Front Anti Roll Bar

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

hi all

A quick question regarding my front anti roll bar

 

It seems to be sitting very low to the ground at the drop link ends, I don't have standard drop links anymore, I have threaded bar with ball socket ends on each end!

 

I just can't work out why its so low at each end to the ground, my main question is, should the drop links be pulling on the arb's tension or pushing on it and so pulling the suspension strut down or pushing it up?

 

My logic says pulling the strut down so as you go round a corner the tension on the arb would be pulling the strut down for more friction on the road especially for the inside wheel? I'm probably wrong thou!

 

The drop links are very long on mine, seem longer than standard!

 

Let me know what you think

 

Thanx

[Batfink 201]

if they are longer than standard you have answered your own problem really. Most likely you will need them shorter as you are running a lowered car....

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

yes but are they longer for a reason, I bought the car like that so he had done it for a reason which is why I don't wanna mess it up but research it first

[James_R 3]

Yes the reason is the rod it too long

[Batfink 201]

and that concludes the research lol

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

doesn't conclude if this enhances the performance of the arb by putting the extra tension on it making it work harder???

 

Also my main question above, is the drop link meant to pull the arb up or push it down, which way should the tension be?

[James_R 3]

Inside wheel down, outside wheel up (of corner)

 

The free length of the rod (it just connect the ARB to the upright) does nothing, you wnt no "tension" on them if the car is on level ground (and the coilsprings corner weighted evening) it only experince's loading when one side of the suspension is higher than the other (also known as cornering)

 

shorter is lighter

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

ok so anyone who lowers their car should in effect adjust the length of the drop links as they will now be under a load on level ground?!?!?

 

im just tryin to work out the physics of it so i can maybe enhance its ability for those long tight corners!!

 

so to measure mine to get them to the right length i would need to take wheels off then sit axle stands the same height under each wheel hub/wishbones and lower the car to simulate the suspension under full load as if sat on wheels on the ground, then measure the distance between arb and suspension fixing point as this is what the drop link length should be to get

no "tension" on them if the car is on level ground

 

id be tempted to make them a little shorter so that there is more pull on the suspension strut throu the drop link from the arb, this way the inside wheel will be pulled down to the road more than standard?!!?!?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

ok so anyone who lowers their car should in effect adjust the length of the drop links as they will now be under a load on level ground?!?!?

 

NO!

 

As long as you lower both sides of the car equally, the anti roll bar rotates in its bushes, so there is still no load on it. The anti roll bar only has load on it when one side of the car is higher than the other, so if the suspension is set right, when it ROLLS when cornering. When this happens the drop links try to twist the bar. The torsional stiffness of the bar resists this twisting, and so tries to stop the car from rolling. Hence the name ANTI-ROLL-BAR.

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

excellent, all i needed to know mate, thanx

 

so it doesnt actually matter to an extent how long your drop links are as long as they are even length and the suspension is set evenly as the arb with rotate in the bushes as you adjust the ride height and drop link length and lower the car to the ground and all tension/load will be removed until the car is driven round corners

 

this means i can shorten my stupidly long drop link lengths with no effect and save gettin stopped by people on the start line as im about to go saying "stop stop there's somethin hanging down under your car"

 

thanx for your help, we got there finally

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Basically yes. The drop links can be any length so long as they are equal, you also need to account for suspension travel and make sure nothing fouls.