Let's talk anti-roll bars

[Ron Sutton]

For clarity sake, Matt … please read this and make sure I am interpreting your writings correctly. If not, copy, paste & edit into the next post.

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Your car is a 1969 Camaro with 454 LS7 (gen IV), T56 Magnum, 3.73 gears, 18x9 and 18x11.5 wheels with 275/35 F, 315/30 R tires. DSE subframe and quadralink. 3500lbs with a full tank, sans driver. 51/49 F/R weight distribution, with “close” cross weights” & narrower front than rear track width.



You have had basic 5 suspension set-ups:

#1
Front Springs: 450#
Front Sway Bar: 447#
Rear Springs: 250#
Rear Sway Bar: 344#
Notes: The car had pretty good bite and turn in, but it was wearing the outside tires badly and it was the tire was being overloaded because it would skip, or hop once before taking a set.

#2
Front Springs: 450#
Front Sway Bar: 447#
Rear Springs: 250#
Rear Sway Bar: 402#
Notes: I stiffened the rear, only to notice that I now had decent initial turn in with terrible mid corner push turning into transitional oversteer, making the car really loose putting power down.

#3
Front Springs: 575#
Front Sway Bar: 447#
Rear Springs: 250#
Rear Sway Bar: 402#
Notes: I arrived at a set up I was reasonably happy with.

#4
Front Springs: 575#
Front Sway Bar: 447#
Rear Springs: 275#
Rear Sway Bar: 402#
Additional Changes: Put JRI Shocks on the rear & Falken Tires all the way around
Notes: These changes gave me understeer that was most noticeable on turn in, but the functioning rear shocks greatly fixed traction issues as I used to start losing traction on auto crosses mid way through a straight since the rear springs wasn't being controlled.

#5
Front Springs: 700#
Front Sway Bar: 295#
Rear Springs: 275#
Rear Sway Bar: 402#
Additional Changes: Put JRI Shocks on the rear & Falken Tires all the way around
Notes: These changes seemed to increase the amount of understeer into transitional oversteer that I experienced & ended up with a car that seemed to put power down exceptionally well but exhibited more understeer, especially applying power with slight steering input.


Do I have this correct ?


Ron Sutton