links on the *rear*? Where did you get them? I didn't see them at my Pep Boys store. If I can get them locally, I might just do that and avoid cutting and shortening the originals.

Tim