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theinjuneer

9 Posts
Member #: 9629
Junior Member

N E England

14th Nov, 2011 at 10:08:57pm

Can't see the point mate. As well as some oem cars, plenty of F1 cars use torsion bars but these guys have unlimited design and machining budgets. people use coil springs cos they can be bought off the shelf with almost any rate you want.
Use torsion bars and you need to use something like splined ends to attach the suspension to and you must use the appropriate strength steel which will mean heat treatment to achieve the strength figures you need. No good welding ends onto a heat treated torsion bar and assuming everything will be hunky dory. I've seen people play around modifying anti-roll bars and the like with blow torches and nothing good ever came of it. You get one good loading on the spring and it plastically deforms. ouch.
I think you could spend loads of brass and get something which would be a lot worse than the modified set-ups already on the market.

I used to talk to myself a lot until I realised I wasn't listening.

Paul S

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8604 Posts
Member #: 573
Formerly Axel

Podland

15th Nov, 2011 at 09:02:22am

The idea is on the shelf labelled OTD idea no. 635.

BTW you can buy flat spring steel that gets around most the isues you raise.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

stevieturbo

3594 Posts
Member #: 655
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Northern Ireland

15th Nov, 2011 at 10:43:04am




On 4th Nov, 2011 Paul S said:
It could be lighter than a standard rear beam setup.

What concerns me is putting all the rear suspension loads onto the healboard.


I dont really see how it would be much lighter.

The beam would need strengthened around the bar mounts. There will also be two heavy steel bars to create the torsion. And it still needs shock absorbers anyway. And as you say, the floor may need strengthened as the suspension loads are now on different areas of the chassis

A lightweight beam and swing arms with a pair of alloy coilovers wont be too heavy ? or indeed the OEM rubber springs

So IMO it could actually be heavier, be difficult to adjust or fine tune, you have no spring options without new bars or some adjustable designed in etc. Plus the nightmare of making it work.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will


stevieturbo

3594 Posts
Member #: 655
Post Whore

Northern Ireland

15th Nov, 2011 at 10:44:37am

Coincidently, article in recent Autospeed

http://www.autospeed.com/A_112587/hDg34uLt...ms/article.html

http://autospeed.com/cms/A_112588/article.html

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will


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1137 Posts
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Near Paris - France

15th Nov, 2011 at 12:17:09pm

OEM use torsion bar rear beam because they are much cheaper : less material, less articulations and due fitting.

Rusty by nature

On 23rd Jun, 2008 paul wiginton said:
They said "That sounds rough mate." I said "Cheers it cost me a fortune to make it sound like that!"


tadge44

3006 Posts
Member #: 2500
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Buckinghamshire

15th Nov, 2011 at 04:08:59pm

To the injuneer.

I have welded ends on no end of anti roll bars, modifying different thickness bars to fit my application and no problems at all.
I do keep the heat away from the main part of the bar, usually with wet towels !
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